Dave Worthington
Script Editor: 1988
Series Story Editor: 1989
Series Story Consultant: 1990; 1991
Story Editor: 1997
Dave Worthington first entered the scriptwriting business in the mid 1970s when he started writing for a theatre restaurant in Brisbane. He was offered a job on Prisoner: Cell Block H in 1979 and took it up, uprooting his life and moving to Melbourne. After four years, he moved to Sydney and worked in the drama development team for the Nine Network before becoming a freelance writer.
After a short stint on Grundy’s soap Waterloo Station before its cancellation, Dave was moved onto the Neighbours writer’s rotation. He also wrote for A Country Practice. Following a stint as story editor on Richmond Hill, Dave became a prominent writer for Home and Away. He worked his way through the ranks, from writer to script editor and eventually got promoted to story editor after Bevan Lee‘s departure. He remained in the position for six months.
Dave went freelance again, continuing his writing for Home and Away, as well as writing for shows such as Family and Friends and The Flying Doctors.
In the early 1990s, Dave was contacted by Grundy’s Head of Drama Ian Bradley to join the production company’s drama development team. Come 1992 Neighbours’ ratings had begun to slip dramatically and Dave was moved onto the series as producer, credited alongside Margaret Slarke. Dave oversaw the script team in Sydney and with Margaret overseeing the day-to-day running of the series in Melbourne, the pair were able to steer the show in the right direction.
Once finishing up at Neighbours, Dave played a role as a consultant and script editor in the beginning of Shortland Street under story editor Jason Daniel.
Dave returned for a short stint in-house at Home and Away in 1997 as story & script editor.
He remained with Grundy’s, working in drama development on-and-off until 2001 when the company was purchased by Pearson Television and development was sent off-shore. He went freelance again and returned to Home and Away‘s rotation. He also wrote for Breakers, Water Rats and, in its final years, Blue Heelers, where he also worked as a script editor.
Dave also worked as a script editor on teen drama Foreign Exchange in 2004.
Outside of television, Dave has written a children’s novel as well as edited crosswords for Pacific Magazines.
Other Credits
Prisoner Cell Block H
Head Storyliner (1978-1982)
Richmond Hill
Story Editor (1988)
Shortland Street
Script Editor (1992)
Neighbours
Producer (1992-1993)
Blue Heelers
Script Editor (2002-2003)