Pig's Breakfast

Pig's Breakfast (also known as Off the Air) is an Australian science fiction children's comedy television series by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson that aired from 5 July 1999 to 22 October 2000.

Pig's Breakfast
Also known as	Off the Air
Genre	Children's Science fiction
Created by	John Thomson Mark Shirrefs
Written by	Mark Shirrefs John Thomson Lynda Gibson Kym Goldsworthy Steve J. Spears Kevin Nemeth Phil Thomson Brendan Luno Geoff Kelso Clare Madsen Holly Lyons Rhett Walton Helen Steel John Lind Sue Thomson Brian Nankervis Andrew Goodone Mark Cutler Nancy Black
Directed by	Esben Storm Kathy Mueller Ralph Strasser John Thomson
Starring	Nicholas Russell Eve Morey Heath McIvor Jennifer Priest
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	78
Production
Executive producer	Noel Price
Producer	Susie Campbell
Production locations	Melbourne, Victoria
Running time	25 minutes
Production companies	Southern Star Entertainment Nine Network Australia
Original release
Network	Nine Network
Release	5 July 1999 (1999-07-05) – 22 October 2000 (2000-10-22)

Premise

Two alien school kids named Grob and Meeba accidentally crash their galactic school bus into a television studio on Earth, Channel 9. A producer mistakes them for two actors in rubber suits, there to do a skit on her children's TV show. The aliens are such a hit that she hires them to host the show, whose ratings soar. Two children, Rodney and Lucy Green, discover the aliens' identity and help to keep them safe while they try to fix their bus and return home.

Cast

Main

• Eve Morey as Lucy Green
• Dean Measor as Plaaag Warrior
• Nicholas Russell as Rodney Green
• Catherine Mack-Hancock as Jessica
• Sally Cooper as Dee Davis
• Heath McIvor as Grob
• Jennifer Priest as Meeba
• George Kapiniaris as Queegle (voice)
• Phillip Millar as Queegle (puppetry)

Guests

• Annie Jones as Sue Green
• Ernie Gray as Mr. Pratt
• Francis Greenslade as Martin Green
• Gary Files as Mr. Howard
• Geoff Paine as Malcolm Wilson
• Jeremy Hopkins as Phillip Bailey
• Jeremy Kewley as Gavin Bailey
• Kate Gorman
• Lynda Gibson as Di Bailey
• Monica Maughan
• Paul Mercurio
• Peta Brady as Nancy
• Rebecca Ritters as Caz
• Sophie Heathcote
• Sullivan Stapleton
• Tania Lacy as Rebecca
• Terry Norris

Production

Shirrefs and Thomson originally conceived Pig's Breakfast in 1989 as a magazine series about aliens who crash-land on Earth and interview humans to learn more about the planet. The premise was changed to suit a sitcom format ten years later.^[1] After they pitched it, Channel 9 and production company Southern Star made a deal to co-produce 52 episodes without commissioning a pilot.^[2]

The television studio scenes were filmed in and around the Richmond studios of GTV-9 Melbourne.^{[citation needed]}

International broadcast

The series aired in many countries, including ITV's CITV in the United Kingdom and RTÉ2's The Den in Ireland.^{[citation needed]}