Lee Robinson: the Skippy formula

In this excerpt from Skippy: Australia's First Superstar (Stephen Oliver, Australia-UK, 2009), Lee Robinson, producer and creator of Skippy, discusses the key ingredients of the show in an interview from 1999.

He was firm on several points: Skippy is not a pet; the police are always our friends; mateship is more important than authority; and Sonny has total freedom in the bush.

The sincerity and authority with which Robinson communicates these rules suggests a key reason for Skippy's success – its consistency and simplicity of concept. 

The use of clips from the show to illustrate how these rules were put into practice supports Robinson's firm opinion as to their importance.