Director Paul Jennings
First shown 1989, Australia Children's TV Foundation
The Twist family find themselves caught up in a series of bizarre supernatural adventures.
Story
This children’s fantasy TV series from Australia follows the lives of a widowed father, Tony Twist, and his children, Linda, Pete and Bronson. They live together in a lighthouse in the fictional town of Port Niranda and have to battle through a series of bizarre magical and super-natural adventures.
Why we chose it
A series of surreal, silly fantasy adventures that made children laugh across the world.
Where it came from
The show was originally aired in Australia from 1990 to 2001. The first two series were based on the fantasy stories written by Paul Jennings.
Paul Jennings talks about how the Twist family was based on his own family experience as the father of four children living in a house on a cliff edge.
Where it went next
The show was aired in the UK throughout the 1990s and 2000s. It was also a popular children’s TV show in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Canada and the USA. In Canada it won the ‘Best Children’s Programme’ at the Banff Television Festival in 2000 and in 2001 the show won the ‘Logie Award for Outstanding Children’s programme’ in Australia.
Associated stories
Paul Jennings has written many children’s novels, picture books, joke books and short stories. Often his stories lead the reader on a bizarre series of events, ending in a mysterious twist.
Director Paul Jennings
First shown 1989, Australia Children's TV Foundation