FOR anyone who flicked through television channels in the 1980s and 90s, or found themselves hooked on Australian game shows, chances are Jane Ogden’s name was somewhere in the production credits.
With a career that began humbly in the box office of a Sydney theatre and unfolded into a multifaceted journey through some of Australia’s most iconic television productions, Ogden’s story is one of persistence, grit, and a love for the craft.
Ogden has called Kerang home for close to 20 years after moving in 2006 from Melbourne. She was a councillor on Gannawarra Shire from 2020-2024.
Recalling her early days at Belvoir Street Theatre, formerly the Nimrod, in Sydney, she said she offered her services for free to get a foot in the door.
“I worked box office, bar, sometimes helped on productions,” she said.
“I even did commentary on Captain Cook cruises on the harbour to get by.”
Her big break came in 1987, thanks in part to a family connection at Channel Seven.
That connection led to a meeting with Alan Bateman, the man behind Home and Away.
“He said they liked graduates from Bathurst, so I was in,” she said. “I became a runner. That meant being everyone’s assistant.
“I started just before filming began for the series, and it was wild – non-stop from January to December of 1988.”
The relentless pace of Home and Away set the tone for a career filled with high-energy roles.
Ogden moved on to Hey Dad..!, where the workload quickly took a toll.
“It was six days a week – five in a terrace house and Saturdays at Channel Seven,” she said. “It just wasn’t what I expected.”
A stint abroad offered respite before she returned to Australia and joined Beyond Productions in 1990.
There, she worked on a Candid Camera-style show called Just Kidding, serving as both a production coordinator and casting agent.
“That was fun – I got to see incredible actors improvise at Belvoir Street Theatre,” she said.
“I’d go scout talent and throw them into pranks. We’d use their theatre chops for laughs.”
Then came Gladiators in 1995, the high-octane, muscle-clad competition show.
“It was a mad project,” Ogden said.
“Three companies were involved. It was chaotic but fascinating.
“Casting was insane; we’d put contestants through gruelling auditions. People were throwing up.”
Her resume only grew more diverse.
She became a producer on Wheel of Fortune during its transition from Adelaide to Sydney, between 1996 and 1998.
“It was a huge deal – changing hosts, redesigning the wheel,” she said. “We even experimented with buzzers when Tony Barber came on board. The public hated it.”
Ogden’s move to Melbourne in the late 90s led to work on All Star Squares and a surprise call from a friend that landed her a gig on the Hallmark miniseries Noah’s Ark.
“I arrived in this paddock in Kilmore, no idea where I was, and suddenly I’m watching Mary Steenburgen use a satellite phone while Ted Danson says to me, ‘welcome to Melbourne’,” she said.
She laughed remembering a surreal moment from the same shoot.
“I ended up singing What’ll I Do with F. Murray Abraham,” she said. “He was playing Lot and looked like a pirate. Then I went back to cleaning the toilets. That’s the magic of television, right?”
Her decision to leave TV didn’t mean slowing down.
Ogden worked in state government in the early 2000s before she moved to Kerang.
“Council made me stronger,” Ogden said.
“It was drama of a different kind. But I think my years in TV helped me deal with tough personalities.”
“You might get the door open, but you’ve got to prove you belong. That was the biggest lesson I learned.”
Ogden said the adrenaline was at the forefront for the different crews she worked with.
“If you think about Home and Away, that adrenaline is nuts too because there’s always something that you’re dealing with, especially when you’re outside,” she said.
“All of a sudden rain comes through, and you’d have to try and shoot it without using umbrellas.
“When I first started on Home and Away, one of my main jobs was to drive out from Epping in an old Falcon, and I would go out to Campbelltown, which seemed a million miles away … that’s where Kate Ritchie (actress) lived.
“If her mum couldn’t drive her in, I would go out and pick her up.
“She was 10 and I would put her on my hard suitcase so she could sit up and see above the dashboard.
“And we used to have these wonderful conversations.”
Ogden’s sister, who has since retired in Tasmania, worked behind-the-scenes on numerous programs for Channel Nine, including Sunday and Today.
Ogden’s legacy remains etched in the fabric of Australian television – loud, colourful, and defiantly unscripted.
