The Genie from Down Under is based on an idea from Steve J Spears which was developed into a series concept with a 'Round The Twist' flavour.
She asked Esben Storm, who had been the co-author and Director of the successful Round the Twist series to lead the development workshop.
[2] Following the success of Round the Twist on the BBC, the head of children's television Anna Home agreed to put up half the $4.1 million budget for a co-production.
[2] Produced by Patricia Edgar and Phil Jones and directed by Esben Storm, Jeremy Swan (of the BBC) and Brendan Maher, the series is a comedy with distinctive Australian humour.
In Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and The Netherlands, children – and adults – loved the Australian humour.
So when Penelope – in an ungarded moment – wishes she were somewhere else, Bruce whisks her overseas, to her inheritance, Townes Downs, a rundown property in the middle of 800 square kilometres of Australian outback.
[3] Typically, an episode revolved around the consequences of one of Penelope's flippant wishes, or the efforts of an outside party to steal the opal (and thus, the genies).
When Penelope inherits a property in Australia (Townes Downs), Bruce and Baz are very happy because it means that they can spend more time in their own country.
His forefather stole the opal from the Aboriginal peoples and then lost it in a card game to Penelope's ancestor, Sir Claude.
[6] Things are further complicated when Bruce (the genie) falls in love with Penelope's mother, Lady Diana Townes.
In the same year, the ACTF concluded a deal with the ABC and the BBC to produce the 13-part comedy-drama series, but Bruce's dog was replaced with the concept of Baz, his 8-year-old son.
[1] The 13 episodes in the first series were written by Steve J Spears, Christine Madafferi and Mandy Hampson with Esben Storm as Script Consultant.
The producers of the series are Patricia Edgar and Elizabeth Symes and they worked with the directors Aleksi Vellis, Stephen Johnson and Ray Boseley.
[4] The Disney Channel Australia screened The Genie from Down Under Series One at 6.00pm on Saturdays from 16 November 1997 until 15 February 1998.
[14] In 1997, BBC Worldwide sold The Genie from Down Under to broadcasters in Thailand, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, South Africa, Canada, Poland, Germany and Italy.
[4] In 1998, BBC Worldwide sold the first series to Zone Vision of Poland, Tanweer Enlightenment of Kuwait and Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting company in 1998.
[7] In 1999, sales into Asia included Series 1 & 2 to Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, for screening at 6.25pm on Tuesday evenings over 26 weeks.
[14] In 2002, both series were licensed by BBC Kids (Canada) and Pt Naina Film for Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
[15] In 2003, both series were sold to Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (Philippines), Ambang Media (Malaysia), and US Advertisement (for Japanese English-language channel GLC).
In April 1996, Penguin Books Australia published a novel to accompany the screening of The Genie from Down Under series on the ABC.
[8] The novel, written by Amanda Midlam, was also published in the United Kingdom to tie in with the screening of the series on BBCI at the beginning of 1996.
And it has also forged a model for the independent Australian production company operating successfully, and with integrity, in the international marketplace, creating work that has universal appeal without fatally compromising its local identity."
Debi Enker, The Sunday Age, View magazine, 22 June 1996 "the latest in a fine list of children's dramas made by the Australian Children's Television Foundation" Tom Gilling, The Bulletin "take my word for it, it's good" Alison Stewart, Sydney Morning Herald "parents won't have to tie themselves to the chair to share this one with the kids" Herald Sun "great fun, with plenty of laughs and an engrossing story line" Neil Molloy, Sunday Mail "The Genie From Down Under strikes just the right balance of humour and low-camp adventure.
Jenny Tabakoff, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 August 1998[7] "All round approval for this story of a snobbish English girl who discovers by accident a laid-back Australian genie.
– Dennis Pryor, The Age[7] Patricia Edgar was extremely pleased with the response to the series and excited about the fact that academics were beginning to analyse the Foundation's programs as "serious cultural product".
Leonie Rutherford argued for cultural research studies of Australian children's television using The Genie from Down Under to demonstrate the complexity and the layers that had been written into the classic battle of master against servant, adult against child, and the humour in the cultural differences generated by national stereotypes.