# Judy McBurney

Judith McBurney (19 May 1948 – 1 December 2018) was an Australian actress and model. She is best known for serial The Young Doctors in 1,300 episodes as Tania Livingstone and also appeared in cult series Prisoner as Sandra" Pixie" Mason in 96 episodes.

## Early career

Before acting, McBurney started a successful career as a model employed by June Dally-Watkins. One of her first acting roles was in late 1969, in a supporting role in Peter Weir's short movie Michael, one of three short movies released under the title Three to Go. It followed by small parts in ABC TV-plays and guest roles in other TV series. Her first leading role was in 1972 as Ella Belairs in ABC's adaption of The Cousin from Fiji, based on a novel by Norman Lindsay. Another early and memorable role was as Aldith in Seven Little Australians.

## Television soap operas

In late 1973, McBurney was cast in the role of key new character Marilyn McDonald in Number 96 but before any of her scenes had gone to air and with about 30 scenes in the can she had to withdraw from the role due to illness. This left her replacement, Frances Hargreaves, to reshoot all of McBurney's scenes.
McBurney then went into the ongoing role of plain-Jane secretary Jane Fowler in The Box in late 1975, and later played the brief role of Jodi in Number 96. Subsequently, she became immensely popular playing the part of nurse Tania Livingston in The Young Doctors. She played the role from 1977 until the series ended in 1982. She followed this with another popular character, that of breezy romantic Sandra "Pixie" Mason in Prisoner for 96 episodes. She played Pixie on a recurring basis from 1983 to 1985. In later years she appeared in a few episodes of Always Greener.
McBurney was also famous for her voice-over work and also starring in commercials, in particular a very cheeky, controversial ad from the 1980s for Palmolive Gold, in which she features in a bed with actor Peter Mochrie. McBurney leaves a cake of soap under his pillow, which led to the famous jingle and saying "Don't wait to be told".

## Personal life and death

McBurney retired from acting in 2002 to become an educated healer. She also went on to teach modelling and acting for young people. McBurney died of cancer on 1 December 2018.

## Filmography
### Film

| Title | Year | Role | Type |
| Three to Go | 1971 | Judy (segment "Michael") | Feature film |
| Scobie Malone (aka Murder at the Opera House) | 1975 | Girl at Pedestrian Crossing | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1968 | Crackerjack | Herself | TV series |
| 1968 | Marriage Confidential | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | Eden House | Role unknown | ABC Teleplay |
| 1970 | Chimes at Midnight | Role unknown | ABC Teleplay |
| 1970 | Schwanda the Bagpiper | Herself | TV special |
| 1970 | Barrier Reef | Guest role: Annette Conway | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | What For Marianne? | Role unknown | TV movie |
| 1972 | Catwalk | Guest role: Marit Schemmler | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Cousin From Fiji | Recurring role: Ella | TV series |
| 1973 | Seven Little Australians | Recurring role: Aldith | ABC TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1975 | Behind The Legend | Guest role: Waitress | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975; 1975 | Ben Hall | Guest role: Alison Buchanan | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975-1976 | Bellbird | Recurring role | ABC TV series, 152 episodes |
| 1975 | Ben Hall | Guest role: Rebecca | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | The Box | Guest role: Jane Fowler | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976; 1976 | Homicide | Guest role: Yvette | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Homicide | Guest role: Joan Thompson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Bluey | Janey | TV Pilot, episode 1: "The First Bloody Day" |
| 1977 | Bluey | Recurring Guest role: Sandra Gibson | TV sereies, 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Number 96 | Guest role: Jodi | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1977-1983 | The Young Doctors | Regular role: Tania Livingston/Nurse Tania Livingston/Sister Tania Livingston | TV series, 1329 episodes |
| 1978; 1979 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself & Tony Alvarez | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979; 1981 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself & Tony Alvarez | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | Go Health | Herself with Young Doctors cast: Gwen Plumb, Karen Pini, Peter Lochran | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1983-1985 | Prisoner | Regular role: Sandra 'Pixie' Mason | TV series, 96 episodes |
| 1984 | The 26th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | Audience member with 'Prisoner' cast | TV Special |
| 1984 | A Country Practice | Guest role: Samantha Harrison | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1991 | In Sydney Today | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1991 | Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune | Herself - Contestant | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Main Event | Herself - Contestant | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Home and Away | Guest role: Audrey Orchard | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994 | TVTV | Herself with 'The Young Doctors' cast Gwen Plumb, Diana McLean, Chris King, Tim Page, Louise Howitt & Darren Gray | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Sale of the Century: Battle of the TV Classics | Herself - Contestant with 'The Young Doctors' cast: Chris King, Cornelia Frances & Tim Page | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | 40 Years of TV Stars... Then and Now | Herself | TV special |
| 1997 | Where Are They Now? | Guest - Herself with 'The Young Doctors' cast: Chris King, Gwen Plumb, Mark Holden & Tim Page | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002 | Always Greener | Guest role: Yvonne Greenhill | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2006 | A Current Affair | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2007 | Where Are They Now | Guest - Herself with 'The Young Doctors' cast: Chris King, Cornelia Frances, Tim Page, Rebecca Gilling, Alan Dale & Karen Pini | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008 | Today Tonight | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | Studio 10 | Guest - Herself with 'The Young Doctors' cast: Chris King, Diana McLean, Tim Page & Karen Petersen | TV series, 1 episode |