Cirrus@Austlit

Chopper Squad follows the adventures of a helicopter surf rescue team based on Sydney's northern beaches, as they deal with various difficult rescues and occasionally come into close contact with desperate criminals.

The program suffered from long hiatuses between the pilot and series one, and between series one and series two. Furthermore, Don Storey notes, in his Classic Australian Television, that

Unfortunately, the quality of the scripts varied immensely. Some episodes had excellent dramatic narratives, and the viewers would be on the edge of their seats watching the rescue process. Other plots were contrived merely to justify the use of a helicopter, or to show off some other facet of the surf rescue operation, or were just corny. This variation in quality occurred not only from episode to episode, but quite often within an episode.

However, Storey concludes that

If the scripts left a lot to be desired, the same could not be said for the other aspects of the programme. The actors all gave good performances, and the technical quality is excellent by any standards. Extensive external location work was used, with internal sets being kept to a minimum. The camerawork is second to none, highlighting the magnificent scenery of the Sydney coastline to great effect.

Albert Moran, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, notes that 'World distribution rights to the series were bought by Paramount Pictures, which sold the production to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Britain'.

'Anyone would think she was a potty, old, cockney woman. But Gary and Monica don't think so and they talk Bluey into taking on the case of a supposed Homicide - several months old.

'A night in the cemetery, a night in a funeral parlour, an Angel of Death; all add up to a strange and intriguing jigsaw of extortion and murder.

'Bluey is given little help by the woman who sees herself a little like Agatha Christie and intends to do her own investigation. Bluey is hard pressed to save her from the Angel of Death.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'ELSIE HUNTER: A cheerful, fat and garrulous cockney woman of perhaps 65 summers. Although suffering from a "heart condition", Elsie is loud-mouthed and vulgar, and believes in the old adage "If you've got it, show it". The rubies and diamonds that cluster round her neck, ears and fingers are all real, and she is hardly ever seen without her mink stole.

'CHRIS: 24/25. All the open cockney charm and baby blue eyes you could wish for - hiding a mean, vicious and calculating soul. He has adopted the role of "angel of death" and spends his life conning the aged rich into surrendering to his charms. It is essential that he is of the earth, earthy, and that Else could recognise in him a brother under the skin.

'SPENCER: Tall, dark haired and angular, about 40 or 45. Has three distinct aspects to his personality - the urbane, fawning funeral director, the "ordinary" Spencer, not nearly so well spoken as the first, but still with a certain amount of style, and the real Spencer - a small time cockney con-man.

'FRANCIS: The tubby, meticulous, well-mannered and well-manicured mortician. And age, I guess, but 35 to 45 might be best. Trim, neat, dapper, and a nervous nelly at heart. Almost certainly he has no sex life, and subjugates any desires in this area to his dedication to his profession.

'MRS. TANNER: Else's next door neighbour. Nouveau riche, early 30's. Her husband might be a newly successful bank manager or the like. Friendly enough, but likes the display of money. Middle class trendy, if you like.

'HARRY: An aged crim widower, now living at an old folk's home. As angular as Elsie is rotund. A mournful soul these days, the spark of life having been knocked out of him. Elsie re-awakens it!

'ARCHIE: The grave-digger. About 45-50. A cheerful and talkative man whose personality is completely at variance with the popular conception of his occupation. Likes a laugh and a beer, and takes great pride in his work.

'APPRENTICE: A gormless youth whom Archie is teaching the trade of grave digging. Big and muscular with an IQ of 2, but a happy smile withall.

'BODY: A pleasant looking lad.

'MRS. MITCHELL: About 195. Is almost totally deaf, and wears pebble lenses so thick that any step she takes becomes, for her, the equivalent of Hilary conquering Everest.

'CAT: A mangy beast that keeps the mortuary free of rats.'

'Brad Dexter, after twenty years in Hollywood, returns to Australia to make a film. Much to his disgust - and Monica's delight - Bluey is assigned to protect him.

'It soon becomes apparent that Dexter needs protection. Not from his fans, who've grown sparser with the years, but from himself. A long time battle with the bottle has turned into capitulation. The few friends and associates who have remained loyal to him are beginning to realise their star is on the wane.

'But Dexter continues on his erratic path of self-destruction, oblivious to every warning signal.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BRAD McGRAW: An Australian actor around 45 with boyish good looks. He's spent the past twenty years in the U.S. Speaks with an American accent. He's been all the way to the top and is more than halfway in the other direction now. He refuses to accept he's no longer a super-star. Deadens the truth with bourbon. (He drives.)

'NORA: McGraw's long-suffering private secretary. She's good-looking and shapely enough to have been a star herself but has been able to get a good living in the administration end of the business. She knows McGraw's just about washed up but hopes he can make a fresh start in his old home town. West coast U.S. accent.

'BELINDA DEMPSEY: Around 30. Pushy female journo from "The Star". About on a par scruple-wise with McGraw.

'BULL MASON: An ex-prize fighter around 50 and still fit. He's devoted to McGraw in the belief that McGraw still cares about him. He speaks with an East coast U.S. accent, The Bronx or Bowery maybe, certainly not Brooklyn.

'BERT STUBBS: Reporter. Australian. About 45. Small, shabby dresser. One scene. (Important dialogue.)

'ARTHUR FERRIS: Homicide detective well known to Bluey and his crew. Typical type. (Quite a bit of dialogue. As previously cast in "End of the Line" - if possible.)

'NEIGHBOUR: Working-class man around 60. He remembers McGraw well, without sympathy.

'POLICE MECHANIC: Two scenes. (Some dialogue.)

'TURNER: Late 50's. Average small businessman type. He shows he's worn badly since his daughter's death.

'BETTS: Middle-aged working man. Two scenes, some dialogue.

'BELLHOP:

'AIR HOSTESS: V.O. Only.

'ANNOUNCER: American. V.O. Only.

'GIRL (HEATHER): Australian. V.O. Only.'

'It seems that Department B is to be closed down and Bluey forced into retirement. Their last case is to investigate and close the operations of a faith healer and in doing so, Bluey ends up with a touch of stardust settling on him.

'Bluey's will to survive is taken from him when there seems little he can do to stop the closing of the department and his enforced retirement. But Monica, Gary and Truscott have other plans and do not intend to see Bluey give up without a fight.

'Everyone needs faith in someone or something and this is what Bluey learns when he comes face to face with a man whose purpose in life is to give faith to others.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'RONALD BENFIELD HAMLIN 33 years old. An extremely handsome man with eyes that seem to bore right through you, exposing your inner most [sic] thoughts. His hands are quite beautiful and since a child has had a certain talent for easing pain and mental anguish with them. Over the years, Ronald's belief in himself as a healer has grown, but to many, he's nothing but a Con-Man. To his followers he's a "Prince", "Mr. Stardust", because he seems to sprinkle a little here, a little there. At heart, Ronald's a simple man who's [sic] ego, matured by others, blinds him to his own limitations.

'LILLY MORRIS 26 years old. Pretty as a picture on the surface, but underneath? Well that's another story. She knows how limited Ronald's powers are, but she also sees the money they can make from it. Deep inside she loves Ronald, but money has a stronger hold. When things go wrong, Lilly decides it's time to quit, leave, taking what she can with her, but then you can never tell what a woman will do when faced with a crisis, or the law.

'JAKE HOBBS 68 years old. A retired copper. One of the old school of policemen who saw good in even the hardest crim. And old friend of Bluey's. In the last six months, Jake's become desperately ill, against the wishes of his doctors and his daughter he turns to Ronald for help and receives it. When the power fails, Jake sticks by Ronald.

'JANEY HOBBS 38 years old. Jake's daughter. A pleasantly plump, motherly type. She doesn't agree with Jake about Ronald, but is powerless to stop her father going to him and giving him all his money. The one thing she has to agree with her father on, Ronald does seem to stop a lot of her father's pain. In the beginning that is.

'PEGGY MOSS 25 years old. Peggy is pregnant and has been warned by the doctors that she could lose her baby if she doesn't have special care. Peggy ignores them and goes to see Ronald. Ronald gives her great comfort and belief in herself. Like Jake, she's warned and ignores it.

'TED MOSS 25 years old. He loves his wife and like her, wants his baby. He distrusts Ronald and calls him a Con-Man. When Peggy won't listen to him, Ted calls the police, complaining about Ronald. When he thinks the police aren't doing their job well enough, he takes the law into his own hands. Not a bad man, just an emotionally upset one.

'BETTE TAYLOR 46 years old. Still a very attractive woman. Widowed and rich. She gos to Ronald for one reason only. He gives her belief in herself. If she is attracted to his looks, you'd never get her to admit it. She's not a silly woman, just lonely. (BETTE IS PRONOUNCED BET)

'MOU MOIR 47 years old. A happy face, but underneath needing the help that Ronald can give her far more than Bette Taylor. She's married and doesn't mind admitting to a sort of sexual attraction to Ronald. Like Bette Taylor, she's not a silly woman.

'DOCTOR (HOSPITAL) 35 years old. Compassionate. Efficient.

'POLICE DOCTOR 34 years old. Nobody's fool. Dislikes people like Hamlin.

'MARY FELLOWS 18 years old. A deaf mute.'

'Detective Gary Lawson's excitement at working undercover on a difficult case is quickly dampened when he finds his co-undercover man is a woman - and a rather domineering one at that. Bluey discovers even the best made plans can go wrong and that, for once, it looks like the crims have more cards up their sleeves than Department B.

'Three armoured trucks have been hijacked in various parts of the country. The only lead Bluey comes up with is the possibility that the men involved may be in need of an "oxy" man.

'So Tracey, the female undercover cop, is set up as bait. In settling down together as part of their cover, Gary is surprised to find Tracey has many facets to her character that are most appealing.

'But Gary is in danger of letting his personal feelings interfere with police work.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'TRACEY ALEXANDER: 26 years old. Tracey's an undercover policewoman. Very attractive, except when she's in uniform, even that is a cover for Tracey. She is a Chameleon type [sic] character, slipping easily in and out of each character she is asked, or forced, to play. At all times she is on top of the given situation.

'MIKE SCOTT: 26 years old. A handsome well built man. There's still a touch of the soldier about his bearing. Mike was in Vietnam, but he was under investigation, along with four others, for possible graft involving selling arms to the enemy. Mike and the other four devise a way of disappearing from the army. They're successful. Mike has nerves of steel. He relies a lot on his own intuition, usually he's right. Then he meets Tracey, Truscott and Gary. Mike must drive well.

'ED BAIN: 26 years old. Attractive well built man. Nervous eyes, looking everywhere, but at the person he's talking to. Ed doesn't really trust anyone. He has a nasty temper when irritated. He enjoys killing. He is one of the four men who were with Mike in 'Nam.

'PETE ESSEX: 25 years old. Short and stocky, but well muscled. Cold eyes. More easily led than Ed. Pete was in the army from the age of 16, so he is used to responding without question to orders, especially from Mike. He also has a lot of courage, if needs be he could stand up to Ed, but rarely ever does. He also was with Mike in 'Nam.

'MARCIA FRANKS: 25 years old. Very pretty with a touch of the wanton about her. A happy go lucky girl who very early on in her life realised that all she'd got to offer to the world was her body. So she used it, first at school then in the big outside world. She is a very successful massage parlour and home girl. Marcia's big trouble is, she's nosey and just a little too greedy, but there's no real harm in her.

'SERGEANT JACK HALL: 35 years old. Stolid family-type man.

'MACK: 25 years old. Works in the maintenance department - police headquarters, Sydney.

'P.C. DRIVER: 30 years old. He's got as far as he'll ever go.

'WAITER:

'CUSTOMERS (4):

'POLICEMEN (2)'.

'Bluey nearly collapses whilst in pursuit of a crim. It looks as though, should Bluey continue at his usual pace, he is in danger of suffering something more serious. Getting Bluey to take a holiday, however, is practically impossible as the Department B team discover.

'For once, the Assistant Commissioner shows that he actually cares about Bluey's well-being and with the aid of a Union Officer intends to cajole or, if necessary, force Bluey to take leave which has been accruing for six years.

'Gary, completely engrossed in using the computer to narrow down a cat burglar, cannot control his enthusiasm and, going against Monica's advice, unintentionally works up Bluey's interest in the case.

'It isn't until Gary's figures come up with a strong lead that the Assistant Commissioner finds himself faced with an important decision - solving hundreds of cases of house-breaking or Bluey's health. His "cases" win out and by a devious method, he entices Bluey into helping Gary.

'Constant stake-outs do little to improve Bluey's state of health, but a surprising thing happens when he comes face to face with "The Cat". Because of his health problems, Bluey has to let "The Cat" escape, but he has a new lease of life in his determination to outwit a man who has outwitted the police force for many years.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BLAIR THOMPSON: 35. Intelligent. Cynical. Very fit. His own man. Sees life as a complicated joke. Meets people face on. Assessing them. Considers most of them below his mental capacity although he would not make this obvious. Quick to smile. Charming.

'TED POWERS: Late 40's. Aware of himself. Well groomed. Aware of the power structure and appreciating his place in it. Sees himself as being more handsome and intelligent than is the reality. Has an aggression about him common to many union officers.

'MRS. THOMPSON: 33. Intense. Concerned. Anxious to do the right thing. A decent type who badly wants to fit into a catholic [sic] way of life and not make waves. Good looking. Well groomed.

'SIR GREGORY DILLON: Late 50's. Ruling class type. Pompous. Limited appreciation of the realities of the lower classes. (PLAYS GOLF)

'HELENA: Past her prime and has seen it all, but attractive and a warm involved person. A sense of humour. And pride. A loser but making the most of it.

'MASON: 40. A con man. Slim and likeable.

'DR. ARMSTRONG: Sir Gregory's golf mate. A heart specialist. In the same ruling-class vein.

'MRS. O'BRIEN: 50's. Suburban.

'FATHER O'BRIEN: 30. An average priest.

'WORKER: Employee at cleaning contractors.

'3 POLICE CONSTABLES: #1. #2 Traffic. #3 Internal.'

'At first there is nothing untoward about a hit-run but Gary, feeling pangs of guilt in letting the driver of the vehicle slip through his fingers, starts to probe and comes up with much more than he bargained for.

'There is one puzzling feature to this case. Why would the victim, of such relatively poor means, take out such a large insurance policy on his life? It would seem that the beneficiary is equally bemused.

'Gary digs into the world of insurance and finds that there is no such thing as a perfect system and, in turn, has to try and prove there is no such thing as a perfect crime.

'A closely guarded secret comes to the fore and in solving one death, Bluey and Gary uncover a story of two other "accidental" deaths.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'JUDY BROWNING: She's in her late twenties and is showing slight signs of wear from the professional life she has led. She's quite attractive without being stunning and has a good figure.

'DAVID COLSON: Late thirties and a mousy little man. Short sighted, short hair, insignificant. His clothes still belong to ten years ago when his mother still bought them for him. (SIMILAR BUILD AND COLOURING TO JOE PATTERSON)

'MRS MOLLY BARBOUR: She runs a comfortable South Melbourne boarding house where the guests are members of the family as Truscott soon finds out. Her husband vanished years ago much to her relief. She's about forty five and has a sort of matronly sensuality.

'HOWARD CORCORAN: An insurance investigator of about fifty who must have been in the army. His clothes and his moustache reek of the old left right, left right.

'CHARLEY WATSON: 60+ and a longstanding border [sic] at the Barbour establishment. He's on the pension which keeps him from sleeping under bridges.

'JOE PATTERSON: Same age and size as Colson. If he lived a bit longer the alcohol would have killed him anyway.

'OLD MAN AND WOMAN: Aged and infirm arguing couple.

'UNIFORMED POLICEMAN: A week ago he was a cadet.

'STUNT DRIVER.'

Note: A character whose note simply reads 'Waitress' has been crossed off the character list in black ink. The character's name has been crossed out so thoroughly that it is indistinguishable.

'When Detective Sergeant Ralph Blakely returns to Russell Street, he finds the red carpet is laid out by everyone except his old adversary, Bluey Hills. Monica and Gary are not alone in believing Bluey's condemnation of the man totally unfounded and bordering on petty, professional jealousy. Bluey finds himself without support in his vendetta against Blakely.

'Blakely is assigned to the Vice Squad at his own request and starts an incredible clean-up campaign on the massage parlours until Bluey interferes - preventing an arrest and getting into serious trouble with the Assistant Commissioner.

'In order to win Bluey's respect, Blakely helps Department B catch an escapee. Bluey returns the favour by transferring Gary to Blakely's department as it seems that Gary is much more interested in the Vice Squad's activities than those of Department B.

'Bluey continues his investigations into Blakely and discovers there is an organization which has Blakely in a stranglehold. In his attempts to foil the organization's plans, Bluey's own life is at risk.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'DETECTIVE SERGEANT RALPH WINSTON BLAKELY: 35 years old. Handsome, charming. Should have been a film star, not a policeman. But he can turn this charm on and off like a tap. If you looked a little deeper behind this facade, you would find the sparkling overbright personality of a junkie. He should be a love/hate personality with us feeling genuinely sorry for him in the end. Must drive.

'JAMES R. RANKIN: 45 years old. Looks a respectable businessman, perhaps a little hard but that's business. He is a user of people and will go to any length to achieve the power he wants.

'ALICE COLLINS: 40. A friendly "Madam", been through the mill but it hasn't hardened her heart. She likes Bluey a lot and realises that police have their job to do.

'LESLEY ARNOLD GREEN: 30. An escaped convict, perhaps ten cents short in the dollar. A born loser.

'SANDY, JENNY, PAMELA: Young, sexy, massage parlour girls.

'TRUCKIE: Typical rough diamond.

'ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER'S DRIVER: Stiff upper lip type.

'THREE POLICEMAN EXTRAS:'.

Young Ramsay follows the adventures of a Sydney-based vet who becomes disillusioned with his work on the racecourse circuit, and moves to the small, fictional town of Jindarra, where he starts work with the veterinary practice of Jack Lambert (who is semi-retired on the grounds of ill health). It was conceived as family entertainment: neither violent nor explicit, but sufficiently exciting to keep the attention of both children and adults. Ramsay is supported by Julie Lambert (Jack's daughter, nurse, and receptionist) and Ray Turner (local park ranger).

The program begins in media res, with Ramsay already established in Jindarra, and unfolds his background and past experiences slowly, over a number of episodes. According to Don Storey, in Classic Australian Television, Ramsay is 'Not a super-cool type who never puts a foot wrong, but rather a well-rounded personality with successes and failings. He is a very competent vet; sometimes he makes a fool of himself or confuses names but he always makes good under pressure or in an emergency'.

Series one was followed by a two-year hiatus, and significant changes were made to the program for series two, including the re-casting of Ramsay's receptionist (Julie Lambert having been said to have left Jindarra after her father's death) and a stronger focus on happy endings.

According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian Television Series, 'Young Ramsay had a heavy stress on good ecological practices and was actively supported by the Victorian Ministry for Wildlife and Conservation'.

'Wally Curran, a crim struggling to reform under Bluey's tutorship, stumbles into more trouble - only this time he drags his wife, May, and eldest son, Kevin, down with him.

'To Bluey, Wally has become a challenge in which he hopes to prove his philosophy - a well placed boot applied at the appropriate moment to the seat of the pants of a miscreant gets far better results than the airy-fairy ideas and theories of all the sociologists and psychiatrists.

'There are some who do not agree. Monica, for one, sees Wally as nothing but a no-hoper. She considers May as the battler, the one worthy of understanding, encouragement and help. The difference of opinion sets sparks flying between her and Bluey.

'To his son, Kevin, Wally is everything. He'd follow Dad through hell. Indeed, that's just where Wally leads him - only to abandon him there. But Kevin has inherited all his father's guile and quickly extricates himself from his dilemma.

'The problem is all far too academic for May. A simple soul, she sees Wally only as her husband, the man she promised to love, honour and obey. She applies herself totally to that task and the upbringing of their kids ... until it all becomes impossible.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'WALLY CURRAN: About 45, a born loser. He's spent most of his life in and out of prisons in six months or year stretches. There is absolutely no violence in Wally. There doesn't have to be. He manages to get by without it because deep down Wally is a cheap little con man. His wheeling-dealing has made life difficult for ...

(Truck Driving Required)

'MAY CURRAN: His wife. May is almost 40. She struggles to be independent and her aim in life is to keep her five kids together and give them a bit of a chance ... something she never had. Her herculean effort looks as though it might be beginning to bear fruit in their eldest ...

'KEVIN CURRAN: A big boy, 19 or 20. He's apprenticed to an engineering company and, although it's heavy going, there's a chance he might make it. On the top there seems to be a lot of May in Kevin, but deep down lurk some of those genes that made Wally the sly con man that he is.

(Motorbike Riding Required)

'IDA STACEY: A prostitute friend of May. She is a little older than May but a pretty tough existence and too much alcohol make her look old for her years.

'TERRY LOWE: A crim who has moved into the prostitution racket. Probably about 30.

'ROY JACKSON: A crim mate of Lowes'. A thump man.

[Note: The apostrophe has been added in black ink.]

'PIGGOT & BAKER: Two break and enter types. The parts call for stuntment [sic] and are non-speaking.

'MAN: A witness to a drunk being rolled. One word of dialogue.

'SERVICE STATION ATTENDANT: Young. Two lines of dialogue.

'NON-SPEAKING:-

'DRUNK: Old.

'BARMAN:

'WARDER:

'EXTRA: A drinker.'

'Bluey hounded "Mack" McKenna until, in desperation, he moved his criminal operations across the Victorian border where N.S.W. police quickly shot him into Long Bay Gaol for five years - nearly two thousand days to allow Mack's hatred of Bluey to fester; two thousand days in which to plan his revenge. And now, Mack's back!

'With time to think, Mack has matured. Whereas once he would have enjoyed putting a bullet in Bluey's back in some quiet alley on a dark night, now he wants his adversary to suffer first. He wants Bluey to endure the ignominy of watching him expand his operations into a criminal empire ... wants Bluey to suffer the torments of seeing his associates tortured and done away with - while all the time Mack remains outside the reaches of the law, safe from detection.

'And Mack's scheme has all the hallmarks of success about it. Bluey's assistant, Detective Gary Dawson, is marked down for death and falls hopelessly into McKenna's clutches.

'Terry Carter, a reformed crim who finds within himself the courage to defy McKenna and "talk" to Bluey, meets a similar fate.

'Bluey is forced to realise you can't win 'em all - but having to lose one to McKenna is more than he can come to terms with. The situation quickly simplifies itself into a matter of "him or me" - Mack or Bluey!'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'TERRY CARTER: About 40, Carter is a hard worker who made one mistake in his life: he received stolen property. Since then he has mended his ways, worked hard and tried to forget it. He owns a nice little business - a motor repairs works. Car driving required.

'JEAN CARTER: Terry's wife, about the same age. She, too, has struggled to forget Terry's mistake. She tries a little too hard to keep Terry up to scratch and eventually learns it's not all as simple as it looks. A highly nervous soul who falls to pieces once things really start to go wrong.

'"MACK" McKENNA: About 50, a somewhat different crook. He has a happy, open face and a smile is his trade mark. He has the slightest trace of an accent, Irish. Mack was chased by Bluey many years ago and had to leave Victoria rather hurriedly for N.S.W. where, because of his lack of knowledge of local conditions, he quickly got himself five years in Long Bay. Car driving required.

'KENNETH JOHN PALMER: A crook, late 30's, a great Lieutenant who knows his limitations and, realising he'll never make General, he is happy to work for Mack.

'DESMOND ARTHUR REED: A crook, early 30's. Palmer's "Sergeant". Happy in his service.

'DETECTIVE RAY NOBLE: Mid-30's, a member of the Homicide Squad who likes Bluey and works well with him - but with his happy disposition, Noble works in well with everyone.

'BARMAN: An efficient Barman who enjoys an association with the criminal element. One gets the impression he'll be a member of them one day.

'SERGEANT ROLLEY: A member of the Electronics Squad of the police force. Young, keen, efficient.

'BOY: A young kid who can ride a skateboard.

'ARSON SQUAD DETECTIVE: Been in the force a long time. Easy-going. Knows you can't win 'em all and is happy with those wins he does have.

'NON-SPEAKING DRIVER: A uniformed policeman who drives the Mobile Detection unit attached to the Electronics Department. Car driving required.

'MAXIE CHAMBERS: A crook heavily involved in the stolen car racket. We never see his face. Car driving required.

'PLAINCLOTHES POLICEMAN: Young. Must look like a policeman.

'VOICE OVER:

'RADIO ANNOUNCER:

'CONTROL: Attached to the Electronics Department of the police.'

'Fear! Terror, stark and real - and it's always there! There when you lie sleepless at two in the morning. There when day finally breaks. There when you try to force down lunch. There when you are alone at sunset, waiting. Fear! The legitimate fear that the man you love could die - ripped apart by a felon's bullet. And he could die today!

'Jo, Detective Gary Dawson's girlfriend, lives with such a horror. She loves Gary. She wants him. To be a complete person, she needs him. But Bluey wants him as a cop ... and cops die - ripped apart by felons' bullets. Bluey and Jo are on a collision course - and something's got to give.

'If Jo could only find some reason to hate him! Anything! Something she could use to break the bond ... any excuse to get out from under this fear ...

'And then Gary arrives home late ... he's been drinking ... there's lipstick. Is this the chance she has been waiting for? Is this what she really wants?

'Bluey is the only one she can turn to for help. But what help will he be? He wants Gary to remain a cop. And if Bluey wants something he does not fight fair.

'Maybe if she gave Gary just one more chance ... if she overlooked this one lapse ... perhaps Gary's explanation was true - maybe there was nothing in it ...

'And as she worries, Gary cannot help her. He is being held by criminals. He is facing that felon's bullet.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'GREG HOLT: 18-19 Apprentice mechanic for an interstate trucking company. Working class background with a giant sized chip on his shoulder -- though he probably couldn't say why.

'SHARON HOLT: Late teens, early twenties. Greg's older sister. Works as a radio operator with the trucking company.

'GEORGIE DANIELS: Early twenties. The only law worth worrying about as far as Georgie's concerned is the law of the jungle.

'JACK MACMILLAN: Fifties. Owner/Manager of Ajax Hauliers. Good boss and a nice bloke into the bargain.

'ARTHUR FERRIS: Fifties. Homicide Inspector. Old acquaintance of Bluey's and Monica's.

'LENNIE: Late teens. Member of the gang. Completely dominated by Georgie.

'SEMI DRIVER (JIMMY): Killed in teaser. (SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE ARTICULATED VEHICLE.)

'EXTRAS: Bar 3

'CAB DRIVER: (Actual)

'POLICE CAR DRIVER:

'V.O. # 1 - BERNIE: V.O. Only

'V.O. # 2 - HARRY: V.O. Only.'

'Not many crims hold out against Bluey's style of interrogation. Muley has. For three endless days. Bluey, and everybody else at Russell Street, counts it as one of his rare failures.

'Now there's a robbery planned in the district where Bluey was born and raised - his patch. And Bluey, needing very little provocation, gets his second chance to crack Muley. This time he's determined to succeed, no matter how many rules he has to break.

'Gary feels that Bluey's obsession with Muley may be affecting his judgement. He follows a different course to Bluey and comes up with a different conclusion. Who is right?'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'"MULEY" (THOMAS JOHN PRICE): Drives. Late forties. Tough crim, came up the hard way. Some brains. Has a hidden weak streak.

'PORGY BEAUMONT: Early thirties. Smart, hard, handsome, ambitious crim.

'ALSIE THOMAS: Early twenties. Smart, hard, cheap-pretty, ambitious crim's girl.

'SAMMY PARSONS: Early fifties. Cunning little card dealer type, courteous and cowardly.

'BARBRA PRICE [sic]: Thirtyish. Nice looking, not real bright, needs loving.

'NIPPER REED: Fortyish. One of Muley's boys. Ex-jockey.

'REX HARRIS: Fortyish. Another of Muley's boys. Tall, tough, but not such a bad bloke for a crim.

'DAVE BROWN: Mid-thirties. Stolid. Inspires faith. The man closest to Muley.

'YOUNG BARMAN (ALBERT): Late twenties. Dark, silent type. Interesting to women.

'UNIFORMED SENIOR: Fortyish. Friendly natured, fatherly sort of bloke.

'NIGHT SISTER: Mid-twenties. Friendly. (Couple of lines.)

'MATRON: Fifty. Unfriendly. No lines.

'OLD WOMAN: No lines.

'OLD MAN DRINKING: No lines.

'MYSTERY GUNMAN: Stunt driver.

'MAN PEDESTRIAN: No lines.

'WOMAN PEDESTRIAN: No lines.

'UNIFORMED CONSTABLE:

'UNIFORMED CONSTABLE EXTRAS (4)

'BAR EXTRAS.'

'Detective Sergeant Bluey Hills has been transferred in and out of every branch of the Police Force. He is as rough-as-guts, master of every trick in the book and a few that aren't even in there yet. Is it any wonder he is called in when David McIntyre, a second generation policeman, is blasted to death as he turned the key in the ignition of his car.

'It is Bluey's first job since transfers have left him with no alternative but to form his own department - Department B - "B" for BLUEY, hidden away in the basement of Russell Street Police Headquarters.

'Bluey's task is seemingly complicated by his new assistant, Detective Gary Dawson. Gary, in spite of the fact that he is a top graduate of the Police Academy, arrives late for work the first day and, much to Bluey's disgust, quickly displays a fetish to dot every "I" and cross every "T".

'In spite of this handicap, Bluey launches himself headlong into the investigation. He turns up a bikie who was heard threatening the dead McIntyre. He uncovers a possible case of mistaken identity. He clashes with a belligerent club-owner named Petrakis and discovers an associate of Petrakis, Martin Gruman, has something to hide.

'A savage assault on Gruman's girlfriend, Karen Wallace, further compounds the urgency to find the killer before other people die violently.

'Frustrated by Bluey's failure to immediately bring the assassin to justice, McIntyre's father, now retired from the Force, takes matters into his own hands and starts a private investigation. And McIntyre Senior's experience is vast enough to keep him uncomfortably close to Bluey all the way through the inquiry. In fact, it develops into a neck and neck struggle to see who will unmask the killer first - or, if indeed either of them will before the murderer makes good his escape from the country.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

One of the scripts for this episode (the copy modified to reflect a Melbourne setting) held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes:

'TRUSCOTT: Forties, forgettable, a highly talented undercover cop who has become an accepted part of the crim scene. One passion in life. Fishing. DRIVES.

'PETRAKIS: Forties, Greek, a successful businessman who has made his pile out of gaming and girls. No "Mr. Big". A seasoned professional who does what has to be done.

'GEORGE FOWLER: Thirtyish, tough, a thoroughly nasty, personal assistant and standover man for Petrakis. He may have some good points, but we don't get around to seeing them. DRIVES.

'MARTIN GRUMAN: Forties, a prosperous Jewish clothing manufacturer with two weaknesses - gambling and Karen Wallace.

'KAREN WALLACE: Twenties, attractive, an emotional derelict who has been a gambling club hostess for Petrakis and, on occasions, a fringe benefit for his bigger-spending patrons. That's how she met Martin Gruman.

'"MAC" McINTYRE: About 60, a former policeman-mate of Bluey, retired through ill-health, embittered to the point of obsession by the death of his only son and by the precious few comforts a lifetime of honest police work has won him.

'WAYNE HUMPHRIES: Early twenties, a former bikie builders labourer. Trying to go straight, but you'd never know. RIDES A MOTOR CYCLE.

'MR GOLDMAN: Jo's father. In the rag trade. Does not approve of Jo's taste in the choice of gear in her Jeans Boutique. A pleasant straight concerned father. DRIVES.

'TIM: An effeminate helper in Jo's shop.

'ANNIE: Was to have been old Mac's daughter-in-law, which will now never happen. In total sympathy with Mac, and a strength for him.

'MRS. GRUMAN: A traditional Jewish wife. Has possibly known of Gruman's association with Karen Wallace, but only now has it confirmed.

'CONSTABLE DAVID McINTYRE: Pleasant young constable.'

According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian Television Series, Bluey (and its Sydney-based rival, King's Men) 'constituted an attempt to revive the police genre after the cancellations of Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police'.

Don Storey, in his Classic Australian Television, summarises the program as follows:

Bluey is a maverick cop who breaks every stereotype image. He drinks, smokes and eats to excess, and therefore is rather large, but it is his unusual investigative methods that set him apart. He has bent or broken every rule in the book at some stage, to the point where no-one else wants to work with him. But he gets results, and is therefore too valuable to lose, so the powers-that-be banish him to the basement of Russell Street Police Headquarters where he is set up in his own department, a strategem that keeps him out of the way of other cops.

Moran adds that 'Grills, Diedrich and Nicholson turned in solid performances in the series and the different episodes were generally well paced, providing engaging and satisfying entertainment.'

The program sold well overseas, especially in the United Kingdom. But though it rated well domestically, it was not the success that the Seven Network had hoped for, and was cancelled after 39 episodes.

Bluey had an unexpected revival in the early 1990s when selections from the video footage (over-dubbed with a new vocal track) were presented during the second series of the ABC comedy The Late Show as the fictional police procedural Bargearse. (The Late Show had given ABC gold-rush drama Rush the same treatment in series one.)

The script for this episode held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'INGRID SHCNEIDER [sic]: Ingrid is a "loner". In her early 20's She [sic] has come to terms with her self-imposed isolation. In the presence of those she does not know well she withdraws completely-except in the case of Andy. With him, because of his reticence, she has an immediate affinity.

'MR SCHNIEDER: Ingrid's father. He also has condemned himself to a life of loneliness but unlike his daughter he is not uneasy in the presence of others. He is a determined man and would never shirk a responsibility or dodge a fight. His accent is only very slight and his exactness in speech is probably the most obvious clue to his German background.

'ROY MARTIN: About 40, a bit of a born loser. He has never made it as a farmer or anything else for that matter. His slovenliness is mirrored in the state of his farm, his equipment, even in his philosophy of life and outlook.

'MURRAY SLATER: A farmer, about Martin's age, who has managed to make a go of things. He likes to take things easy and enjoys nothing more than a day (or night) out with the boys.

'Car driving required.

'COL TURNER: A little older than Martin and Slater. He likes to crack a joke. He has a generous mid section that laughs with him at his own and others' quips.

'VERN HORTON: A farmer like his mates. He is the quiet one of the group. He sees the world through slightly more serious eyes than his friends. he [sic] is the oldest of the hunters.

'ANDY: Old, wiry and tough. He has a beard. His only real mate is his dog. It is not that the world has rejected him, he got in first and rejected it. He is not usually given to talking but does open up a bit to a kindred soul like Ingrid.

'NELL KENNEDY: Established character.

'RENE MARTIN: She has lived with her husband, Roy, long enough to have grown into his slovenly ways. She dressed untidily (as much through economic necessity as through choice.) and probably has a bit of a weight problem.

'EDGAR: The town drunk. An established character.

'DELIVERY MAN: Like all country mail and delivery men, always late and always on the run.

'Car driving required.

'FARMER'S WIFE Probably old and excitable - she is only seen in silhouette.

'DOG'.

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'BILLY DELANEY: Late thirties. Live-wire braggart, showman, bull-dust artist. Sometime stockman, sometime rodeo rider, rouseabout jack of all trades, master of none etc. Billy's a man with a past and somewhere in the last ten years of travelling he's lost his nerve - not just the nerve to climb the chute rails of small town rodeos, something more than that. Billy's lost faith in himself and whether he knows it or not he's running.

'JAMES MACREADIE: Late thirties. Big fish in a little pond. Macreadie has property running into thousands of acres. Local councillor committeeman, [sic] Rotarian and the rest of it. He's clawed his way from success to success and spent the last couple of years trying to whitewash it with respectability.

'MERV PIPER: Forties. Macreadie's manager and an old arch-enemy of Billy's. Tough, hard-bitten.

'CORA PIPER: Forties. Billy's sister-in-law. Hard-nosed and bitchy. Completely unsympathetic to Billy.

'BIRDIE WATTS: Late fifties. Ex-jockey, yardman. Remembers the Billy of old and is determined not to let him forget it.

'ED HARTLEY: Fifties. Elderly rodeo committee member. Rural background.

'HERB CURRIE: Forties. Local by-laws officer. Physically big. Herb had a small trucking business in Melbourne before selling out and moving to Matlock and the good life. The by-laws position suits him down to the ground, adding that touch of formal authority to an aggressive, bullying nature.

'C.F.A. OFFICER: Head of the local volunteer brigade.

'BAR EXTRAS:

'COMMITTEE MEMBERS'.

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'MRS. FOLEY: In her mid-forties. She looks frail and worn and ordinary. She has had a hard life, and there is no relief in sight. The one thing that helps her overcome the drabness of her existence is her firm conviction that she has the gift of clairvoyance and telepathy. She feels 'selected' 'chosen'. She believes she loves her invalid daughter, but subconsciously she rejects her, and blames her for much of her own misery.

'SIMONE FOLEY: Twenty years old. Confined to a wheelchair. To some extent one could say she is a telepathist: she senses her mother's rejection. Cut off from all outside contact for years, and exposed to her mother's personality, she is on the verge of a mental breakdown.

'RAPLH DONALDSON: About sixty. Well-to-do beef farmer. At first sight he appears a jovial magnanimous bloke, always ready to lend a hand. Underneath it all he is intolerant and superstitious. Though he at first maintains Mrs. Foley has no supernatural powers, he actually believes she does possess them. He is afraid of appearing ridiculous.

'TONY WALLACE: Matlock Brigade captain.'

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'CHRIS RAPP: 19-21. Male model looks with aspirations, mainly in the direction of money. He uses both Jill and Pru. Cold-blooded and amoral. Must drive.

'JILL FERRIS: 30-32. Extremely attractive divorcee who runs a small talent agency. Has fallen in love with Chris and is totally blind to his true character.

'RON BRYANT: 18-20. A rough young man with no brains and no finesse.

'PRU TURNER: 17-18. A gum chewing bopper. Sexy and unintelligent.

'DIXIE PALMER: 30-50. A professional fence. He doesn't like fizzing, but feels that Chris, etc., are doing the profession irreputable [sic] damage.

'CARLA: Jill's Girl Friday. Attractive and competent looking.

'OLD LADY: 60-70. A few lines. The victim of a brutal assault.

'BOUTIQUE OWNER: Female. 30. Snooty.'

Another Crawford Productions soap opera, The Box was set in a Melbourne television-production studio. According to Moran, in his Guide to Australian Television Series:

The setting for the continuous drama was a television station populated by a series of familiar types. These included Sir Henry Usher, chairman of the company; Max Knight, the harrassed station manager; Tony Wild, the egotistical star of the station's on-air detective series; the inevitable tea lady; Paul Donovan, a harrassed station executive, and many others. Most memorable of all was a wonderful bitch-figure in the person of reporter Vicki Stafford.

Like Number 96, The Box was designed for a late-night timeslot, and so focused on 'adult themes', including adultery and bisexuality.

Moran also suggests that The Box was 'very important to Crawford's in generating a cash flow at a time when they were losing the contracts on their police dramas' and that writers used the character of television police officer Tony Wild as 'an opportunity to settle the books against the egotism of some of the actors in Crawford's police series'.