Matlock Police
Encyclopedia
Matlock Police was an Australia
n television
police
drama series made by Crawford Productions
for the 0-10 Network (now known as the Ten Network) between 1971 and 1975.
The series was the 0-10 Network's attempt to come up with a police show to rival Homicide (shown by the Seven Network
) and Division 4
(on the Nine Network
). Matlock Police was different from its inner-city based predecessors by being set in a small country town, the fictional Matlock, Victoria
(a real Matlock
does exist in Victoria, but it is much smaller than the town depicted by this series (which is loosely based on Shepparton)). Series writers had a reference manual giving full details of the town’s geography, amenities, social structure, etc., as well as that of the surrounding area - neighbouring towns included Wilga, Chinaman's Creek, Possum's Creek and Burrabri, and there was an offshoot of the Great Dividing Range
called the Candowies. The town's colourful history included the local Aboriginal
tribe (the ‘Bangerang’), the town founder (George Matlock), a gold rush
, a bushranger
(‘Holy’ Joe Cooper - so called for his theft of a shipment of holey dollars and because he was a preacher) and a town patriarchy (the Falconers). About the only landmark the Matlock district lacked for dramatic purposes was a beach.
The first episode was broadcast in Melbourne
on 22 February 1971. Initially filmed in black and white, the series switched to colour in episode 162. Matlock Police was cancelled in 1975 after 229 episodes had been produced (while the final episode is numbered 228, an earlier episode had an A suffix, making a total of 229).
The series focused on the police station and crime in Matlock and the surrounding district. Also explored was the backgrounds and personal lives of the main policemen:
A notable guest star was George Lazenby
who appeared in a 1974 episode "In the Name of the Queen." Other noted Australian actors who made appearances on the series include Andrew McFarlane (in his TV debut), Maurie Fields
, Jack Thompson
and Sigrid Thornton
.
After the series ended the character of Gary Hogan was spun off into new series Solo One which lasted one season.
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...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
drama 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 0-10 Network (now known as the Ten Network) between 1971 and 1975.
The series was the 0-10 Network's attempt to come up with a police show to rival Homicide (shown by 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...
) and 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....
(on 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...
). Matlock Police was different from its inner-city based predecessors by being set in a small country town, the fictional Matlock, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
(a real Matlock
Matlock, Victoria
Matlock is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Warburton - Woods Point Road, in the Shire of Mansfield.The town began after gold was discovered in 1863...
does exist in Victoria, but it is much smaller than the town depicted by this series (which is loosely based on Shepparton)). Series writers had a reference manual giving full details of the town’s geography, amenities, social structure, etc., as well as that of the surrounding area - neighbouring towns included Wilga, Chinaman's Creek, Possum's Creek and Burrabri, and there was an offshoot of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
called the Candowies. The town's colourful history included the local Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
tribe (the ‘Bangerang’), the town founder (George Matlock), a gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
, a bushranger
Bushranger
Bushrangers, or bush rangers, originally referred to runaway convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who had the survival skills necessary to use the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities...
(‘Holy’ Joe Cooper - so called for his theft of a shipment of holey dollars and because he was a preacher) and a town patriarchy (the Falconers). About the only landmark the Matlock district lacked for dramatic purposes was a beach.
The first episode was broadcast in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 22 February 1971. Initially filmed in black and white, the series switched to colour in episode 162. Matlock Police was cancelled in 1975 after 229 episodes had been produced (while the final episode is numbered 228, an earlier episode had an A suffix, making a total of 229).
The series focused on the police station and crime in Matlock and the surrounding district. Also explored was the backgrounds and personal lives of the main policemen:
- Detective Sergeant (later Detective Senior Sergeant) Vic Maddern (Michael PateMichael PateMichael Pate was an Australian actor, writer and director.-Early life:He was born Edward John Pate in Drummoyne, Sydney...
), head of Matlock's C.I. (Criminal Investigation) Branch, who grew up in the Matlock district and is an accomplished bushman and career cop (apart from a spell in the army where he fought in KoreaKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
). Aged in his forties, Maddern is divorced and has two children (his wife Kay is moving out in the first episodes). Dedicated, with an authoritative personality and a direct approach to his work, Maddern is well respected in the town. Maddern is eventually shot and severely wounded in mountainous bushland while pursuing small-time cattle-duffersCattle raidingCattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
and is evacuated to Melbourne for treatment (episode 192, "Have A Good Weekend"). Dialogue in later episodes indicates that he is recovering from his wounds, but will probably be transferred to a Melbourne squad once out of hospital. - Senior Detective Alan Curtis (Grigor TaylorGrigor TaylorGrigor Taylor is an Australian actor, best known for his parts in several television series including Matlock Police and Glenview High....
), aged in his mid-20’s, who has just arrived in Matlock from Melbourne and is essentially a city boy, sent to his first country posting against his will. Curtis eventually adapts to country life, and his character and abilities develop as he becomes more experienced in his new situation. He is eventually promoted to Detective Sergeant and transferred back to Melbourne (episode 99, "Dingo Hunter"). - Sergeant (later Senior Sergeant) Bert Kennedy (Vic Gordon), head of the Uniform Branch, an Englishman who migrated to Australia in 1950. Kennedy is thorough but also easy-going with a good sense of humour. Married to Nell, who is a very good cook, Kennedy enjoys the country life in Matlock so much that he has knocked back promotion to avoid moving to Melbourne.
- Senior Constable Gary Hogan (Paul CroninPaul CroninPaul Cronin is an Australian actor who has played iconic roles in the Australian television series Matlock Police and The Sullivans.-Personal Life:...
), about 30, a friendly, easy-going person who grew up in the country, and is always willing to help in whatever work is going, who performs a wide variety of duties but usually works as a highway patrolman. His motorcycle has a radio attached to it (callsign 'Solo One') - a case of dramatic licence by Crawfords (normally very faithful to police procedure) as police motorbikes at the time were not equipped with radios. In the final episode, "The Curse of the Bangarang Prince", Hogan is notified of a posting to the town of EmeraldEmerald, VictoriaEmerald is a town and semi-rural locality in the Greater Melbourne area, Victoria, Australia, 44 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district, outside the urban area. Its Local Government Area are the Shires of Cardinia and Yarra Ranges...
- the setting for his spinoffSpin-off (media)In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series Solo OneSolo OneSolo One is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network and screened in 1976. There were 13 half hour episodes....
. - Senior Detective Steve York (Tom RichardsTom Richards (actor)Tom Richards is an Australian actor, best known for his appearances on television.He played Detective Steve York in Matlock Police during the 1970s and during the 1980s starred in the soap opera Sons and Daughters as David Palmer, for which he is probably best known...
), a young detective transferred to Matlock to replace Curtis (episode 100, "Bedlam"), who is a bit unorthodox, a bit headstrong, and a bit of a rebel and ladies' man. - Detective Sergeant Jack Maloney (Peter Gwynne), transferred to Matlock from another country town to replace Maddern as head of the C.I. Branch (episode 196, "Welcome To Matlock"). In his mid-forties, married to a much younger wife and with two children, Maloney is a friendly person with a warm personality, a dry sense of humour, a pilot's license and a sympathetic streak who comes down hard on criminals when necessary.
A notable guest star was George Lazenby
George Lazenby
George Robert Lazenby is an Australian actor and former model, best known for portraying James Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.-Early life:...
who appeared in a 1974 episode "In the Name of the Queen." Other noted Australian actors who made appearances on the series include Andrew McFarlane (in his TV debut), Maurie Fields
Maurie Fields
Maurie Fields was an Australian actor, vaudeville performer and stand-up comedian. He became a well-known face on television thanks to his dramatic roles in Bellbird, The Box, Prisoner and The Flying Doctors...
, Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson may refer to:*Jack Thompson , American boxer*Jack Thompson , Australian film and television star*Jack Thompson , disbarred Florida attorney...
and Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton
Sigrid Thornton is an Australian multi-award winning actress.-Early years:Thornton was born in Canberra, the daughter of Merle, a teacher of women's studies and writer, and Neil Thornton, an academic. She spent most of her formative years growing up and attending school at St. Peter's Lutheran...
.
After the series ended the character of Gary Hogan was spun off into new series Solo One which lasted one season.