C/o The Bartons (also called Care of The Bartons, or The Bartons in the UK and The Netherlands) is an Australian television drama series aimed at older children and young teens, which first aired in Australia in 1988. History The series was based on a 16-minute short film Jocelyn Moorhouse had made in 1986, after receiving a grant from the Australian Film Commission in 1985, called The Siege of Barton's Bathroom. She based the plot on something that happened to her in her youth, and named the Barton boys after her house mates she lived with at the time. The ABC was looking for a new children's drama and Moorhouse decided to send in her short film. Revcom producer Jenifer Hooks saw it, and commissioned Moorhouse to create the series. The first episode of the series is basically a remake of the short film, but with the cast of the series. Description The series affectionately portrayed a suburban Australian family through the eyes of eleven-year-old Elly Barton, the only girl in a family of four children. Elly struggles with the way her authoritarian parents and her brothers treat her and prefers to retreat to the calm and peace of the old tree in her backyard. Elly herself behaves bossy and sometimes down right mean towards other children in the neighbourhood, including her best friend Anita, which sometimes gets her in unpleasant situations. The lessons that Elly learns from this, and the way they change her behaviour towards others for the positive, are a recurring theme in the series. The series is less upfront with the message it is trying to convey, often leaving this to the imagination of the viewer. Among the new characters in the series was Anita McPherson, who is based on Moorhouse' real life childhood best friend in both name and appearance. Cast Olivia Harkin – Elly Barton Michael O'Reilly – Anthony Barton Matt Day – Paul Barton Ben Toovey – Douglas Barton Frankie J. Holden – Robert Barton Jennifer Jarman-Walker – Clare Barton Rosemary Smith – Anita McPherson Robert Essex – Mister (Laurie) Jensen Maureen Edwards – Miss Julia "India" Snoller Alan Lovett – Mister Snoller Frank Webb – "Skinner" Davies Natasha Kenneally – Susan Davies Christian Pellone – Vince Capaletti Production Filming took place between March and mid August 1987, slightly overrunning its intended wrap date in the beginning of August. Moorhouse wrote nearly half