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 Kiwis in Korea
 Pukemanu - Pukemanu Welcomes You
 Mortimer's Patch - Day of Judgement
 Smash Palace
 Loose Enz - Coming and Going
 Rabbiter's Rest - A Fair Cop

Synopsis

In this episode of the early 80s TVNZ high country drama (penned by Pukemanu writer Julian Dickon and directed by Roger Donaldson), Jocko (Bruce Allpress) is reunited with two fellow Korean War veterans — but one is now an escaped convict and the other a police officer heading the manhunt. Stan, another escapee (a suitably manic Bruno Lawrence), stirs things up but the real drama here involves unfinished business for three former soldiers from a conflict 25 years earlier. It’s also very much a man’s world, without a single female character to be seen.

Credits (14)

 Roger Donaldson

Roger Donaldson
Director

 Mark DeFriest

Mark DeFriest
Producer

 Julian Dickon

Julian Dickon
Writer

See all credits ›

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Comments (1)

 Geoffrey Tompsett

Geoffrey Tompsett

Posted at 07.31AM - 22.12.2011

thank you! thank you!
more please

View all 1 comments ›

Produced by

 TVNZ

TVNZ

Source

 TVNZ Archive

TVNZ Archive

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Related Titles (6)

 Kiwis in Korea

Kiwis in Korea

Short Film, 1951 (Full Length)

Newsreel about NZ soldiers in Korea

 Smash Palace

Smash Palace

Film, 1981 (Trailer and Excerpts)

A feature film directed by Donaldson around the same time

 Rabbiter's Rest - A Fair Cop

Rabbiter's Rest - A Fair Cop

Television, 1983 (Full Length Episode)

Another rural TV show featuring Bruce Allpress

 Pukemanu - Pukemanu Welcomes You

Pukemanu - Pukemanu Welcomes You

Television, 1971 (Full Length Episode)

Also written by Julian Dickon

 Mortimer's Patch - Day of Judgement

Mortimer's Patch - Day of Judgement

Television, 1980 (Full Length Episode)

More rural police drama

 Loose Enz - Coming and Going

Loose Enz - Coming and Going

Television, 1982 (Full Length)

Another early 80s TV drama exploring a similar theme

Quotes

Jocko is a pretty together sort of guy. He’s seen a lot of life and death, has the wisdom of experience. He’s an itinerant because he doesn’t want to settle down. He’s a South Islander, one of those Southland or Central Otago people who are a breed unto themselves. Truly magnificent people. Salt of the earth. 

– Bruce Allpress on his character Jocko (Listener, May 10 1980 - p16)

I’m a thief and he’s a cop. We’re both in the same line of business. But he can’t get rid of me and it eats into his guts like a worm into a rotten apple. Oh yeah, I‘m a thief but he’s something worse and he knows it. 

– Brindle (Norm Keesing)

We’re finally getting away from the slow ‘meaningful’ type of a drama to a more fast paced script. This isn’t kidult drama, neither is it a travelogue of South Island scenery. This has real action. 

– Producer Mark DeFriest (Listener, May 10 1980 - p16)