Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise was a pioneering lifestyle television program shown in Australia. It was shown on Network Ten and was seen from February 1992 until 1999. The programme also helped re-invent the then-ailing network after its financial collapse of the late 1980s. It helped popularise the lifestyle genre in Australia and it also spawned a number of imitators during the 1990s including the Seven Network's Better Homes and Gardens, which is still seen today.

[edit] A rich tapestry of personalities

Notable people associated with the programme were presenter Felicity Kennett, wife of the then Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett, and Jim 'Desktop' Brown, former Minister for Tourism in the administration of Bob Hawke, certainly most famous for his cheerful reporting of his exploits on the ministerial desk with his wife Jan^[1].

Others such as Iain Hewitson used the opportunity to develop an ongoing tv career with the show as a starting point. A lasting household name is also crafts lady Tonia Todman. The show's finance guru Ross Greenwood had some staying power, as had the popular motoring journalist Peter Wherett, albeit his admitted penchant for wearing ladies' knickers^[2] may have hindered the further expansion of his career in his field.

Altogether this illustrious and rare assortment of personalities gave the show an edge in its days and provides for fond and lasting mermories of a generation of small screen enthusiasts.