Five Mile Creek Season One

This is where Nicole Kidman got an early start!

I grew up watching the videotapes of File Mile Creek. This is a unique alternative to the wild West of America. It is set in the Australian Outback during the height of the gold rush. The series is loosely based on the Louis L'Amour book, The Cherokee Trail. This is a great family mini-series and the characters are so interesting.

Kate and Maggie run Five Mile Creek, the waystation for the coach line. They are aided by Paddy, the Irish doom-and-gloom blacksmith; Ben, the horse wrangler from the States; Hannah, Maggie's preteen daughter; and Sam, an orphan taken in by Kate. Con and Jack are partners in the coachline, the Australian Express. Their fussy banker, Charles Withers, keeps the purse strings tight. (Later, we are introduced to Nicole Kidman as the sheep herder, Annie. But this is in one of the last seasons.)

The episodes included in Season One are:

Making Tracks- We are introduced to the people who will make up the crew of the Australian Express coachline and the Five Mile Creek waystation. Maggie and her daughter, Hannah, arrive in Australia in search of her wayward husband. Con Madigan arrives with the coach to meet his Australian partner, Jack Taylor. And Kate Wallace is abandoned and left to run the waystation all by herself.

Horses for Courses- Learning to live in a wilderness & getting the coachline off and running.

Love Before a Fall- Life is complicated by stolen gold and a mysterious drifter, for whom Kate falls in love with.

A Few Surprises- Jack contracts a deadly fever that can only be cured by a native potion.

The Scrub Bulls- Jack & Con look to expand the business but have to deal with a stubborn squatter. Maggie's school is off and running as she learns a terrible secret about her husband.

Bang the Big Drum- A naive peddler comes through the area and the ladies go shopping.

Gold Fever- Gold fever sweeps through the Five Mile Creek area bringing prospectors and the worst lawbreakers, "bushrangers."

Annie- A pregnant woman goes into labor at Five Mile Creek, complicating Maggie's life as she deals with her husband's sudden re-appearance.

Home and Away- Maggie has to decide whether to stay in Australia or return home.

The Awakening- Jack's first shipment of gold is stolen and Kate takes care of a very sick Aborigine family.

The Prize- Jack and Con step into the boxing ring to secure a contract for the Australian Express.

Tricks of the Trade- Bushrangers threaten a shipment of currency. Sam's foster parents arrive to take him. Kate is told she must be married in order to adopt him and a proposal comes from the unlikeliest of sources.

Thanksgiving- The American holiday looms as Maggie gets word of a tragedy and a feud erupts between the partners.

I was in my early 20's when I discovered this show on the Disney Channel. Fascinated by the Australian setting, I was instantly hooked and began insisting my family and friends had to watch too. Some of my best memories are tied up in this show.

The opening episode bears the distictive style of George Miller's (of Mad Max fame) direction. But more distinctive to me was the almost instantaneous cast chemistry - each person seemed to find their 'voice' right away and that became for me the best part of the show. I loved Maggie (Louise Caire Clark) and Charlie's (Peter Carroll) relationship best of all, though I know a lot of people didn't really get them. They were an unusual pairing, but deeply romantic in their own way.

Jay Kerr (Conway Madigan) was a stud (and a real cowboy!), Rod Mullinar (Jack Taylor) was bigger than life and a huge pain in Con's side - but everyone loved him anyway. Kate (Liz Burch) was beautiful and a real go-getter who eventually claims Con's heart. Michael Caton (Paddy) was hilarious as an Irish ex-con...his riff on the Australian legend Ned Kelly was priceless. I loved his American sidekick Ben (played by Gus Mercurio). Between them all, they provided some very fun moments in a wonderful little show. Give it a chance - you'll become an addict like the rest us. :)

When the Man from Snowy River was a hit for Disney. Disney channel invested in an ossie production, filmed on location with a local cast-It was a hit

With out any extras, this 13 episode first season is familt fare at its best. These espisodes is a great cast and great production values look good on DVD.

It is great family fare that will never bore

Bennet Pomerantz-AUDIOWORLD

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