Stringer (TV series)

Stringer is an Australian television series that aired on ABC in 1988. It featured Derrick O'Connor as Frank Buchanan, a war correspondent who returns to Sydney and teams up with taxi driver Yannis Moustakas, played by Nicholas Papademetriou.

Stringer
Written by	Christopher Lee Billy Marshall-Stoneking Steve Wright
Directed by	Kathy Mueller Ken Cameron Chris Thomson
Starring	Derrick O'Connor Nicholas Papademetriou
Composer	Martin Armiger
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producer	Sandra Levy
Producer	John Edwards
Cinematography	Jeffrey Malouf
Editors	Michael Honey Bill Russo
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	April 25 (1988-04-25) – June 14, 1988 (1988-06-14)

It was also noted for it's music which was directed by Martin Armiger and featured Wendy Matthews and Kate Ceberano.^[1] The soundtrack album, titled You've Always Got the Blues,^[2] won two ARIA Music Awards in 1989.

Reception

Commenting on the opening episode the Canberra Times' Ian Warden wrote that it had "a story as sheer and transparent as panty hose" as speculated that the character of Yannis Moustakas may become a "major albatross around the program's neck".^[3] Of the same episode Barbara Hutton in the Age says "The show may well get better as it goes on.^[4] Barbara Hooks of the Age called it "a simply splendid new drama series" sayin theat the writers "have taken standard, contrived themes and wrought the most marvellous variations".^[5]

Diana Simmonds of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote that Papademetriou "almost saves the day with his energetic and well-realised portrayal of Moustakis" and that "Stringer is not a total disaster but, with more care, it could have been a cracker."^[6] Richard Coleman in the Sydney Morning Herald said "The problem with Stringer is that, while it is very easy to look at and is very well played by its principals, nothing terribly much happens."^[7] Garrie Hutchinson in the Age wrote that it was "less dramatic than ancient episodes of Minder and not as funny as equally decrepit hours of The Goodies".^[8]

Cast

• Derrick O'Connor as Frank Buchanan
• Nicholas Papademetriou as Yannis Moustakas
• Susan Lyons as Laura Chandler
• Lynette Curran as Valerie Gordon
• Dorothy St. Heaps as Kate McGuire
• Joy Smithers