Tandarra

Tandarra was the follow-up Australian television series to Cash and Company, set during the Victorian gold rush period of the 1850s. It was produced in 1976, consisted of 13 one hour episodes and was shown on the Seven Network in Australia and London Weekend Television in the UK. Two of the originals characters from Cash and Company continued in Tandarra. These were Joe Brady and Jessica Johnson. The other main character, introduced in the final episode of Cash and Company was Ryler. He had been a bounty hunter who was later convinced of Joe’s innocence and decided to join with him. Tandarra was taken from the name of the homestead, owned by Jessica’s character, and the series primarily dealt with the adventures of running the large farming property. The original premise of the first series, namely that Joe and Sam Cash were fugitives from the law and were being assisted by Jessica was totally removed. No reference to the Sam Cash character was ever made in this series. The previous antagonist, the corrupt police trooper, Lieutenant Keogh only appeared in the first episode of Tandarra, and the character of Jessica’s servant, Annie only appeared in the second.

Directed by —, Tandarra leans on a strong ensemble — Gus Mercurio, Gerard Kennedy, Penne Hackforth-Jones — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1976.