AustLit

Television mini-series that traces the political concerns and upheavals of the immediate post-war period in Australia.

Moran notes, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, that the program, in addition to the three political leaders that are its focus, introduces such historical figures as B.A. Santamaria, Edgar Ross, Lloyd Ross, Dr H.C. Coombes, Frank Packer, and Arthur Calwell.

Moran suggests that the program's weakness lies in its treatment of the central figures: 'Menzies is a one-dimensional unprincipled villain, ambitious for power. Evatt, too, seeks power and is personally vain even to the point of eccentricity. Chifley, on the other hand, is a saintly avuncular figure who struggles to bring alive his vision of 'the light on the hill'. This leads to drama which is too black and white and simple-minded.'