Cirrus@Austlit

Two copies of this script exist, one original and one modified; the modifications allowed the production to take advantage of actual flooding at Echuca. One script is written by Jim Stapleton and one by C.F. Barnes. Certain aspects of the scripts, including the character notes, demonstrate that Stapleton's was the original script and Barnes's the modified version (and therefore the version that was ultimately produced).

The alterations to the script between Stapleton and Barnes's versions (see publication details for more information) include alterations to the character lists.

The character notes appended to Stapleton's script reads as follows (omitting the regular characters):

'COOPER: Late 20's. Clean cut, model prisoner. claim's framed. [sic]

'EVANS: 45 - 50. Outdoor type, lawyer.

'CHRIS EVANS: 19 - 20. Wholesome young lass. Likes outdoor sports. Kind.

'MRS EVANS: 45ish. Wife of above, average above middle class wife. Smart dresser.

'HARRY PARKER: 50ish. - Boat and canoe hire business owner, sympathetic type, knows the bush.

'MRS. PARKER: 45ish. Homely, kind type.

'MICHAEL PARKER: 17ish. Nice young lad.

'BRIAN MURPHY: 26ish, good worker, knows farming.

'KATHY: 24ish. Wife of above, quite pretty, good house wife. Pleasant nature.

'CONSTABLE JACK:'

The character notes appended to Barnes's script reads as follows (omitting the regular characters):

'COOPER: Late 20's. Clean cut, model prisoner. Claim's framed. [sic]

'EVANS. 45-30 [sic] Outdoor type. Farmer.

'CHRIS EVANS: 19 - 20 Wholesome young lass. Likes outdoor sports. Kind.

'MRS EVANS: 45ish. Wife of Evans.

'HARRY PARKER: 50ish. Boat and canoe hire business owner, sympathetic type, knows the bush.

'MICHAEL PARKER: 17ish. Nice young lad.

'BRIAN MURPHY: 26ish. Good worker, knows farming.

'KATH MURPHY: 24ish. Wife of above, quite pretty, good housewife. Pleasant nature.

'CONSTABLE REED. Few lines.

'YOUNG COUPLE. No dialogue.

'CONSTABLES (2) Few lines for one of them.

'EXTRA: Bedraggled flood victim, with birdcage (empty)

'ANNOUNCER. V.O. (RADIO BROADCAST.'

When taken in conjunction with the cast list and modifications to the casting call sheets (noted below), these character notes further indicate that it was Barnes's script that was produced, not Stapleton's.

The notes to the manuscripts (under publication details) contain more details on authorship.

The Matlock Police series (originally simply titled Matlock) was commissioned from Crawford Productions by ATV-0, in response to the popularity of rival-network police dramas such as Homicide and Division 4. Crawford's was initially reluctant to create another police series, but ATV-0 pressured the company for some time. Eventually, Ian Jones and Terry Stapleton devised the concept of a regional (Victorian) police series to provide viewers with something different. The more relaxed atmosphere of the country-town setting also allowed the writers to delve into the private lives of the main characters, rather than focusing heavily on big-city organised crime. In this respect, the series was situated somewhere between Homicide/Division 4 and Bellbird. The series did, however, cover typical rural policing, including such issues as break and enters, domestic issues, itinerant workers, brawls, petty crime and robberies, road accidents, the occasional homicide, and cattle rustling. On other occasions, the Matlock police also assisted Melbourne police in locating criminals on the run (among other problems). The idea behind the show was to reflect the causes of crime in a small community and show the effects on both the community and the officers themselves.

The fictional town of Matlock (loosely based on Shepparton in Victoria) is situated inland on the Central Highway, approximately 160 kilometres north of Melbourne. Although the town's population is only seventeen thousand, this increases to around seventy-five thousand when the district is included. The Matlock Police Station is typical of a Victorian country town, with a Uniform Branch and a Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). The CIB is headed by Detective Sergeant Vic Maddern, who grew up in the Matlock district and is an accomplished bushman. Second in command is Detective Allan Curtis, aged in his mid-twenties. Previously from Melbourne, Curtis has just been sent to his first country posting (against his will) when the series begins. Head of the Uniform Branch is Sergeant Bert Kennedy, an Englishman who migrated to Australia in 1950. A thorough but also easy-going man with a good sense of humour, Kennedy is married to Nell and enjoys the country life in Matlock, so much so that he has knocked back promotion to avoid moving to Melbourne. Several constables are attached to the Uniform Branch, but the most prominent is a motorcycle cop, Constable Gary Hogan, who performs a wide variety of duties. Hogan is about thirty, a friendly, easy-going person who grew up in the country and is always willing to help in whatever work is going.