Bluey
Encyclopedia
Bluey is an Australia
n television
series made by Crawford Productions
for the Seven Network
in 1976.
The series was another crime TV series from Crawford Productions, but was different from previous series - Homicide, Division 4
, Matlock Police
- in that it focused on a single detective rather than an ensemble, and that the characters were not stock standard archetypes usually seen in police dramas. Stand-up comedian Lucky Grills was cast as the titular Det. Sgt. "Bluey" Hills.
The series was set at Melbourne's Russell Street Police Headquarters, with "Bluey" Hills heading his own squad ("Department B"), due to his inability to work within the existing police squads. Department B was given cases which the other departments could not readily solve by conventional means, with Hills applying his unconventional methods to bring about their resolution.
Bluey was supported in his investigations by newly-assigned Det. Gary Dawson (John Diedrich) long-time cohort Sgt. Monica Rourke (Gerda Nicolson
), and undercover officer Det. Sgt. Reg Truscott (Terry Gill), who spent his time ostensibly working as a small-time burglar, and supplying Bluey with information on the activities of local criminals. Victoria Quilter also featured in early episodes as Dawson's girlfriend Jo Goldman, later replaced by Merica Deane-Johns as Debbie Morley.
Unlike the relatively straight detectives seen in previous Crawford TV dramas, "Bluey" Hills was obese, drank heavily (even on duty), smoked heavily, visited local prostitutes, and would often enact physical violence to criminals.
Whilst a constant thorn in the side of the Assistant Commissioner (Ken Goodlet) and Superintendent (Fred Parslow), Bluey's methods were highly effective - while other squads didn't want him as a part of their team, they still sought him out when they couldn't get the job done.
Unlike other Australian TV series where it was common practice to shoot interior scenes on 2" quad videotape and outdoor shots on film, the series was entirely shot on colour film. The final episode "Son Of Bluey" featured an appearance by actor Don Barker as Det. Sgt. Harry White - the same character he played in "Homicide". Grills featured as himself in an episode of the Crawfords sit-com "Bobby Dazzler", as a telethon guest, where reference was made to his role in "Bluey".
Although the show only lasted for one year, Bluey found a new audience almost two decades later when dubbed clips from the show formed the basis for the popular The Late Show
sketch "Bargearse". Another enduring element, the theme music
, is now best associated with the Nine Network
's cricket
broadcasts.
Lucky Grills died on July 27, 2007, Gerda Nicholson on June 12, 1992. As a result of commentary on the Bargearse DVD release, Victoria Quilter is listed on several Internet sites - including IMDb - as being officially listed as a "missing person". As with so much "official" information on the Internet, this is completely inaccurate - as of October 2010, she was alive and well and living in Sydney...
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series made by Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions is an Australian television production company founded by Hector Crawford; the present incarnation of the company, Crawfords Australia, is now a subsidiary of the WIN television corporation.-History:...
for the Seven Network
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...
in 1976.
The series was another crime TV series from Crawford Productions, but was different from previous series - Homicide, Division 4
Division 4
Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes....
, Matlock Police
Matlock Police
Matlock Police was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1971 and 1975....
- in that it focused on a single detective rather than an ensemble, and that the characters were not stock standard archetypes usually seen in police dramas. Stand-up comedian Lucky Grills was cast as the titular Det. Sgt. "Bluey" Hills.
The series was set at Melbourne's Russell Street Police Headquarters, with "Bluey" Hills heading his own squad ("Department B"), due to his inability to work within the existing police squads. Department B was given cases which the other departments could not readily solve by conventional means, with Hills applying his unconventional methods to bring about their resolution.
Bluey was supported in his investigations by newly-assigned Det. Gary Dawson (John Diedrich) long-time cohort Sgt. Monica Rourke (Gerda Nicolson
Gerda Nicolson
Gerda Nicolson, was an Australian theatre and television actor best known for several long-running television roles....
), and undercover officer Det. Sgt. Reg Truscott (Terry Gill), who spent his time ostensibly working as a small-time burglar, and supplying Bluey with information on the activities of local criminals. Victoria Quilter also featured in early episodes as Dawson's girlfriend Jo Goldman, later replaced by Merica Deane-Johns as Debbie Morley.
Unlike the relatively straight detectives seen in previous Crawford TV dramas, "Bluey" Hills was obese, drank heavily (even on duty), smoked heavily, visited local prostitutes, and would often enact physical violence to criminals.
Whilst a constant thorn in the side of the Assistant Commissioner (Ken Goodlet) and Superintendent (Fred Parslow), Bluey's methods were highly effective - while other squads didn't want him as a part of their team, they still sought him out when they couldn't get the job done.
Unlike other Australian TV series where it was common practice to shoot interior scenes on 2" quad videotape and outdoor shots on film, the series was entirely shot on colour film. The final episode "Son Of Bluey" featured an appearance by actor Don Barker as Det. Sgt. Harry White - the same character he played in "Homicide". Grills featured as himself in an episode of the Crawfords sit-com "Bobby Dazzler", as a telethon guest, where reference was made to his role in "Bluey".
Although the show only lasted for one year, Bluey found a new audience almost two decades later when dubbed clips from the show formed the basis for the popular The Late Show
The Late Show (Australian TV series)
The Late Show was a popular Australian comedy show, which ran for two seasons on ABC from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.-Cast:The Late Show has its roots in the 1980s comedy group, The D-Generation...
sketch "Bargearse". Another enduring element, the theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, is now best associated with the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
broadcasts.
Lucky Grills died on July 27, 2007, Gerda Nicholson on June 12, 1992. As a result of commentary on the Bargearse DVD release, Victoria Quilter is listed on several Internet sites - including IMDb - as being officially listed as a "missing person". As with so much "official" information on the Internet, this is completely inaccurate - as of October 2010, she was alive and well and living in Sydney...