TV Series · 1984

Bodyline

Drama · Ended

Composite

6.6

IMDb

8.4 / 10

910 votes

TMDB

7.6 / 10

7 votes

Local

— / 10

No votes

Synopsis

Dramatization of the 1932/33 Test cricket series between England and Australia. Played in Australia, the series gained notoriety in Australian and worldwide cricketing history for the fact that the English team (headed by captain Douglas Jardine) applied a bowling technique called "leg theory", or more commonly, Bodyline. This technique involved bowlers bowling the ball directly at the batsman's body, and resulted in many of the Australian team receiving numerous bruises and injuries, with batsman Bert Oldfield sustaining a cracked skull. The series generated much anger and resentment towards the English team within Australia and seriously damaged Anglo-Australian cricketing relations at the time.

Cast

Hugo Weaving

Douglas Jardine

Gary Sweet

Donald Bradman

Jim Holt

Harold Larwood

Rhys McConnochie

Pelham Warner

John Gregg

Percy George Fender

Heather Mitchell

Edith

Frank Thring

Lord Harris

Max Cullen

Clive 'Chooka' Cooper (Reporter)

John Walton

Bill Woodfull

Ashok Banthia

Nawab of Pataudi

Alan David Lee

Eddie Paynter

Bill Young

Bill Bowes

—

Terry Bader

Bob Wyatt

Richard Carter

Bill Voce

Arthur Dignam

Mr. Jardine

Jane Harders

Mrs. Jardine

John Clayton

Mr. Bradman

—

Colleen Fitzpatrick

Mrs. Bradman

Julie Nihill

Jessie Bradman

Vincent Ball

Joseph Lyons (Prime Minister)

Crew

Art

Owen Williams Production Design
Billy Allen Art Direction

Camera

Dean Semler Director of Photography

Costume & Make-Up

Robyn Richards Costume Design

Directing

Lex Marinos Director
George Ogilvie Director

Editing

Richard Francis-Bruce Editor
David Stiven Editor

Production

Terry Hayes Producer
George Miller Producer
Byron Kennedy Executive Producer
Doug Mitchell Executive Producer
Antonia Barnard Production Manager
Francine Finnane Researcher
Graham Shirley Researcher

Sound

Chris Neal Music

Writing

Seasons & episodes

Season 1 (1 ep)

1. Empire

Jul 16, 1984 · 49 min

Douglas Jardine is introduced at his 9th birthday in Bombay, Lord Harris explains the significance of the soon to be famous Harlequin cap, and his parents bid him an emotional farewell as he departs to be educated in England, first at Horris Hill School later at Winchester College. Andrew Lane teaches the young Jardine that cricket is a thinking mans game 'you don't bowl a batsmen out, you think him out'. Jardine emerges from WW1 tall and athletic, reserved and determined, this determination attracts interest from Percy Fender (Surrey Captain) who is impressed with Jardine's captaincy. Meanwhile a young Harold Larwood is introduced bowling for money at the coal mine where he works and in Australia a certain Don Bradman is selected first for New South Wales and then in 1928 for Australia during Jardine's first tour down under.