While with SUDS he was spotted by the director of drama for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Frank Clewlow, who gave him small roles in several radio plays.
[4] He continued acting for the ABC under producers Eric John and Frank Zeppel in the last decade of Australian radio drama, and in several ABC-TV historical plays.
In 1959 Lovell appeared as the main protagonist in the convict-themed Pardon Miss Westcott, which was the first Australian musical written specially for live television.
He was also a regular in Crawford Productions for commercial TV; notably as the avuncular spy chief on late 60s series Hunter.
During the 1970 to 72 seasons of Crawfords' long-running Melbourne police series Homicide, he served as a line producer and television dialog director before it moved completely into being a fully-filmed program.