The True Believers

1988•1h 0m

War & PoliticsDrama

The True Believers is a 1988 Australian mini series which looks at the history of the Australian Labor Party from the end of World War Two up to the Australian Labor Party split of 1955. It was co-written by Bob Ellis who focused on three characters "Chifley, the unlettered man of great dignity; Menzies, who used to stand for something but eventually stood only for Menzies; and Evatt, the grand idealist... It's almost like Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. It's a chunk of national history during Australia's great era of change after the war."

Open in PickFlick

Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

June 28, 1988

Last Aired

August 16, 1988

Networks

ABC TV

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

No providers available for this region.

Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

Episode 1

Air date: 1988-06-28

Just before the end of WWII, John Curtin lays on his deathbed. Who will fill the position? Brilliant legal mind, "Doc" Evatt or unschooled train driver Ben Chifley? With an election to face in 1946, the Labor Party needs to choose wisely.

Episode 2

Air date: 1988-07-05

With a supposed Communist uprising in the coal industry moves are afoot to abolish the party from the Liberal side, but also to nationalise the banks from Labor. The High Court finds that nationalising the banks is not constitutional.

Episode 3

Air date: 1988-07-12

After Chifley wins the election, Evatt spends much time overseas and is elected third President of the United Nations. The Miners' Union gets more concessions, but wants even more. Evatt argues to the Privy Council for bank nationalisation.

Episode 4

Air date: 1988-07-19

Communist demands become so great even the ALP feels the need to oppose them leading to the coal miners' strike of 1949, gaoling of some union members and sending in the army to work the mines.

Episode 5

Air date: 1988-07-26

Menzies is now Prime Minister and starts naming alleged Communists in parliament, subjecting them to gaol and sackings. Chifley's heart is giving up the ghost, and Doc Evatt becomes acting Opposition Leader.

Episode 6

Air date: 1988-08-02

Menzies calls a double-dissolution over his Communist Party prohibition bill in April 1951, which he wins, but loses five seats. On 13 June 1951, Chifley dies following a heart attack in his Canberra hotel room.

Episode 7

Air date: 1988-08-09

Doc Evatt is elected Opposition Leader after Chifley's tragic death, but the odds are stacked against him. Menzies uses the Communist menace as a stick to beat him and milks the Petrov affair for all it's worth.

Episode 8

Air date: 1988-08-16

Following the Petov Affair, Evatt promises pension rises, the abolition of means tests and tax cuts. Noone believes him (even in his own party) and Menzies wins again. Disaffected Victorian ALP members split the party to form the DLP.

Cast

Ed Devereaux

Ben Chifley

John Bonney

Robert Menzies

Simon Chilvers

H.V. Evatt

John Derum

B.A. Santamaria

Graham Rouse

Arthur Fadden

Nick Tate

Les Hayden

Gary Files

Fred Daly

Stuart McCreery

Allan Dalziel

Mary-Lou Stewart

Joanna Malcolm

Dorothy St. Heaps

Elizabeth Chifley

Leonie-Martin Smith

Ethel Casey

Hec Macmillan

Sir William McKell

Peter Corbett

John Dedman

Michelle Marzo

Rosalind Evatt

Paul Hunt

John Burton

Harold Hopkins

Edgar Ross

Paul Sonkkila

Ron Tate

Bill Young

Jim Cooper

Valerie Bader

Mary Alice Evatt

Ray Meagher

Tom Burke

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