Whiplash: The Complete Series

Set in the 1860s, the series is a Western filmed in Australia, and stars Peter Graves as Christopher Cobb. The series is loosely based on the life of Freeman Cobb, founder of Australia's first stagecoach line, Cobb and Co. Cobb did not carry a pistol and often used a stockwhip to settle disputes.The series stands out from other television Westerns of its era in using only Australian actors as guest stars, rather than character actors from American Westerns.Ok onto what you want to knows. 4 discs with 34 episodes Fairly good video quality with no skips and steady audio. Lot of interesting story lines as well.Episode List1"Episode in Bathurst"Three brothers set up roadblocks in the town of Bathurst demanding payment from passing traffic. With a big contract at stake Cobb must act quickly.2"Convict Town"Big Tom Ledward rules his settlement with a rod of iron much to his son, Dan Ledward, distaste and is determined to stop Cobb opening a new stage route.3"Rider on the Hill"A Cobb & Co. coach is wrecked by two bushrangers. A passenger is killed in the crash, and Cobb kills the bushrangers in self-defenses. He later receives an Aboriginal death-stick, marking him to die at the next full moon. Defying the warning, Cobb takes a coach into Aboriginal territory, knowing that one of his passengers is his would-be killer.4"Barbed Wire"A vicious landowner has a young farmer flogged for attempting to fence in his land with barbed wire. Cobb and Ledward find the injured man, and Cobb goes after the landowner.5"Sarong"Cobb heads north towards Brisbane to investigate the disappearance of several female indentured servants who have vanished while travelling on Cobb & Co. coaches. He finds that the women were kidnapped and taken to a secluded inlet, where they are forced to dive for pearls.6"Dutchman's Reef"A wealthy matriarch asks Cobb to search for her missing son rumored to be living with an Aboriginal tribe, and stumbles across a legendary rich gold deposit, known as ‘Dutchman’s Reef’.7"The Other Side of Swan"While in Melbourne to open a branch office, Cobb is asked to do a personal favor for Sir John Eddington, the Governor of New South Wales - to locate his brother, who fled England after being charged with murder.8"The Actress"Miners will no longer send their gold with Cobb & Co. - unless Cobb can prevent bushranger Mike Upton's raids on the coaches. During the trip, Upton waylays Cobb's coach and kidnaps a female passenger. Cobb trails Upton to his lair and rescues the girl. When their trail crosses that of the irate miners, who are intent on lynching Upton, the aspiring actress must give the performance of her career to save his life.9"Love Story in Gold"Cobb is paid handsomely to undertakes the transport of brandy, a trousseau and two coffins, into the heart of New South Wales. At the agreed meeting place, Cobb is overpowered and taken to meet the female leader of a group of escaped convicts. She tells Cobb that he is to marry her daughter and he will be given more gold than he can imagine. If he refuses, he will fill one of the coffins.10"The Bone that Whispered"Dan has vanished and when a small girl is left motherless, Cobb sets out to track down her father, a man charged with murder who has fled the law swearing his innocence and now lives with an Aboriginal tribe.11"The Secret of Screaming Hills"Cobb finds a dying man in the bush, and undertakes to deliver a map to the man's wife. With the help of an Aboriginal, Cobb solves the mystery of the 'frog fella' and a missing treasure.12"Act of Courage"On his way to testify at the trial of a bushranger charged with killing one of his stagecoach drivers, Cobb arrives at drought-stricken Cross Creek Way Station with two passengers, a married couple. He is met by a gang who plan to keep him prisoner until after the bushranger's trial.13"The Twisted Road"Returning to Brisbane from an outback run, Cobb's coach is commandeered to transport a prisoner, Ted Cammidge, who is to stand trial for murder, and is accompanied by his employer, Dr. Table, who plans to vouch for his innocence at the trial.14"Divide and Conquer"A murderous gang abduct Cobb and a Government minister looking for a mountain pass to open up the fertile land beyond.15"The Remittance Man"Jimmy Quicksilver, a 'gentleman' bushranger who has been robbing coaches, asks Cobb to conceal knowledge of his activities from two members of his aristocratic family, who have come to Australia to take Quicksilver's son to England to be educated.16"Day of the Hunter"A squatter's farm where Cobb wants to build a way station is burned down by a land-hungry neighbour who trades on people's fears by terrorising their families. Cobb undertakes a hazardous crossing of an Aboriginal burial ground to assist.17"The Solid Gold Brigade"Cobb is transporting miner's gold from Fury Creek to Sydney, but en route a bushranger shoots him and leaves him for dead. The bushranger takes Cobb's coach and clothes to impersonate him and get away with the gold.18"Stage for Two"Cobb becomes the reluctant ally of an escaping bank robber who is sought not only by the police, but also by the outlaw gang he has cheated.19"Canoomba Incident"Upon arrival in Canoomba, Cobb and Dan Ledward find the men are away digging gold and the women are running the town. Dan Ledward finds romance in the town before being assigned the perilous task of carrying a fortune in gold from the diggings to Canoomba.20"The Rushing Sands"In his Duranga office, Cobb finds Peter Hibberd, a one time star driver for the Cobb & Co stage line and now a mere husk of a man expecting death. Hibberd dedicates his last days to tracking down a bushranger who is believed to have murdered his son.21"The Adelaide Arabs"Cobb is in competition to buy three magnificent Arabian horses, and the contest soon becomes a fight to the death after he is robbed by three masked men who intend to buy the horses.22"The Hunters"A white cattleman, Dillon, inadvertently interrupts the ritual killing of a bull by a tribe of Aboriginals, and must himself be killed to complete the cycle of events. Seriously wounded Dillon manages to escape. When Dillon's rider less horse returns to the homestead Cobb sets out on a desperate race against time.23"The Legacy"Anxious to obtain good grazing land for his horses, Cobb approaches the heir to a dilapidated estate to enquire about a grazing lease on the property. Cobb's request falls on unresponsive ears and a chain of events behind an Aboriginal boys stolen legacy.24"Fire Rock"A trusted Cobb & Co agent disappears in the ‘Taroomba’ (burning land),a sacred Aboriginal burial ground which is rich in opal. His alluring wife, persuades Cobb to lead a search party.25"Stage Freight"Cobb has a full load of passengers on the return journey from Mowamba, and it seems certain that among them are a man and a woman who have committed a brutal murder.26"The Wreckers"A group of bushrangers capture a Cobb & Co. coach, and use it in a series of raids and robberies implicating Cobb. To protect his company's reputation, Cobb tracks down the bushrangers.27"Portrait in Gunpowder"Cobb accepts a commission to transport a renowned artist newly arrived from France to an undisclosed destination. He again crosses the path of Jimmy Quicksilver, a 'gentleman bushranger' whose dishonesty is equaled only by his good manners and sense of humor.28"Ribbons and Wheels"The sleepy calm of outback Ginini is shattered when Cobb accepts a challenge to race a Western Co. stagecoach over the usual route to Brindabella to win the exclusive franchise for the route.29"Flood Tide"Their route cut off by a flood Cobb and his sole passenger, Sarah Bartley, spend the night in a deserted house. During the night a violent storm strikes, and all is not as it seems when a mysterious stranger arrives to seek shelter.30"Storm River"During a violent storm with a lame horse, Cobb is felled by an unseen foe. He recovers consciousness in an outback cabin, minus his money-belt. The cabin's other occupant is a girl who wants to travel to Sydney. She asks Cobb to take her with him, but when they set off they meet with deadly opposition.31"Dilemma in Wool"Cobb becomes involved in the strange story of a beautiful Spanish woman, and a disapproving family. The beginning of Australia's wool growing industry.32"Magic Wire"Aboriginal attacks imperil the laying of an overhead telegraph line. Cobb, contracted to freight supplies from the coast to a telegraph construction camp, discovers that the attacks are being instigated by a white man.33"The Haunted Valley"Cattlemen at Wallaby Junction lose stock in mysterious thefts which convince Cobb that there must be a secret pass through the surrounding mountains. He sets out to find the trail and catch the thief.34"Dark Runs the Sea"Attractive, adventurous, niece of the local magistrate, is kidnapped in the outback. Cobb is mystified when he discovers that she is apparently a willing victim, and her uncle is reluctant to press on with the search for her.

"The mail coach looming darkly, by light of moon and star,The growl of sleepy voices--a candle in the bar.A stumble in the passage, of folk with wits abroad;A swear-word from a bedroom--the shout of `All aboard!'`Tchk-tchk! Git-up!' `Hold fast, there!' and down the range we go;Five hundred miles of scattered camps will watch for Cobb and Co."(Henry Lawson)It is a little known fact that the 19th century Australian stage coach line Cobb & Co was far larger than Wells Fargo and had subsidiaries in New Zealand, South Africa and even Japan! The line went on to become an iconic part of Australian history; harnessing anything up to 6,000 horses a day and covering nearly 45,000km (28,000 miles) a week along 11,200km (7,000 miles) of routes in Australia alone.The biggest Cobb & Co coach ever built was the "Leviathan", which was capable of carrying up to 89 people. It was double-decked, with separate compartments for men and women, and ran from Geelong to the goldfields of Victoria. It was drawn by 12 to 14 horses - the ones in the lead were out of range of the driver's whip, so he kept a bag of stones to throw at them when he wanted to gee them up. Cobb & Co's epic story provides the theme of this period drama.The series was filmed in Australia, with a young Peter Graves playing Christopher Cobb; a fictional relative of Freeman Cobb, the American founder of the real life company, with many top Australian actors of the time in support.I worked in the Sydney studio where this series was produced in the 60's and, quite apart from the thrill of seeing something other than TV commercials being shot there, the real joy was in watching the amazingly authentic replica stage coaches being built by an ancient craftsman (sporting a solitary gold tooth) who had been an apprentice in the original Cobb & Co coach factory many years before.He built two complete coaches single-handedly, including all the timber, leather, metal and upholstery work; the only things he didn't make were the large wheels, which were sourced from old milk carts!The sight of these magnificent coaches, each drawn by five horses, thundering out of the studio stables each day for filming on the outdoor sets nearby was unforgettable.I'm going to buy this set!

Really enjoyed this series. The film quality was good, but the audio was difficult. The music is loud and the voices are low. We watched the episodes with remote in-hand and turned down the "musical chases" and turned up the "cries and whispers." Still worth watching and the stories were informative and entertaining. Good vintage viewing!

I enjoy Peter Graves from Fury to Mission Impossible. This was an early days journey to Australia. It seems he did not like the gun play in America so he uses a whip. It was interesting to see what the early days in Australia were like in comparison to America.

This is an Australiana nostalgia series which I remember from earlier years which highlights Australian bushland and early gold rush history. As an early production almost alone on this topic it is unique and thus valuable for elderly Aussies. This is a black and white series and some episodes lack image quality, but the stories and actors are good. As a nostalgia piece it is fantastic. I think this series is some of Peter Graves' best work.

What a treat to finally experience this long forgotten show, filmed in Australia.Great to see younger versions of Chips Rafferty, Chuck Faulkner, Jack Fegan, Leonard Teale and Reg Livermore . Missing was Michael Pate (working in the US) and Charles Tingwell (working in England). The 34 episodes tackled aspects of Australia's early colonial history with a sympathetic view of our indigenous people. The American actor Peter Graves did an admirable job as Christopher Cobb. The quality of the transfer is excellent . Highly recommended.

While the storyline is refreshing, the condition of the DVD is not. Audio is too soft to be heard legibly especially when the local actors speak in their native ways. The scenery is beautiful and theme song is very catchy! I liked especially the scenes where the actors carry the koalas and kangaroos without fear of them scratching. The 5 horse team is rather unique but it makes the stage (which incidentally does not have doors) a little wobbly and uneven. Overall, I would have given it 5 stars if not for the poor audio.

dad likes it

Great series

This movie is ok. I'm not familiar with the series but it looks ok. I haven't watched it all yet... I've watched a couple of them.

When I bought this series it brought back memories of the early 60's where the purpose of ITV was to entertain and not just selladvertisments.Even thought the star is an American, the show had a terrific Australian feeling about itself. At that time we had only seen two T.V.series come out of Australia.' The Adventures of Long John Silver' and 'The Flying Doctors', I hope both these series will become available soon along with another Aussie series of the 60's called 'The Adventures of the Seaspray'.All are good value for money!Whiplash has all the qualities needed to hold your attention to the plots it has in its storylines.