Alister Smart
Born1935 (aged 88-89)[1]
Australia
NationalityAustralian
Other namesAlastair Smart
Occupations
  • Actor
  • television presenter
  • television director
  • writer
Years active
Known forPlay School as host 1966–1993 (27 years)
Notable work

Alister Smart (born 1935),[1][2] also credited as Alastair Smart,[3] is a retired TV presenter, actor, television director and screenwriter from Australia. A staple of the small screen, he appeared in telefilms and soap opera/serials with numerous credits from the late 1950s until the mid-1990s

Smart is best known for his long tenure as a presenter on TV children's series Play School from 1966 and 1993. He is also known for his appearances with fellow members of Play School, including Don Spencer[1] on tie-in records released for ABC Music, as well as in audiobooks.[1][4][5]As a presenter on the latter, he had one of the longest stints on television in Australia, co-hosting alongside Spencer, Lorraine Bayly, Benita Collings, Noni Hazlehurst, John Waters, Philip Quast and Anne Haddy.[4]

As a television director, he has worked on numerous programs. Most notably, he directed 88 episodes of the soap opera Sons and Daughters, and briefly, four episodes of police procedural series Blue Heelers.

Career

Actor

Smart started his career in local theatre in 1957, and continued working in stage drama throughout his life. His theatre roles include Shakespeare's Macbeth and King Henry V and a tour of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? [6]

He began his television career in England in the early 1960s, appearing in televised plays. He performed in anthology series including ITV Play of the Week and Comedy Playhouse, as well as serials like Emergency Ward 10. In the latter part of the 60s, he returned to Australia, [1] where he appeared in guest roles in soap operas and made-for-television movies, including You Can't See 'round Corners, Homicide. Division 4, The Sullivans and Cop Shop. Although not a staple of the regular Number 96 television series, Smart had a prominent role as journalist Duncan Hunter in the film version.[7]

Television director

Smart pursued a directing career in both movies and TV series from the early 1970s until he retired in 1994. His directorial work includes Scattergood: Friend of All, Sons and Daughters, Richmond Hill, Prisoner and Blue Heelers.[8][9][10]

Television presenter

Smart is recognized as a former presenter on the long-running children's TV program Play School, the Australian version of which was adapted from the original British version of the same title. Smart's first appearance was in the first episode in 1966, and he remained in that role for 27 years until retiring in 1993. He hosted alongside other original cast including Diane Dorgan (1966), Donald Mcdonald, Kerry Francis, Anne Haddy (1966-1969) and Lorraine Bayly (1966-1978).[5]

Personal life

Smart grew up in Nowra, New South Wales. He currently resides in East Gippsland, Victoria.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Type
1963The Right ThingJose GomezTV movie
1964Ring Out, Wild BellsJohn LambertTV movie
1965Arabesque for AtomsTV movie
1966Twelfth NightCurioTV movie
1969It Take's All KindsRayFeature film
1974Number 96Duncan HunterFilm adaptation
1977Harness FeverSergeant MeekerTV movie
1977Roses Bloom TwiceTV movie
1978Plunge Into DarknessTV movie
1980People Like UsDetective RogersTV movie
1992The Girl Who Came Late (aka Daydream Believer)RonFeature film

Television

Year Title Role Type
1961Theatre 70Building WorkerTV series
1961Three Live WiresTV series
1961ITV Play of the WeekCheckerTV series
1961The Seven Faces of JimKenneth Kendall,
Digger,
Newspaper reporter		TV series
1962Comedy PlayhouseTV series
1962Drama 61-67Dr. JeffersonTV series
1962Six More Faces of JimTV series
1963Emergency Ward 10Mr. RileyTV series
1965-71HomicideDoctor Perini,
John Whelan,
Geoff Woods,
Alan Watson,
George Allen,
Lucio Leurini,
John Meadows		TV series
1966-93Play SchoolPresenterTV series[11]
1967You Can't See 'round CornersTV series
1967ContrabanditsGreer,
Cox		TV series
1968-69Skippy the Bush KangarooAlf,
Sergeant		TV series
1969RiptideAdam Brockenhurst,
Les Duggan,
Ted		TV series
1969-1975Division 4Dennis,
Downey
Kenney Kent,
Alf Clarke,
Stan Hassett,
Don Jenkins,
Taylor		TV series
1970The Rovers]GaryTV series
1970DeltaPaul Falstone-GreenTV series
1970Dynasty AmbassadorTV series
1971SpyforceCarlosTV series
1972Barrier ReefLynchTV series
1971; 73Matlock PoliceRicco,
Barney White		TV series
1973RyanColin BrownTV series
1973Serpent in the RainbowAdam QuiggTV miniseries
1974Behind the LegendFrank GardinerTV series
1974Silence NumberDr. FisherTV series
1975Ben HallJack TaylorTV series
1975Wollongong the BraveTV series
1976The EmigrantsMigrant reception officerTV series
1976The SullivansPaul HaywardTV series
1976Number 96Frank HobsonTV series
1976The OutsidersLi NortonTV series
1977MoynihanTV series
1977Young RamsayKen MurrayTV series
1977-79Glenview HighKazimTV series
1978-1980Cop ShopPhillip Cooper,
Sharkey		TV series
1979The Magical World of DisneySergeant MeekerTV series
1979SkywaysHal BaileyTV series
1984Carson's LawDavid MockridgeTV series
1985Special SquadTV series
1988Rafferty's RulesRobsonTV series

Director

Film

Year Title Role Type
1991The Time GameDirectorTV movie
1993You and Me and Uncle BobDirectorTV movie

Television

Year Title Role Type
1972The Spoiler (TV series)DirectorTV series, 1 episode
-"The Price"
1972The GodfathersDirectorTV series, 5 episodes
-"There's a Tortoise in My Bath"
"The Lift"
"Too Many Cakes"
"The Prize"
-Double Trouble
1974One Man in the CompanyDirectorTV series, 1 episode
"Two in One" (also served as producer on 5 eps.)
1974Scattergood: Friend of AllDirectorTV series
1977Cop ShopDirectorTV series. 6 episodes
1979SkywaysDirectorTV series
1982A Country PracticeDirectorTV series, 14 episodes
1983Waterloo StationDirectorTV series
1986PrisonerDirectorTV series, 7 episodes
1982-87Sons and DaughtersDirectorTV series, 88 episodes
1989Richmond HillDirectorTV series
1989-90Rafferty's RulesDirectorTV series, 4 episodes
-Out of Line"
-"One for Us"
-"Free of Passion"
-"In Custody"
1989-90E StreetDirectorTV series, 6 episodes
1991NeighboursDirectorTV series, 6 episodes
1994Blue HeelersDirectorTV series, 4 episodes
"Waiting for Apples"
-"Family Lies"
-Good Cop, Bad Cop
-"Crazy Like a Fox"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Australian Showbiz page 224".
  2. ↑ GILES, NIGEL "Number 96: Australia's Most Notorious Address"
  3. ↑ "AlisterSmart".
  4. 1 2 "Jottings". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 July 1987.
  5. 1 2 "Play School (1966-present)".
  6. ↑ "Alister Smart". AusStage.
  7. ↑ "NUMBER 96 movie's 40th birthday bash".
  8. ↑ "Alister Smart". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Alister Smart". BFI Film Forever. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Alister Smart". Osobnosti (in Czech). Tiscali Media. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Playschool legend visits city". Barrier Daily Truth. Barrier Daily Truth. 23 October 2018.
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