Blue Heelers (season 8)
Encyclopedia
The eighth season of the Australian police-drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network
on 21 February 2001 and aired on Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM. The 41-episode season concluded 28 November 2001.
Notable guest actors who appeared in this season included Carol Burns
, Richard Cawthorne, Norman Yemm
, Val Lehman
, David Clencie, Simon Burke
, Terry Gill
, Alethea McGrath
, Gary Sweet
, Rhys Muldoon
, Gary Day
, Lisa Crittenden
, Julia Blake
, Alan Hopgood
, Gerard Kennedy
, Lesley Baker
and Kirsty Child
.
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
on 21 February 2001 and aired on Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM. The 41-episode season concluded 28 November 2001.
Casting
Main cast for this season consisted of:- John WoodJohn Wood (Australian actor)John Wood is a Gold Logie Award-winning Australian actor, best known for his role as Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon in the Seven Network's long running police drama Blue Heelers.-TV career:...
as Sergeant Tom CroydonTom CroydonThomas Arthur Croydon is a fictional character in the long running Australian television police drama Blue Heelers. He is one of two characters to appear in all thirteen seasons, 1994 to 2006, and is an original character...
[full season] - Julie NihillJulie NihillJulie Nihill is an Australian actress.-Biography:After early roles in 1980s soap operas such as The Young Doctors, Prisoner and Sons and Daughters and the miniseries Bodyline .Nihill was cast in the role for which she became a household face: as bartender and local councilor Chris...
as Christine 'Chris' RileyChris Riley (Blue Heelers character)Councillor Christine Bridget "Chris" Riley is a fictional character in the long running police show Blue Heelers played by Julie Nihill. She is one of only two characters who were in the show from 1994 to 2006. She is good friends with Tom Croydon and his late wife Nell....
[full season] - Martin SacksMartin SacksMartin Colin Sacks is an award-winning Australian actor, chiefly known for his 12-year role on Blue Heelers from 1993–2005.-Career:...
as DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Senior Constable Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' HashamPatrick Joseph 'P.J.' HashamP.J. was a fictional character in Australia's police series Blue Heelers.He was an original character in 1994 and left in 2005.He was portrayed by Martin Sacks....
[full season] - Paul BishopPaul BishopPaul Bishop is an author and a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department with the current rank of Detective III. He is also a writer with numerous published novels and produced episodes of episodic television and feature film scripts...
as Senior Constable Benjamin 'Ben' StewartBenjamin 'Ben' StewartBenjamin 'dog' Stewart was a fictional character in the long running police series Blue Heelers. He was portrayed by Paul Bishop.He came into the series in the middle of season 5 as a guest before coming back to the series as a full time cast member of the show and stayed from season 5-season 11...
[full season] - Rupert ReidRupert ReidRupert Reid is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Declan on the Australian TV show Heartbreak High and later, Constable Jack Lawson on the Australian TV show Blue Heelers from 1999 to 2001.- Filmography :...
as Constable Jack Lawson [until Episode 313] - Jane AllsopJane AllsopJane Claire Allsop is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Jo Parrish on Blue Heelers.-Personal life:...
as Constable Jo ParrishJo ParrishJoanna "Jo" Parrish was a fictional character on the Australian police series Blue Heelers. She arrived in 1999 and left in 2004 when she was killed in an explosion.She was portrayed by Jane Allsop....
[full season] - Ditch DaveyDitch DaveyDitch Davey is an Australian actor.He was born Kristian Lind, but legally changed his name to Ditch when he was 18. Ditch came about because his older sister could not pronounce Christian, so instead she ended up calling him 'Ditchin'...
as Constable Evan 'Jonesy' JonesEvan 'Jonesy' JonesEvan 'Jonesy' Jones is a fictional character from Blue Heelers. He was introduced in 2001 and remained until the show ended in 2006. He was portrayed by Ditch Davey....
[from Episode 316] - Caroline CraigCaroline CraigCaroline Craig is an Australian television and stage actress, and television director, based in Sydney Australia...
as Sergeant Tess GallagherTeresa 'Tess' GallagherTess Gallagher was a Blue Heelers character that lasted from 2000 to 2003. She arrived after Maggie Doyle's death.She arrived as the new Sergeant at Mount Thomas, taking Ben Stewart's assumed position. This and her emotionally withdrawn and critical character initially fuelled animosity between...
[full season]
Notable guest actors who appeared in this season included Carol Burns
Carol Burns
.Carol Burns is an Australian actor. She has worked in film, television and theatre in Australia and the United Kingdom.-Career highlights:...
, Richard Cawthorne, Norman Yemm
Norman Yemm
Norman Yemm is an Australian actor who is probably best known for his long-running role as Norm Baker in the television drama The Sullivans....
, Val Lehman
Val Lehman
Val Lehman is an Australian actress, best known for her role as top dog Bea Smith in the Australian series Prisoner...
, David Clencie, Simon Burke
Simon Burke
Simon Burke is an Australian actor. Burke began his acting career as a 13 year-old in the Australian film, The Devil's Playground for which he was awarded Best Actor at the 1976 Australian Film Institute Awards....
, Terry Gill
Terry Gill
Terry Gill is a British-born actor who carved a nichè in Australian television playing police officers.He was a recurring cast member in the women's prison drama Prisoner as Det. Insp. Jack Grace, a regular cast member as Sgt...
, Alethea McGrath
Alethea McGrath
Alethea McGrath is an Australian actress who played the role of Jocasta Nu in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. She is also widely known for her roles on television, playing Dot Farrar in Prisoner and two parts in Neighbours: Mary Crombie from 1989 to 1990 and Lilly Madigan in 1998...
, Gary Sweet
Gary Sweet
Gary Sweet is an Australian film and television actor known for his roles in Alexandra's Project , Police Rescue, Cody, Big Sky, The Battlers, Bodyline and Stingers....
, Rhys Muldoon
Rhys Muldoon
Rhys Muldoon is an Australian actor, writer and director who has worked extensively in film, television, theatre and radio.-Television:...
, Gary Day
Gary Day (actor)
Gary Day is an actor who has appeared in Australian television police drama series, including Homicide and Murder Call.- Television :Day worked as a male model and appeared in several television commercials...
, Lisa Crittenden
Lisa Crittenden
Lisa Crittenden is an Australian actress, noted for her roles in various television series, such as The Restless Years , The Sullivans , Prisoner , Sons and Daughters and the New Zealand produced Shortland Street .She also played a lead role in mini-series Whose Baby? and...
, Julia Blake
Julia Blake
Julia Blake is a British-born actress based in Australia.Blake was born in London, England. She is married to Terry Norris. She is the mother of actresses Sarah and Jane Norris....
, Alan Hopgood
Alan Hopgood
Alan Hopgood is an Australian actor and writer.He is a graduate of the University of Melbourne. Hopgood's first very successful play was And the Big Men Fly in 1963. It was adapted for TV by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1973...
, Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy (actor)
Gerard Kennedy is an Australian actor and two-time Gold Logie winner. He played six different characters in guest appearances in Homicide, all in 1966...
, Lesley Baker
Lesley Baker
Lesley Baker is an Australian actress, singer, dancer and comedienne.She is best known for her roles as hulking husband basher Monica Ferguson in Prisoner and Angie Rebecchi in Neighbours.-Filmography:...
and Kirsty Child
Kirsty Child
Kirsty Child is an Australian actress, best known for playing three roles in the cult drama Prisoner. She played two guest roles – prison officer turned drug dealer Anne Yates in 1979, and Glynis Johnson, the sister of an inmate, in 1983. In 1985 she played a more prominent part in the series as...
.
Plot
Jack beginning to get the hang of his legs again after the 5% operation became a Success! and Tess begins to have feelings for Jack up to a point where they start a Secret Relationship in episode Manly Art. there Relationship was going somewhere until a case comes up about an old time drug dealer who just got out of prison and Jack begins to put his Emotions in front of the job and will do anything to get his own justice.Jack is suspect for murder by Killy the drug dealer he recalls scum and Tess says one of them should get a Transfer to st Davids because they could never work together if they can't trust one and other. Jack then admits he could have saved the guy but instead watched him slowly fall to his death Jack is then charged and is quickly Dismissed from the force while Tess is feeling sad the members are disappointed by the fact he did kill the guy and didn't admit the truth earlier. his last episode the Falling pt2. New probationary Constable Jones has arrived with a secret plot to find out what really happened to his fathers death. and Tess&Jo quickly takes a likeness into him but Tess remembers what happened to her last secret Relationship with Jack and doesn't want to relive that moment so she keeps it to herself and gets on with her job as a sergeant. after all Tess noes not to mix work with play.Reception
Ratings in the 8th season began to decline ever so slowly, with many fans feeling that Maggie's absence, or the absence of the so-called "McCune-Factor", (as well as the absence of several other popular characters) and the slightly repetitive storylines were getting in the way of the show's feel.Awards
Episodes
| DVD Season # | Episode # | Title | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Original airdate (Aust.) |
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DVD release
Similarly to the release of Blue Heelers' seventh season, the eight season has also been postponed due to the contractual negotiations but everything has been finalised for a 1 October 2008 release. Like the seventh season, "The Complete Eight Season" will be released as a complete boxset.| The Complete Eighth Season: Part 1 | ||||
| Set Details | Special Features | |||
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| Release Dates | ||||
| 1 October 2008 | ||||
| The Complete Eighth Season: Part 2 | ||||
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| Release Dates | ||||
| 1 October 2008 | ||||
| The Complete Eighth Season | ||||
| Set Details | Special Features | |||
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| Release Dates | ||||
| 1 October 2008 | ||||