Private World of Miss Prim, The – Nostalgia Central

1 9 6 6 (Australia)
13 (11) x 30 minute episodes

This short-lived situation comedy from Australia’s Channel Nine followed the adventures of the bespectacled Miss Prim (Dawn Lake), a dutiful but incurably romantic secretary at Dolphin Publishing, a small magazine company responsible for such literary masterpieces as For Women Only, True Love Letters and Heartbreak Weekly.

Miss Prim – who worked for the irascible Mr Hardy (Tony Bazell) – constantly drifted off into a dream world inspired by the sickly love stories churned out by handsome writer Tony Kendall (Owen Weingott).

Tony invariably turned up at the office late for his deadline with a handwritten manuscript. He was usually en route to some social or sporting occasion.

Miss Prim was his devoted slave, and in her private dream world, Tony would invariably play the part of hero opposite her heroine.

Benita Collings played Linda Carroll, a glamorous typist from the typing pool who was sometimes called on to help out when Miss Prim was busy. Tony Kendall was pursuing her with amorous intent.

Mr Hardy’s grim and overpowering wife (Marion Johns) was also more than susceptible to Tony’s charms.

The series was written by Englishman Stan Mars for comedienne Dawn Lake (often lauded as “Australia’s Lucille Ball”), who played the female Walter Mitty with gusto.

Only 11 of the planned 13 episodes were aired before the show was cancelled.

Miss Prim
Dawn Lake
Tony Kendall
Owen Weingott
Mr Hardy
Tony Bazell
Linda Carroll
Benita Collings
Mrs Hardy
Marion Johns
Managing Director Pringle
Moray Powell

Episodes

Pilot | The Tyrant | The Great Escape | The Slave Girl | The Spendthrift | The Great Composer | The First Queen Liz | The White Haired Lady | The Spy | The Little Horror | The Movie Star