Ed Devereaux
Ben Chifley
Series
Watch The True Believers (1988) Online
No video is available for The True Believers - S1E1 yet. Check back soon.
7.01 votes19881hEndedWar & PoliticsDrama
Synopsis
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."
Episodes
Season 1
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- 1. Episode 1Now viewing1988-06-281hJust 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.
- 2. Episode 21988-07-051hWith 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.
- 3. Episode 31988-07-121hAfter 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.
- 4. Episode 41988-07-191hCommunist 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.
- 5. Episode 51988-07-261hMenzies 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.
- 6. Episode 61988-08-021hMenzies 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.
- 7. Episode 71988-08-091hDoc 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.
- 8. Episode 81988-08-161hFollowing 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
Top Billed Cast
John Bonney
Robert Menzies
Simon Chilvers
H.V. Evatt
No photo John Derum
B.A. Santamaria
Graham Rouse
Arthur Fadden
Nick Tate
Les Hayden
Gary Files
Fred Daly
No photo Stuart McCreery
Allan Dalziel
No photo Mary-Lou Stewart
Joanna Malcolm
No photo Dorothy St. Heaps
Elizabeth Chifley
No photo Leonie-Martin Smith
Ethel Casey
No photo Hec Macmillan
Sir William McKell
No photo Peter Corbett
John Dedman
No photo Michelle Marzo
Rosalind Evatt
No photo 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
Availability
Where To Watch Legally
No legal streaming, rental or purchase options for The True Believers were reported for this region.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The True Believers available to watch online?
Vidbox does not currently have a legal streaming, rental or purchase option on record for The True Believers in this region.
How many seasons does The True Believers have?
The True Believers has 1 season and 8 episodes.
When did The True Believers first air?
The True Believers first aired in 1988.
Is The True Believers still running?
The True Believers's status on TMDB is: Ended.
What genre is The True Believers?
The True Believers is classified as War & Politics, Drama.