Blue Heelers

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Blue Heelers
Image:Blueheelerscast.jpg
2004 Cast - Julie Nihill, Rachel Gordon, Martin Sacks, Samantha Tolj, John Wood, Ditch Davey, Geoff Morrell, Danny Raco, Paul Bishop and Simone McAullay.
Format Drama/Crime
Run time approx 0:45
(plus commercials)
Creator Tony Morphett
Starring John Wood
Julie Nihill
Martin Sacks
Lisa McCune
Rachel Gordon
Paul Bishop
Tasma Walton
Jane Allsop
Grant Bowler
Country Australia
Network Seven Network
Original run January 18, 1994 – --
No. of episodes 495 as of October 2005

Blue Heelers is a long-running Australian television show about police in a small town in the state of Victoria called Mt. Thomas.

The 12th season is currently airing, with a 13th season in production to premiere in 2006.

Blue Heelers is the second longest-running weekly primetime drama in Australian history, beaten only by Homicide. In April 2006, the series is expected to reach 510 episodes, beating Homicide's 509 episode count. If the series continues to July 2006, it will also have run for 12 years and 6 months, beating the previous record held by Homicide.

Contents

Main Cast

Present

Previous

Season Synopses

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Season 1

Blue Heelers first aired on January 18, 1994. The show aired on Tuesday nights at 7:30 PM. The first episode, "A Woman's Place" introduced us to Constable Maggie Doyle, who arrived for her first day of work at the Mt. Thomas police station. The other police present were Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon who ran the station with an almost grandfatherly watch over his co-workers, Constable Wayne Patterson - an old love of Maggie's who was now married to the ambitious Roz, Sergeant Nick Schultz, a sarcastic and yet good-hearted cop, and Senior Detective Patrick Joseph "P.J." Hasham: a charismatic and somewhat chauvinistic detective who soon found himself very interested in Maggie. Also around, and constantly providing information, gossip and advice was Christine "Chris" Reilly who ran the Imperial pub.

Storylines of the first season included:

  • Roz assisting the cops,
  • Maggie becoming a trial lawyer for the police,
  • Tom's family problems, ending with the death of his wife Nell in a car accident,
  • PJ's relationship with his religious mother Helena (Arianthe Galani),
  • Tom's relationship with his daughter Susan (Beth Buchanan),
  • and Maggie's relationship with her retired cop father Pat (Dennis Miller) and brother Robbie (David Wenham).

The show was a success, and by the end of its 45-episode first season the PJ-Maggie shippers had quickly amassed. Roz was written out of the show before season's end, because the producers thought that they could do more with another police character, rather than a civilian. This allowed for the introduction of ambitious young Constable Adam Cooper to the group.

Notable guest stars for the season included Radha Mitchell, Kate Keltie, Petra Jared, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Raelee Hill and Libby Tanner.

Season 2

Season 2 premiered in February 1995, and ran for 41 episodes. The storylines included:

  • Chris and Adam beginning a relationship, despite their age difference,
  • Maggie getting a roomate, Gina Belfanti (Rachel Blakely), who quickly fell for Adam,
  • Tom's reunion with his troubled daughter Susan,
  • Maggie and Wayne going for their Senior Constable exams,
  • The introduction of Inspector Monica Draper (Peta Doodson) who kept a close watch on the Mt.Thomas station,
  • The arrival in town of Dr. Zoe Hamilton (Karen Davitt), a local doctor who became a secret admirer of Nick's,
  • and the growing sexual tension between PJ and Maggie.

The season ended with Gina being raped. The only witness, a mentally disabled man named Clancy Freeman (Michael Isaacs, who would recur until the 11th season), was uncertain of what he had seen, and so Maggie was used as bait to trap the rapist. In the aftermath, she and PJ shared their first kiss.

Notable guest stars included Robert Grubb, David Field as Maggie's brother Michael, Rebecca Rigg and Hugh Jackman.

Season 3

By the time the 42-episode third season began, Blue Heelers was hailed as the most successful Australian drama on television, also seeing significant changes in life at the station. Storylines included:

  • Maggie discovering her brother Robbie (now played by Brett Climo) was on drugs,
  • Wayne's death, paving the way for his untrustworthy replacement (Frankie J. Holden), who eventually was caught falsifying evidence and replaced by strong, independent Constable Deirdre "Dash" McKinley,
  • Tom dealing with his young daughter Anna (Alexandra Sangster)'s pregnancy,
  • PJ and Maggie - who had decided that their kiss meant nothing - were torn apart when Maggie fell for her professor Roman Kellerman (Geoff Paine). While PJ's suspicions about Kellerman proved correct, it severely affected his friendship with Maggie and he chose to leave the station. His charismatic replacement, Detective Johnny Kowalski (Jack Finsterer) proved to be no picnic - wooing both the women of the station. When PJ eventually returned, with Kowalski gone, relations between him and Maggie were strained. In the season finale, Maggie saved him from being prosecuted for the murder of a local woman - despite the false allegations of the woman's son Luke Darcy (Jonathon Brooks) - and the season ended with renewed hope for all of the cops.

Notable guest stars included Frances O'Connor, Marg Downey and Lee Kernaghan.

Season 4

The fourth season ran for 42 episodes. Storylines included:

  • Plague coming to Mt. Thomas, with Maggie nearly losing her life,
  • Adam confessing his unrequited love for Dash,
  • Chris's neice Leonie marrying Clancy Freeman,
  • Nick and Zoe growing closer,
  • the marriage of Adam to Stacey Norse (Kate Atkinson),
  • The introduction of two popular recurring characters: Jeremy Kewley as less-than-helpful reporter Tony Tims, and Neil Pigot as Inspector Russell "Rusty" Falcon-Price,
  • Chris becoming politically minded and running for local council,
  • Tom's daughter Susan taking up a posting at the school,
  • Adam facing the fact that his wife had lied and cheated on him,
  • Maggie attempting to protect her drug-addicted brother from the law,
  • Luke Darcy, PJ's nemesis, attempting to ruin his life once and for all,
  • The attraction of Tom to local solicitor Sally Downie (Catherine Wilkin),
  • and the sexual tension being consummated between PJ and Maggie, leading to them finally starting a secret relationship.

Two of the most popular episodes remain the two-parter "Gold" and "Fool's Gold", in which PJ and Maggie are trapped down a mine shaft and release their sexual tension. In the episode, "Fool For Love", Jane Allsop guest starred. She impressed the producers so much that they would later invite her back to the show in a main role as Jo Parrish.

Season 5

The 41-episode fifth season saw the show move to Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM, allowing it to explore new storylines that weren't available in an earlier timeslot. Ratings continued to climb.

Storylines included:

  • Maggie and PJ hiding their relationship from their co-workers, which landed them in trouble when Organised Crimes specialist Detective Sergeant Ben Stewart came to town to help with a case, falling for Maggie,
  • Tom embarking on a relationship with Sally Downie,
  • Dash being diagnosed with cancer, and undergoing chemotherapy,
  • the cops fighting back against plans to downgrade the station,
  • a demoted Senior Constable Ben Stewart returning full time to Mt. Thomas,
  • the engagement and marriage of Nick and Zoe,
  • and Adam's increasingly disgraceful conduct - including falsifying evidence and punching Tom - seeing him removed from the force.


The season saw Nick and Zoe leave Mt. Thomas after their wedding, with Nick being tired of being held back by his co-workers. In real life, William McInnes had lost patience with the relative lack of storylines he was being given.

Season 6

The sixth season of 42 episodes would be the peak of the show's popularity, along with the first episodes of the seventh. Storylines included:

  • The arrival of Constable Jack Lawson,
  • Ben dealing with his broken marriage and desire to see more of his children,
  • PJ and Maggie's relationship being exposed via a security video,
  • Chris taking a place on the local council,
  • Ben's daughter Emma attempting to get Ben and Maggie together,
  • Maggie dealing with the death of her brother Robbie, and her attempts to crack the drug rin that killed him,
  • Tom having to let go of his relationship with Sally,
  • Dash's promotion and subsequent decision to leave the force,
  • Maggie briefly starting an affair with Ben, but ultimately choosing PJ just as Ben was dealt a blow by his ex-wife's decision to move to the other side of the country with their children,
  • Jack getting involved with an ex-girlfriend, Molly (Petra Jared), whose wild antics saw him getting in over his head,
  • and the arrival in town of Constable Joanna Parrish.

Season 7

The first episodes of the 41-episode seventh season would be the most watched in Blue Heelers history, and also the start of the show's downfall in the public consciousness. Maggie, aided by PJ and her brother Mick, arrived at the point of cracking the drug ring she had been pursuing for a year and realised that she would have to go into witness protection. To do so, she staged a breakup with PJ and then awaited her escort nervously. PJ, however, realised that she was being tricked and arrived just seconds too late, to see Maggie shot down by a mysterious assailant. The episodes that followed, the "Who Killed Maggie Doyle?" arc, were the most-watched episodes ever. Arrested for Maggie's murder, PJ looked desperately to prove that he was being framed. Ultimately, in episode 263 "Out of the Shadows", he discovered the truth - it was her brother Mick.

Other storylines included:

  • The remaining cops dealing with Maggie's death,
  • Sergeant Tess Gallagher arriving in town to take Maggie's position, which hurts a depressed Ben,
  • Tess being drawn into the plight of three young neglected children, the oldest - Hayley (Emily Browning) - particularly drawing her sympath,
  • The new doctor in town, Mel Carter (Suzi Dougherty) quickly learning to fit in,
  • and Jack's attempts to woo a local girl ending in tragedy with him being shot and left for dead. In the final episodes of the season, a paralysed Jack started a downward spiral which was only saved by a revolutionary procedure that was to be tested on him, and ultimately saved him.

Season 8

Ratings in the 8th season began to decline ever so slowly, with many fans feeling that Maggie's absence and the slightly repetitive storylines were getting in the way of the show's feel.

Storylines included:

  • Tess and Jack beginning a relationship which ended when he was arrested and convicted for murder,
  • Tess falling for his replacement, Evan Jones - who joined the force to avenge his father's death,
  • Tess taking in neglected child Hayley Fulton,(Emily Browning)
  • Ben's continuing spiral of depression,
  • and Tom finding love in enchanting local reverend Grace Curtis (Debra Lawrance), whose sons were less than thrilled with the match.

Season 9

Storylines for the 41-episode ninth season included:

  • Susan Croydon, pregnant, returning home only to lose her baby in a hit-and-run designed as a revenge plot on Tom,
  • PJ dealing with his mother's death,
  • Tess - having lost Hayley to her real family - letting out her feelings for Jonesy,
  • and Jo falling for PJ, which faced a snag when Ben's lawyer sister Liz (Kat Stewart) arrived in town taking PJ's heart with her.
  • After Liz left town, PJ and Jo ultimately became a couple and moved in together, forcing roommate Ben to deal with his new living situation,
  • Tom proposed to Grace, but the week of their wedding saw trouble in the form of her ex-husband, and their respective families,
  • Jo sat for - and succeeded in - her Senior Constable exam,
  • and Tess began a whirlwind affair with an old friend, attractive Dr. Josh Carmichael (Daniel Fredriksen) which ended with Jonesy distraught, and Tess married.

Season 10

By the 42-episode tenth season, Blue Heelers was in a comfortable but not successful ratings pattern. Storylines included:

  • Ben recovering from alcoholism, and then beginning an affair with Inspector Falcon-Price's wife,
  • Jonesy proving ulterior motives behind Josh's marriage to Tess,
  • Jo and PJ facing relationship troubles,
  • Ben falling for, and proposing to, Salvation Army Captain Marissa Craddock (Heidi Arena]]),
  • The arrival in town of Ben's daughter Maddie,
  • Tom dealing with his teenage step-son's problems,
  • Tess leaving town, pregnant with Josh's child, due to a natal condition,
  • and the arrival of Constable Susie Raynor, whose paralysed husband Brad (Matt Passmore) became wrongly suspicious of Ben and Susie's friendship, ending in a confrontation where Ben had no choice but to shoot and kill Brad in front of Susie.

Season 11

With ratings slipping fast, 2004 became the year in which the producers took a radical approach to shake-up their show. The 39-episode 11th season saw the ratings ascend dramatically. Storylines included:

  • The return of Luke Darcy to town, who terrorised PJ and Jo,
  • Ben's engagement collapsing, and him having to face Susie over the events of the tenth season finale,
  • Jonesy and Susie embarking on a short-lived relationship,
  • and the engagement of PJ and JO, which ended when PJ was haunted by Maggie's memory.

On 21 April, Blue Heelers aired a special event: a live episode. While Paul Bishop did not appear due to film commitments, this theatre-esque event drew large ratings and was the first step in drawing viewers back to the show.

This was followed by the overhaul of the show. It's 440th episode, "End of Innocence", aired on 6 July and saw a new family in town being suspected of ghastly crimes. The Baxter family terrorised Clancy, Jo, Tom and Grace and shortly thereafter, the terror became reality when the station was blown up and Clancy and Jo were killed. Shortly thereafter, Grace was found raped and murdered.

Nick Schultz returned, now in Homicide, to investigate, and soon learned that Tom had changed as a result of these events, and was now much harsher and determined to gain vengeance on the Baxters. Four new cops arrived on the scene - smart detective Amy Fox, family man Mark Jacobs, and ambitious rival trainees Kelly O'Rourke and Joss Peroni. In episode 445, "Checkmate", Barry Baxter was sent to jail for the terror attacks, and Nick departed Mt. Thomas leaving his colleagues to face their new situation. The ratings picked up significantly during this time.

Storylines over the second half of the season included:

  • Moving into the new station and discovering the new power situation,
  • Jonesy finding a suspicious girlfriend, Donna (Samantha Healy), after discovering Susie with Ben,
  • Tom remaining a changed man after his wife's death,
  • Kelly being harrassed by new Sgt. Roy Holland,
  • Joss beginning a relationship with a much older woman, Fay Tudor (Tottie Goldsmith),
  • and PJ and Amy facing tensions with one another.

In the final episodes of the season, a series of attempts on Tom's life saw him suspect Tarni Baxter (Melissa Andersen), the jailed Baxter's daughter. Although there was no proof against her, the closing moments of the season finale saw a crazy-with-rage Tom attempting to drown Tarni in a river.

While some critics and fans were concerned at the new soap opera style that Blue Heelers had embraced, ratings remained high for the rest of the season.

Season 12

The 12th season is currently airing and will run for 42 episodes, taking the episode number up to 499. The season is expected to finish airing on November 23.

While the first half of the season, with several high profile guest stars, maintained the high ratings of the previous season; the second half of the year - which saw the show up against ratings success House M.D. saw a decrease in ratings, as well as a gradual mixing of critical reaction, which had initially proved mostly positive.

The season also saw the departure of Geoff Morrell and Martin Sacks, who chose to take time off to spend with their families. Sacks's departure leaves Julie Nihill and John Wood as the only remaining original cast members; and the only cast members to have been on the show since before 2001.

Storylines for season 12 have included:

  • Tom being suspected of murder, while only Kelly stood by him,
  • Nick returning to town briefly to find evidence against Tom, however ultimately realising it was someone framing him,
  • The arrival of Mark's friend Acting Sergeant Lindy Schroeder (Sarah Chadwick) and her quick dismissal by a still-bitter Tom,
  • Tom going up against a gangster (Gary Sweet),
  • PJ and Amy's conflict over a psychiatrist (Vince Colosimo), suspected of being a serial killer,
  • Amy confronting her uncle (Shane Porteous) who sexually abused her as a teen
  • the arrival of Senior Constable Alex Kirby (Charlie Clausen), who immediatedly fell for Susie, causing conflict,
  • The escape from jail of Barry Baxter, threatening Tom's family and seeing a siege situation,
  • PJ leaving the station to take a job in Melbourne with Homicide,
  • Jonesy taking up detective work with Amy and attempting to prove his worth,
  • Mark beginning an affair with his neighbour (Tara Morice), finally resigning from the police force and leaving to start a new life with her,
  • Kelly's new neighbour becoming an obsessive stalker, and terrorising Kelly,
  • and the arrival in town of former soldier turned police officer Matt Graham, who is forced to deal with his wartorn past after events in town bring back painful memories.

Future seasons

Intense debate ranged throughout September 2005, with House M.D. beating Blue Heelers regularly in the ratings, as to whether the show would be renewed.

However, on September 29, the Seven Network announced that a thirteenth series has been commissioned. However, to be cautious, the network has only commissioned 11 episodes, holding off on news of a full season until they can fully assess the ratings of the current season.

The thirteenth season premiere, set to air in February 2006, will be the show's 500th episode. The show's 510th episode will make Blue Heelers the longest running weekly primetime drama series in Australian history, beating out previous record holder Homicide.

DVD releases

The first season of Blue Heelers will be released on Region 4 DVD on November 16 2005.

The second season of "Blue Heelers" will be released on Region 4 DVD on December 1 2005

Logie Awards

The Logie Awards have awarded the following honours to Blue Heelers:

1995 - Winner - Most Popular New Talent - Lisa McCune

1996 - Winner - Most Popular Actress - Lisa McCune

1997 - Nominee - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

1997 - Nominee - Most Outstanding Actor - William McInnes

1997 - Winner - Most Popular Actor - Martin Sacks

1997 - Winner - Most Popular Actress - Lisa McCune

1997 - Winner - Most Popular New Talent - Tasma Walton

1997 - Winner - Most Popular Television Show

1998 - Nominee - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

1998 - Nominee - Most Oustanding Actor - William McInnes

1998 - Winner - Most Popular Actor - Martin Sacks

1998 - Winner - Most Popular Actress - Lisa McCune

1998 - Winner - Most Popular Television Show

1999 - Winner - Most Popular Actor - Martin Sacks

1999 - Winner - Most Popular Actress - Lisa McCune

1999 - Winner - Most Popular Television Show

1999 - Nominee - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

2000 - Winner - Most Popular Actor - Martin Sacks

2000 - Winner - Most Popular Actress - Lisa McCune

2000 - Winner - Most Popular Television Show

2000 - Nominee - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

2000 - Winner - Most Popular New Talent - Jane Allsop

2001 - Nominee - Most Popular Television Show

2001 - Winner - Most Popular Actor - Martin Sacks

2001 - Nominee - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

2002 - Winner - Most Popular New Male Talent - Ditch Davey

2003 - Nominee - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

2003 - Nominee - Most Popular Australian Program

2004 - Nominee - Most Popular Australian Program

2004 - Nominee - Most Popular Australian Drama Series

2005 - Nominee - Most Popular Television Show

2005 - Winner - Most Popular Actor - John Wood

2005 - Nominee - Most Popular Actress - Jane Allsop

2005 - Nominee - Most Popular New Female Talent - Rachel Gordon

2005 - Nominee - Most Popular New Female Talent - Samantha Tolj

Gold Logie Awards

The Gold Logie is the award for Most Popular Television Personality of the year. In 1996, Lisa McCune - who quickly became the darling of the Australian television audience - was nominated for it, and from 1997 to 2000, she was the winner of the award. She was further nominated in 2001, but having only done 2 episodes of Blue Heelers in the 12 months prior to the award, and a miniseries, The Potato Factory, she lost out to Georgie Parker of All Saints.

John Wood has been nominated for the award every year from 1997 to 2005, but has always lost out - first to McCune, then - in 2001 and 2002 - to Parker, and then from 2003 to 2005 to television host Rove McManus.

Post-Blue Heelers Careers

Grant Bowler followed on from the show by appearing on Paradise Drive, Medivac, Something in the Air, All Saints, Always Greener and hosting the Australian version of The Mole. He remains a recognisable name in Australian television and film, and currently hosts Border Security: Australia's Front Line.

Lisa McCune has remained a household name. Her 2000 miniseries The Potato Factory based on the Bryce Courtenay novel was a moderate success while her 2002 television show with Alison Whyte, Marshall Law - which mixed elements of Ally McBeal style comedy, with legal drama - never hit a mark with audiences. She performed in Sydney theatre productions of The Sound of Music and Cabaret; and was also as the face of the Coles supermarket advertisements. In 2004 she starred in the telemovie Hell Has Harbour Views and appeared in a four-episode guest arc on MDA during September 2005. She hosts Forensic Investigators, a series investigating Australian murders, which airs after Blue Heelers on the Seven Network, and is currently back in theatre in a production of Urinetown.

William McInnes has also remained a household name. Aside from co-starring with McCune on Marshall Law, he has been winning awards for his performances in SeaChange, Do or Die, My Brother Jack, and guest starring in CrashBurn and Kath & Kim. McInnes has also returned to Blue Heelers in several episodes.

Martin Sacks has had both acting and directing success, but has announced he will be taking some time off to spend with his family.

Jane Allsop guest starred on Last Man Standing, and MDA.

Paul Bishop is an accomplished - and critically adored - theatre actor who has now returned to the stage. During September 2005 he guest starred in four episodes of MDA along with Lisa McCune.

Caroline Craig has recently branched out into theatre acting.

Geoff Morrell has retired to his family home to concentrate on his art, but will likely return to his former show Grass Roots, if another series is commissioned.

Tasma Walton guest starred on The Secret Life of Us, and in the 2005 telemovie Little Oberon with Sigrid Thornton, which may be optioned into a 2006 series.

Anne Burbrook, Rupert Reid and Damian Walshe-Howling have remained recognisable in the industry - Burbrook returning to Blue Heelers for a guest spot, Walshe-Howling guest starring in The Secret Life Of Us, and Reid appearing in The Matrix sequels - but none have achieved the fame of their co-stars.

See also

External links

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