Blue Heelers season 1
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (September 2009) |
| Blue Heelers | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 | |
| No. of episodes | 45 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Seven Network |
| Original release | 10 September 1993 – 22 November 1994 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season of the Australian police-drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network on 10 September 1993 and aired on Tuesday nights at 7:30 PM. The 45-episode season concluded on 22 November 1994.
The show was a success, and by the end of its 45-episode first season the PJ-Maggie shippers had quickly amassed.
Casting
Main cast for this season consisted of:
- John Wood as Sergeant Tom Croydon [full season]
- Julie Nihill as Christine 'Chris' Riley [full season]
- Martin Sacks as Detective Senior Constable Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' Hasham [full season]
- Lisa McCune as Constable Margaret 'Maggie' Doyle [full season]
- William McInnes as Senior Constable Nicholas 'Nick' Schultz [full season]
- Grant Bowler as Constable Wayne Patterson [full season]
- Ann Burbrook as Roz Patterson [until episode 30]
- Damian Walshe-Howling as Probationary Constable Adam Cooper [from episode 34]
Ann Burbrook was originally cast as Maggie Doyle and Lisa McCune as Roz Patterson but the two swapped roles to avoid being typecast in the future.[1]
William McInnes was originally cast as PJ Hasham and Martin Sacks as Nick Schultz but the two swapped roles because McInnes "looked more like a Schultz".[1]
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 Adam Cooper to the group.
Semi-regular cast members for this season include:
- Peta Doodson as Sergeant Monica Draper
- Beth Buchanan as Susan Croydon
- Michael Isaacs as Clancy Freeman
- Suzi Dougherty as Dr. Mel Carter
- Axl Taylor as Len the barman
- Dennis Miller as Ex-Sergeant Pat Doyle
- Nick Waters as Acting Inspector → Inspector Ted Faulkner
- Helen Trenos as Celia Donald
- Dale Stevens as Senior Constable Rose Egan
- Jennifer Botica as Detective Senior Constable Hilary Edmunds
Notable guest stars for the season include:
- Radha Mitchell as Sally-Anne[2]
- Gerard Kennedy as John Eagan,[3]
- Brett Swain as Peter Sutcliffe[4]
- Kate Keltie as Sally Lamont[5]
- Peter Hosking as Frank Davis[5]
- Anne Phelan as Mrs. Brady[6]
- Petra Jared as Kim Stewart[7]
- Charles 'Bud' Tingwell as Hayes[8]
- Lois Collinder as Mrs. Rivers[9]
- Raelee Hill as Jill Lambert[10]
- Libby Tanner as Heather[11]
- Lois Ramsay as Eileen Heart[12]
- Ian Smith as Clive Burton[13]
- David Wenham as William Cassidy[14]
- Rex Hunt as Ben Murphy[15]
- Janet Andrewartha as Bridget Ryan[16]
- Tony Briggs as Tony Dixon [17]
Plot
At the start of the season, we meet young city constable, Maggie Doyle, who is arriving at her posting in the small country town of Mount Thomas. At Mount Thomas police station we also meet the officer in charge, Sergeant Tom Croydon, who runs "his" station with an almost grandfatherly watch over his co-workers. We also meet Constable Wayne Patterson, who we find had a short romance with Maggie while they attended the Victoria Police Academy together; much to Maggie's surprise, he is now married to Roz Patterson. We also meet Senior Constable Nicholas '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. At the local pub, The Imperial, we meet Chris Riley, a local woman who knows all the ins-and-outs of Mount Thomas.
During the season, we see Roz assisting the Heelers and later getting a job at the station as the administration officer. We also see the extent of Roz and Wayne's marriage problems which, when brought to a head when Roz witnesses a shooting over the telephone, results in the end of their marriage and Roz leaving Mount Thomas and returning to her home in Melbourne. This marriage dissolution is a result of many pressure which Roz and Wayne are placed under as a result of Wayne's dangerous job. This includes his being shot and left for dead by two criminals and Roz's somewhat intense jealousy for Maggie. Roz's absence opens up a place for ambitious and contentious young cop, Constable Adam Cooper, whose "breaking-in" at Mount Thomas is anything but smooth, particularly with Wayne who develops quite a disdain for him. Keeping with the theme of family problems, we see how Tom's family problems, including problems with his two daughters, develop. These are only made worse with the death of Tom's wife, Nell, as a result of a car accident. Tom, as a superior police officer, has to learn to deal to separate his personal and professional lives. He is increasingly finding it harder and harder when he has to deal with his friends and family when it is them that have committed offences. PJ has to deal with an old flame, Hilary Edmunds, when she arrives in town as part of the livestock squad, investigating farming issues in Mount Thomas. Maggie also finds romance in Mount Thomas with a shifty detective, Sean Neale, and she has trust issues when she discovers that her beloved boyfriend may, in fact, be a criminal. Maggie also discovers she has relationship problems with her father, Sergeant Pat Doyle. It is also revealed that Nick is carrying a huge secret: his wife and daughter, as well as half of his family, were killed in a car crash. This is revealed to be the reason Nick joined highway patrol and the reason for his stance against vehicle offences such as speeding and drink driving.
Reception
The show quickly had an average Rating of 2.5 Million and going to 3.5 million at its peak
The writers and Southern Star didn't expect the show to go anywhere but it quickly amassed to being a #1 Hit series for a number of years up unto 2003-2004 where the drama shows were beginning to fall down in ratings because the CSI franchise became more popular than drama shows since 2001, which caused the cancellation of the show in 2006. The show had 510 episodes out of the thirteen seasons and 12 years since it aired.
Awards
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Episodes
 |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Australian air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 001 | "A Woman's Place" | Mark Callan | Tony Morphett | 10 September 1993 |
| 2 | 002 | "Doing It Tough" | Gary Conway | Peter Kinloch | 25 January 1994 |
| 3 | 003 | "Why Give People Rights?" | Paul Moloney | John Upton | 1 February 1994 |
| 4 | 004 | "Wives" | Judith John-Story | Anne Brooksbank | 8 February 1994 |
| 5 | 005 | "Waiting for Apples" | Alister Smart | Graeme Koetsveld | 15 February 1994 |
| 6 | 006 | "Apprehended Violence" | Gary Conway | Greg Haddrick Tony Morphett | 22 February 1994 |
| 7 | 007 | "Life After Death" | Paul Moloney | Ted Roberts | 1 March 1994 |
| 8 | 008 | "Domino Effect" | Judith John-Story | Tony Morphett | 8 March 1994 |
| 9 | 009 | "Diary Entry" | Julian McSwiney | Tony Morphett | 15 March 1994 |
| 10 | 010 | "Visions Splendid" | Gary Conway | John Upton | 22 March 1994 |
| 11 | 011 | "Abandoned" | Paul Moloney | Anne Brooksbank | 26 March 1994 |
| 12 | 012 | "Damaged Goods" | Judith John-Story | Howard Griffiths | 5 April 1994 |
| 13 | 013 | "Armed and Dangerous" | Steve Mann | Peter Kinloch | 15 April 1994 |
| 14 | 014 | "Reunion" | Gary Conway | Tony Morphett | 19 April 1994 |
| 15 | 015 | "Family Ties" | Alister Smart | Ysabelle Dean | 26 April 1994 |
| 16 | 016 | "Theft" | Chris Langman | Anne Brooksbank | 3 May 1994 |
| 17 | 017 | "Meat is Hung, Men are Hanged" | Steve Mann | Everett De Roche | 10 May 1994 |
| 18 | 018 | "Conduct Unbecoming" | Gary Conway | Ray Harding | 17 May 1994 |
| 19 | 019 | "Good Cop, Bad Cop" | Alister Smart | Tony Morphett | 24 May 1994 |
| 20 | 020 | "The Final Season" | Chris Adshead | Tim Gooding | 31 May 1994 |
| 21 | 021 | "Payback" | Steve Mann | Judith Colquhoun | 7 June 1994 |
| 22 | 022 | "Sex, Lies and Videotapes" | Gary Conway | Patrick Edgworth | 14 June 1994 |
| 23 | 023 | "Men in Her Life" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | Tony Morphett | 21 June 1994 |
| 24 | 024 | "A Bird in the Hand" | Richard Sarell | Ysabelle Dean | 28 June 1994 |
| 25 | 025 | "Missing" | Steve Mann | Anne Brooksbank | 5 July 1994 |
| 26 | 026 | "Day in Court" | Mark Piper | Justin Glockerla Stephen Measday | 12 July 1994 |
| 27 | 027 | "Nowhere to Run" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | Susan Hore | 19 July 1994 |
| 28 | 028 | "Consequences" | Richard Sarell | John Upton | 26 July 1994 |
| 29 | 029 | "A Matter of Trust" | Steve Mann | Anne Brooksbank | 2 August 1994 |
| 30 | 030 | "Necessary Force" | Mark Piper | Tony Morphett | 9 August 1994 |
| 31 | 031 | "Bitter Harvest" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | Justin Glockerla Alan Hopgood | 16 August 1994 |
| 32 | 032 | "Crazy Like a Fox" | Alister Smart | John Lord Tony Morphett | 23 August 1994 |
| 33 | 033 | "Old Dogs, New Tricks" | Steve Mann | Rachel Lewis | 30 August 1994 |
| 34 | 034 | "Labour of Love" | Mark Piper | Ysabelle Dean | 6 September 1994 |
| 35 | 035 | "Escape Route" | Chris Martin-Jones | Judith Colquhoun | 13 September 1994 |
| 36 | 036 | "Adverse Possession" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | John Coulter Justin Glockerla | 20 September 1994 |
| 37 | 037 | "The Folly of Youth" | Steve Mann | Susan Hore | 27 September 1994 |
| 38 | 038 | "Face Value" | Mark Piper | Hugh Stuckey | 4 October 1994 |
| 39 | 039 | "Suspicion" | Chris Martin-Jones | Anne Brooksbank | 11 October 1994 |
| 40 | 040 | "Without Intent" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | Peter Gawler | 18 October 1994 |
| 41 | 041 | "Family Matters" | Steve Mann | David Allen | 25 October 1994 |
| 42 | 042 | "The First Stone" | Mark Piper | Tony Morphett | 1 November 1994 |
| 43 | 043 | "Skin Deep" | Chris Martin-Jones | Ysabelle Dean | 8 November 1994 |
| 44 | 044 | "Luck of the Draw" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | Cassandra Carter | 15 November 1994 |
| 45 | 045 | "Damage Control" | Gary Conway | Judith Colquhoun Michaeley O'Brien | 22 November 1994 |
DVD release
| The Complete First Season | ||||
| Set Details | Special Features | |||
|
| |||
| Release Dates | ||||
 Australia
| ||||
| 2 November 2005[18] | ||||
References
- General
- Zuk, T. Blue Heelers: 1994 episode guide, Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
- TV.com editors. Blue Heelers Episode Guide - Season 1, TV.com. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
- Specific
- ^ a b IMDb. Blue Heelers trivia. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- ^ "A Woman's Place". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 1. 10 September 1993.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Wives". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 4. 8 February 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Waiting For Apples". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 5. 15 February 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Apprehended Violence". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 6. 22 February 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Life After Death". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 7. 1 March 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Diary Entry". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 9. 15 March 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Reunion". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 14. 19 March 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Meat Is Hung, Men Are Hanged". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 17. 10 May 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Day in Court". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 26. 12 July 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Nowhere to Run". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 19. 19 July 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Old Dogs, New Tricks". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 33. 30 August 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Labour of Love". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 34. 6 September 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Folly of Youth". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 37. 27 September 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "A Matter of Trust". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 29. 2 August 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "The First Stone". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 42. 1 November 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ "Skin Deep". Blue Heelers. Season 1. Episode 43. 8 November 1994.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ Idato, Michael. Blue Heelers - Season 1 - DVD Review, Sydney Morning Herald, 14 January 2007.