Dagg Day Afternoon

In 1977 famed farmer Fred Dagg joined director Geoff Murphy (Goodbye Pork Pie) for what would be Dagg's only big screen appearance. Murphy and Dagg creator John Clarke cooked up a freewheeling plot about a mission to find a bionic sheep. It gave them an excuse for Dagg and his army of Trevors to get silly, parody hit show The Six Million Dollar Man, and send up the military (as played by Derek Payne). Shot in roughly five days, Dagg Day Afternoon screened on a double bill with Murphy's Wild Man (which Clarke also acted in). In the backgrounder, writer Costa Botes explains how both films got off the ground.

Now the government has come to us. Well aware they are of our reputation in sheep and related matters — which of course is other sheep. And quite a lot rests on our shoulders, not so much on yours Trev, but on the rest of us a fairly weighty burden.

– Fred Dagg (John Clarke) gathers the Trevors to talk about a matter of national security

Key Cast & Crew

Michael Wilson

As: Secret agent

John Barnett

Producer

Michael McDonald

As: Gav (Dalgety store worker)

Geoff Murphy

Co-Director, Writer, As: Man standing on the street

John Clarke

Co-Director, Writer, Music, As: Fred Dagg

Derek Payne

As: Army officer