All the Rivers Run

All the Rivers Run is an Australian historical novel by Nancy Cato, first published in 1958.
It was adapted as a 1983 Australian television miniseries starring Sigrid Thornton and John Waters. The mini-series is marketed with the tagline A sweeping saga of one woman's struggle for survival. A sequel, All the Rivers Run II, was produced in 1989.

Story

All The Rivers Run follows the life of English girl, Philadelphia Gordon, from the time when she is shipwrecked and orphaned off the coast of Victoria in 1890. She spends most of her life around Echuca, on the Murray River, and invests some of her inheritance in the paddle steamer called PS Philadelphia. Her life is changed forever when she meets paddle steamer captain Brenton Edwards. She is torn between the harsh beauty of life on the river with its adventures, and the society life in Melbourne with her blossoming career as a painter. It is an adventure and a love story: between her, the men in her life, and the river.

Miniseries

Main cast

Sigrid Thornton – Philadelphia Gordon
John Waters – Brenton Edwards
Charles Tingwell – Uncle Charles
Nicholas Brown – Gordon
Dinah Shearing – Aunt Hester
Adrian Wright – Alistair Raeburn
Diane Craig – Miss Barrett
Gus Mercurio – Tom Gritchley
John Alansu – Ah Lee
William Upjohn – Adam
Frank Gallacher – Mac
Constance Landsberg – Bessie Griggs
Darius Perkins – Ben
Caroline Gillmer – Mabel Blackeney
Kirk Alexander – Jim
Celia de Burgh – Imogen
Chantal Contouri – Julia
Nick Waters – Mr. Slope
Carol Burns – Mrs. Slope
Vivean Gray – Alicia Raeburn
Betty Lucas – Janet Raeburn
Production

Both mini-series were shot on location in Echuca. as well as locations in Melbourne.
The paddle steamer PS Pevensey was filmed as the PS Philadelphia. Today visitors to Echuca can take short trips on it.

Release

Versions

The first series comprises 4 two-hour episodes first broadcast in October 1983, the second series comprises 2 two-hour episodes first broadcast on 18 March 1990. In the US, the miniseries was shown on the premium channel, HBO premiering on 15 January 1984.
All the Rivers Run: The Definitive Collection DVDs contains both mini-series, as Parts I and II. The Part 1, All the Rivers Run I, is on 3 DVDs, with 8 episodes of approximately 48 minutes each. Disc 1 contains episode 1 and episode 2. Disk 2 contains episode 3, episode 4 and episode 5. Disk 3 contains episode 6, episode 7, episode 8, a three-minute interview with John Waters, an eight-minute interview with Sigrid Thornton and a trailer/promotion for the mini-series. The Part 2, All the Rivers Run II, is on 2 DVDs. The first disc containing episode 1 and the second disc containing episode 2. It also includes an audio CD with the soundtrack from the mini-series.

Reception

The series was a massive ratings success in Australia and was sold to over 70 countries, including the USA, where it was screened by HBO premiering on 15 January 1984 on the network. and in USSR where it run in 1988.