Secret Valley is a children's television adventure series created by Terry Bourke and Roger Mirams. It was produced by the Grundy Organisation from Australia in association with Telecip from France and Televisión Española (TVE) from Spain. It was first aired in 1980 on the ABC in Australia, and in 1982 on TVE 2 in Spain. It spawned a spin-off series in 1986 titled Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin.

Series synopsis

Secret Valley is a fictitious children's holiday camp in Bildarra which has been transformed from a run-down ghost town into a resort. The children who work and visit the camp often find themselves in battle against a gang of bad kids – Spider McGlurk and his gang from "Spider Cave". These battles usually feature flour bombs and other food-related missiles and everyone inevitably ends up in a big mess. Spider McGlurk and his gang are not the biggest threat to the peace at Secret Valley. Secret Valley is also under threat of closure by the local council, and property developer William Whopper (also known as 'WW') played by Hugh Keays-Byrne. It was produced by Roger Mirams who also produced the spin-off series Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin in 1986, amongst other programs and series. The 1980 pilot was directed by Howard Rubie and written by Terry Bourke. It was filmed in late 1979 with a budget of $100,000.

Cast

International screenings

The series was aired in New Zealand, Greece, Italy, the UK on ITV in the 1980s, and the Netherlands in 1982/1983 by KRO television. It was also broadcast by the Dutch TV station Kindernet in 1989/1990. It was also aired in South Africa in 1983 on the state-owned SABC and translated in Quebecois French for the state-owned francophone branch of the CBC.

Production

The series was a co-production between the Grundy Organisation from Australia, Telecip from France, and Televisión Española from Spain. Some of the child actors in this show were real-life siblings – Beth, Miles and Simone Buchanan. The series was at Smokey Dawson's ranch in the Sydney suburb of Terrey Hills and also at the theme park El Caballo Blanco. Roger Mirams originally intended to make a series called The Ghost Town Gang at Smoky Dawson's ranch at Ingleside, which had been used to film Luke's Kingdom and Lost Islands. However bushfires went through it, and there was no ghost town so the show became Secret Valley. Thirteen days after the fire, filming started again. Producer Mirams says the overall theme of Secret Valley is depicted through kids doing their own thing in what usually is an adult world.

The theme song

The theme song "My Secret Valley" was sung to the tune of "Waltzing Matilda" and composed by Bob Young, with lyrics by series producer Roger Mirams (credited as David Phillips). I had a dream I could ride across the mountaintops Ride on the waves where the sea turns blue Gum trees, some trees rise until they touch the sky I know a place where it all comes true Chorus: I know a valley, I know a valley My Secret Valley the world has to see One place for children, welcome from around the world Please come and share Secret Valley with me Verse Paris, London, Montreal and Amsterdam So many friends that we want to know From the hills of Spain to the city streets of Germany I know a place where we all can go Repeat chorus

Episodes

1. Big plans
2. Secret weapon
3. Battle stations
4. The horse who could dance
5. The junkman
6. The ghost of Secret Valley
7. Save the bunyip
8. The monster
9. The marvelous magnetising machine
10. The runaway
11. Double trouble
12. The great mini bike race
13. Spanish gold
14. I spy
15. Secret Valley Bush Fire
16. Super scoop
17. Spider McGlurk Meets His Match
18. The Trojan Bull
19. A sticky situation
20. The worm turns
21. Lost in the bush
22. The pony express
23. The Bildara Bank Bust
24. The oily bird catches the worm
25. The secret valley goes to town
26. End of the rainbow