Skippy (the Bush Kangaroo) Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is a 60’s Children’s TV show. I'm not sure that the animals best interests were at the forefront of this show. The opening episode has a number of people trying to man handle Skippy and I'm not sure it was fun for the Kangaroo. There was even a shot of Skippy jumping a tall fence, which looked more like she was thrown over it! Not only did Ed Deveraux star as Ranger Matt Hammond, he also put his writing talent to the test by coming up with one of the stories for the show.   There was even a Skippy Club for you to join. I'm sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but there was more than one Skippy. In fact Ken James (Mark Hammond) can remember up to 9 Skippys, who were kept in sugar bags while not working (I can only assume with their heads poking out). It seems you can have a tame kangaroo, but not a trained one. So they filmed lots and lots of shots of Skippy bouncing in/out of camera , Skippy getting something out of her pouch etc and then edited it together with film of the actors (so they tricked us - bah!).   The show, despite some of its nastier elements, tried to promote family values and Ed Deveraux's character (Matt Hammond) always had some words of wisdom to impart to someone. This was one of the first shows in Australia that was filmed in colour. The stunts that were done in the show, were performed (mostly) by the actors. Nowadays this wouldn't be allowed, unless heavily insured (if allowed at all). Here's something to watch out for. In the episode with the Bushrangers Pop Group, see the lead guitarist wait until Matt Hammond (Ed Deveraux) comes into view before pretending to play his guitar, even though the group are supposed to be playing before Matt gets there. Had me in stitches. I can't believe they didn't reshoot that. Maybe someone said action too late.     Story  Each Episode began with these immortal lines:   'Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Skippy, Skippy, Skippy our friend ever true'     Skippy was a bush kangaroo who was abandoned by her mother, whilst protecting her. Skippy  came across a young boy called Sonny who wanted to keep her. Sonny went and asked his father if he could, but his father (who was the Head Ranger at Waratah National Park Wildlife Reserve) told him that they couldn't own Skippy as she was owned by the National Park, but they could help her grow up strong to protect herself. So Sonny had a new best friend called Skippy. They went everywhere with each other and Skippy could do wonderful things. Skippy even tries to talk to via tuts & clicks. Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Characters     Skippy     (played by lots of Kangaroos) What a fantastic Kangaroo. She can talk to Sonny (well, sort of) and can use her paws to open/shut things and even locked Dr Stark in a Zoo cage. The trouble is I think she has been using too much starch on her paws, because when close up they look rock solid, as if they are fake! (either that or she has a paws stunt double...maybe?). She also seems to attract trouble, not content with Dr.Stark after her, someone else wanted to make her into a coat (she's jinxed). She loves cheese and to play the drums (umm, I bet that was fun trying to get her to do that). Her talent know no bounds, as she even gate crashed a movie being made in the park and wound up being its star!     Sonny Hammond    (played by Garry Pankhurst) He loves Skippy with all his heart and classes her as his best friend. He blows on a gum leaf to whistle so that he can call Skippy. But Sonny has a flaw, he trusts nearly everyone (apart from Dr Stark). If he was a bit more alert, then Skippy would have been saved from a few close shaves. Not only that, but he finds it very hard to say a sentence with putting the word Skippy in it. Skippy did this, Skippy did that, Skippy went parachute jumping (sorry made the last one up, he went sky diving instead).     Matt Hammond     (played by Ed Deveraux) He is the Head Ranger at Waratah National Park Wildlife Reserve and the strict but fair father of Sonny and Mark. He doesn't like to see people taking the mickey out of others. He was put under pressure by Dr. Stark to sell Skippy to him, but as you should already know, no Wildlife Ranger would sell any of its animals. So Matt Hammond then became an enemy of Dr Stark, who would do anything to destroy him. Stark even hired a double of Matt Hammond to discredit him (Loder), by running a senator off the road with his car. Luckily this plan backfired when Jerry King bumped into the impostor (plus his fist) just before Matt was going to be handed over to the police.     Clancy Merrick     (played by Liza Goddard) Clancy's father, Tom Merrick, landed the job of Head Ranger in a new reserve up north. The whole of his family was going with him, apart from Clancy, who was staying behind to finish her exams. Luckily she will be living with the Hammonds, or is it luck for them? She likes to play the piano, but to the horror of the others, early in the morning!     Mark Hammond     (played by Ken James) There's not much to say about Mark Hammond, his character is a bit boring. The only excitement was when he threw himself from the helicopter into a river to catch a runaway speed boat. His dancing skills aren't great. He's a scuba diver.     Jerry King     (played by Tony Bonner) Jerry King is the Flight Ranger who all the girls swoon over. It's not just his good looks, but he has the great task of piloting the National Park Helicopter and Speed Boat...who could resist? But seriously, he does use them helicopter and speed boat to check nothing untoward is happening in the park, which at this park, there is something going on that shouldn't be. He was such a skilful pilot, that when the helicopter crashed, it looked like there was no damage and a few bits of Australian bush hanging from the blades (it was if it had been set up like that - I wonder how that could of happened!).     Dr Anna Stiener     (played by Elke Neidhardt) Dr Stiener lived in a motor home at the side of the ranger station. I'm not exactly sure what she was doing there, but the motor home was littered with glass phials, Bunsen burners and half completed chemistry tests. But she did have a permanent visitor to stay with her. Clancy decided to stay in the motor home with her and give back Jerry's room.     Dr Alexander Stark     (played by Frank Thring) He is a very rich man and he has his own private zoo and wants Skippy to be part of it. He tried by bribe Matt Hammond to give him Skippy, but Skippy belongs to the National Park, so he refused. So now his mission in life is to get one of the few things that he can't buy - Skippy. He even hired two goons (McMurtrie and Snapes) to kidnap Skippy. Amazingly they succeeded. Once at his Zoo, Skippy escaped by tipping food all over Dr Stark and escaping through the cage door. Not only that, Skippy even locked him in the cage (good one skippy). He will stop at nothing to get Skippy, even trying to get Matt Hammond the sack from his job (ooh, he's a bad un). To make himself look more sinister, he even grew a goatee beard (even made me scared of him!). Skippy the Bush Kangaroo   T-Shirts - NONE Skippy the Bush Kangaroo DVDs Region 2 (Europe) - Skippy DVDs Region 1 (USA) - NONE Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Video Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Episodes Series 1 (1966)  1. The Poachers  2. Sports Car Rally  3. Golden Reef  4. Long Way Home  5. Cage Of Koalas  6. The Lyre Bird  7. Dead Or Alive  8. The Marine Biologist  9. No Time For Clancy  10. Time And Tide  11. Can You Keep A Secret?  12. The Swagman  13. The Honeymooners  14. Many Happy Returns  15. My Best Friend  16. When The Bough Breaks  17. The Waratah Festival  18. Summer Storm  19. The Rustlers  20. Double Trouble  21. Trapped  22. They're Singing Me Back  23. Tara Part One  24. Tara Part Two  25. Surf King  26. The Runaway  27. Last Chance  28. No Trespassers  29. Mayday Part One  30. Mayday Part Two  31. Date In Dalmar  32. The Empty Chair  33. Ten Little Visitors  34. Aunt Evelyn  35. The Bushrangers  36. Man From Space  37. Be Our Guest  38. The Long Night  39. View Matt   Series 2 (1967)   1. The Raft  2. Perfect Hosts  3. Honest Jack  4. Follow My Leader  5. Tex 'N Ranger  6. Chicken  7. Belinda  8. The Mine  9. Rockslide  10. Hide And Seek  11. Flying Saucers  12. Esmeralda  13. Puppets  14. Vice Versa  15. Oats  16. Black Spider  17. Tread Softly  18. Shark Taggers  19. Surprise! Surprise!  20. Marco Polo  21. The Wombat  22. The Axeman  23. Up And Beyond  24. Round Up  25. The Hikers  26. For My Next Trick  27. A Bird In The Hand  28. Marathon  29. The Best Man  30. Plain Jane  31. Hi-Fi  32. Maggie  33. Mixed Company  34. Treasure Hunt  35. The Sport Of Kings  36. Bon Voyage  37. Cobber  38. Tiger  39. Luna Park   Series 3 (1968)    1. A Work Of Art  2. A Manner Of Speaking  3. The Prince Of Siam  4. High Fashion  5. El Toro  6. Mr. Duffy  7. The Medicine Man  8. The Veteran  9. The Rainmakers  10. Up The Waratahs  11. Merry-Go-Round  12. Pigeon Pair  13. Fred   Specials   Skippy Movie - The Intruders (1969) Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Images (click to enlarge) © JedisParadise.com Toys & Gifts T-Shirts Bargain DVDs