The stories examine the dark side of human nature in seven episodes: "Lust", "Pride", "Wrath", "Sloth", "Greed", "Envy", and "Gluttony" — the seven deadly sins. A soundtrack was released by ABC Music, featuring vocals by artists Paul Kelly, Renée Geyer, Vika Bull, and Deborah Conway.
In the same year, ABC TV screened a series of short films under the same name, produced and directed by Stephen Burstow, comprising dance works commissioned from leading contemporary choreographers.
Seven Deadly Sins was pitched to Penny Chapman, then head of drama at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, by script editor Barbara Masel. Her idea was to create a series of stories that would "let the moral compass spin".[1] Masel was also interested in encouraging the audience to identify with behaviour they would not normally condone and "that all of the characters in each episode should manifest the sin".[1] With Chapman on board and Bob Weis appointed as series producer, Masel found writers. When outlines and drafts were completed, the directors were brought on board. P. J. Hogan ("Sloth") and Alison Maclean ("Greed") were selected as directors before their international careers had taken off, while Gale Edwards ("Pride") had until then had only ever directed for the theatre. The series was broadcast at 9.30pm because of the language used. The series rated well, pulling the biggest audience ever for an ABC drama program in that time slot.[1]
Also in 1993, ABC TV screened seven works by leading contemporary choreographers, with the series title as well as the segments carrying the same title as the miniseries. The series was produced and directed by Stephen Burstow,[a] and each of the seven films were seven minutes long.[8][9][10] The seven works were:[11]
"Lust", choreographed by Graeme Watson with One Extra Company
^"Stephen Burstow is a Sydney-based visual artist, lecturer and filmmaker. As a director he has specialised in performing arts projects for film, television and digital media. His dance films have been awarded internationally".[6] He is also co-creator of Bush Tucker Man (TV series, 1988-2006).[7]
^Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 152.
^"Screening Bedtime – Head On Photo Festival". Head On Photo Festival – $80,000 Prize pool – Best International Photo Contest, Australia. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
^"Seven Deadly Sins : [1993 : ABC]". NFSA. Retrieved 18 November 2024. A series of seven dance works each one based on one of the seven deadly sins. -- General note: These works were commissioned from seven of Australia's leading choreographer who were working in the 1990s - Kai Tai Chan; Paul Mercurio; Stephen Page; Chrissie Parrott; Meryl Tankard; Leigh Warren; Graeme Watson. (7 x 7 min)
^Grove, Robin; Stevens, Catherine; McKechnie, Shirley, eds. (2005). "In the Air: Extracts from an Interview with Chrissie Parrott : Interviewer: Shirley McKechnie". Thinking in Four Dimensions: Creativity and Cognition in Contemporary Dance(PDF). Melbourne University Press. p. 105. ISBN9780522851458. Retrieved 18 November 2024 – via RealTime. Seven Deadly Sins, produced and directed by Stephen Burstow and screened by ABC Television in 1993, consisted of seven short dance works made with seven contemporary dance companies.
