Blue Heelers (1994–2006) User Reviews

Definitely went down hill after Jo died.

[davidnv · 7/10 · 11 February 2022]

Overall I like the show however there are a number of things I did not like.

1. Each of the male cops at one time or another went all emotional and thought went out the window. Often grabbing a suspect, shaking them, yelling at them, oh-so-certain that person was guilty and then they turn out to be wrong. 2. The younger guys always seem to be on the make. This causes them to get involved with women they came in contact with as victims or suspects in an inappropriate manner. These two factors have me saying over and over "How stupid can you get?" 3. When someone leaves it is either with a bit of a cloud over them or they die.

I think what really caused the show to drop was Jo was killed and Tom, the head cop, goes to the dark side. The whole series is worth watching but your satisfaction for each episode will drop as you go along.

Love this show, Want to slap Jo

[b_clerkin · 8/10 · 27 August 2021]

I've been binging on cop shows from all over the world and found this show after watching all of Water Rats, City Homicide, Rush, etc. This has the most episodes and I watch a season at time, enjoying the events in Mount Thomas, learning about Australia and growing fond of all the characters- except Jo.

She is the most annoying, entitled, spoiled, smug, judgemental arrogant brat and has no respect for anyone. She has to argue, defy orders, whine when she can't get her way and is reluctant to take responsibility for her own stupidity and thinks she knows everything-and she is manipulative and the moost selfish cop I've ever seen who was not a villian. I am only in Season Nine and I expect her to get even more obnoxious.

Good hearted Aussie Series

[irenecooney-50762 · 8/10 · 20 February 2023]

I was somewhat broken hearted when Lisa McCune left the series. She was a talented actor with a beautiful soft voice. She had great facial expression and the love story between Maggie and PJ was well acted and believable. They have the ability along with John Wood to portray the most convincing characters without over acting. John Wood as Tom Croydon is the foundation of the series with his warm, father knows best attitude, he kept his crew in order during turbulent times. Judy Nihill as Chrissy balanced out the coppers with her down to earth small town personality. When Caroline Craig and Ditch Davey arrived there seemed to be so much over the top shouting and emotionalism. The writing lost its sophistication and became over the top soap opera. I found myself frustrated with these characters and felt the story writing was losing it's complexity and the stories were far fetched and somewhat ridiculous. I've grown to like Jane Allsop as Jo Parrish. I'm committed to watching till the end but the character of Evan Jones has gone off the top in emotionalism. He is pushy with anger management issues. He has the always available shoulder to cry on, he is annoying. Simone McAullay as Suzie Raynor lacks any depth to be convincing. As wokism took over creativity, the writing started to suffer. Too much feeling and not enough common sense and wit.

Wow, it grows on you!

[minavagante · 25 July 2002]

BH is broadcast in Italy by a second-class network that airs every episode three times a day (at breakfast, lunch and in the night) to make the most of it, and which recently made news because of the high ratings of their "Bonanza" repeats (go figure!!).

So, at first I wasn't surprised to find a series like this on the channel, because when you first look at it it looks poor, drab, dreary and totally 80's styled, like a bad remainder from the bargain bin.

At the same time I became totally addicted with "Murder Call", to the point of waking at 6AM during weekends just to watch it, and when it dawned on me it was the same production company I simply had to find out what was causing this gap.

After careful study, I have to say that there is no real "gap": yes, you can see more money being thrown in MC, but at the same time the series have such different settings that BH is definitely making a choice, and their choice is to be real. Yes, a lot happens in Mt.Thomas for such a small place, but you also see the policemen spending most of their days networking in the community, accompanying witnesses home and filing, and this is very real. The actors look ordinary, but this just adds to the greatness of BH, because would you believe a model serving as a PC in Mt.Thomas?

And you can see no one was hired for their looks, but for their talent instead: all the actors manage to deliver a lot, from the divertissement episodes (ie: The beauty pageant) to the more dramatic ones. Not to mention the Maggie-PJ chemistry, where their performances are perfect beyond belief.

The writing in this show is great, and the dialogues are as real as you can get. Another great point is that every few episodes there's a very "pervy" storyline, like the ones you can experience in Murder Call, and they are always a work of convoluted genius.

Need I say I became addicted to this show as well? Definitely worth a try!

Love this show

[drob1012 · 10/10 · 12 February 2020]

I really love the chemistry of all the characters. Sadly I only watched up to S4. How can I watch the rest is S4 and other season s?

Excellent show in the first few seasons

[kylecurry · 9/10 · 25 January 2023]

I am really enjoying this program. It's so much better than any of the modern television cop shows. Has a bit of a light hearted feel at first with most of the crimes being minor events.

I like that there's good rapport between the characters and the actors seem to fit very well.

The show should have ended with the departure of Lisa McClune. After that it gets darker. The characters are less interesting. And more and more of the main characters, leave the show, and it just doesn't have the same field anymore.

The first couple of seasons has such a great chemistry between characters. Maggie Doyle is my favorite character played by Lisa McClune.

This show and Water Rats seem much better written than most police shows on television.

Excellent

[sb-56338 · 10/10 · 20 October 2018]

One of the best shows Australia has ever made or will make highly recommended show

Unfortunate changes

[mhoward-78295 · 5/10 · 5 August 2020]

Pretty good police procedural until it went down the tubes after the bobbing of the police station and the killings. After that it seemed the writing went down hill. All the characters started acting like idiots.

Great Australian Drama

[Renny_Sue · 9/10 · 12 August 2006]

The show was excellent for most of its run on Australian TV. It had great characters that you genuinely cared about, but it stayed real.

The death of the show wasn't Maggie's own death, but it went a long way towards it. The show had lost four core cast members in less than two years and it was never really able to survive that. The blowing up of the station took the unreality to the extreme (can anyone tell me the last time a police station was blown up in this country? Or any building for that matter?) and killed the show dead. Add to that, Tom completely changing and the show was over for me.

I'll always remember Blue Heelers for that little Aussie drama that I fell in love with as a kid, but thank God it went off the air before it could get worse.

I dont get it

[morn1960 · 2/10 · 30 August 2019]

As I have only seen the last few seasons this is a review of what I have seen. You have a police station with a homicidal leader who is a bully, a bad tempered cowboy, corruption at a big level, a misanderous detective who will never admit shes wrong. Between jumping in and out of bed with one another, the staff dates other people and always wind up back together. Really unlikable characters. I dont get the popularity

I miss the show a lot..

[ashleywincer · 13 November 2002]

I was born and raised in Melbourne. Only recently have I moved to the US to get an education and find work. One thing I have missed as a result of moving away is Blue Heelers. I have heard rumours that it is playing on some US Cable companies, but I do not know which ones and where. Anyway if anyone stumbles across the television show, just sit down, have a beer and relax while you watch it. I think it is a little off the realistic track when it comes to police violence, corruption, etc. But it does cover a lot of the boring mundane tasks that police often have to put up with, such as cold burgs, etc. Or perhaps I just miss it because it is Australian??

Awesome Series

[hbanas-45462 · 10/10 · 27 October 2020]

Fantastic show. First found it on Roku and Tubi-TV, wish they had all the episodes. Now will continue to watch it all here.

Great show

[sadsmom-96137 · 9/10 · 30 October 2022]

Found this show on Prime. I was totally hooked from the start. Loved the chemistry of all the characters. The original cast worked great together. I loved Nick's snappy comments. The love between Magg's and PJ was beautiful. I wish they would have gotten together sooner. Jo got on my nerves thinking she always knew what was best. Tess was annoying but softened the longer she was there. Ben could never catch a break until just before he left. Hated Rusty!! Tom and Chris had a wonderful lifelong friendship and always had each others back. That was great to see. Was nice to see the coppers doing paperwork, etc and not just out catching crooks. Definitely worth the watching.

It reminds me of Heartbeat

[docterryc · 9/10 · 18 November 2012]

If you enjoyed the UK show, Heartbeat, you will probably enjoy Blue Heelers. The storyline is similar; a small police force in a small town. The senior office is a Seargeant. He doesn't have Blaketon's sharp edge, but he is believable and likable.

We have just finished watching Season 1 (45 episodes) so cannot speak for the whole series, but my wife and I found the characters to be well defined; the story lines to be interesting and the plots along the same line as Heartbeat.

An interesting difference between the two is that Blue Heelers has a woman PC--indeed Episode one tells of her joining the station. The Aussie macho man attitude towards women comes out occasionally, without making an issue of it.

Now, if they just had a Claude Jeremiah Greengrass it would rate a 10.

Blue Jerkers

[sean-43554 · 1/10 · 20 May 2022]

Blue Jerkers Crime only occurs 9-5 mon - Fri and then officers go to the pub to drink with local high risk offenders Conflicts of interest are ignored

The biggest issue for these cops "who picks up the lunch, mon - Friday

Who was the police advisor on this show ?

The officers regularly make unlawful arrests , breach basic protocol/ policies . Ignore domestic violence issues . Bail laws

Never see them actually take a proper legitimate victim statement/s, prior to arresting any person . They simply arrest without a prima facie case

If real police performed their duties like the "jerkers" the internal affairs branch would have to be expanded greatly .

The officers on the show have no regard for law / order, arrest protocols, basic cautioning of offenders . Young offenders protocols. Basic use of arms and appointments are ignored.

A perfect example of a corrupt / unethical police station . Who was the police advisor to this show ?

The blonde cop , Samantha Tolj was arrested PCA / resist / hinder police - in real life . She tried to use the "you know who I am " excuse upon arrest.

Nothing like "real world " policing.

Hard-hitting

[furness-37802 · 9/10 · 21 June 2023]

From the first episode, you're in the deep end, as Maggie has to help a girl who has been raped. I loved Clancy, but they killed him off by having some criminals tell him to take a backpack - which ended up containing a FERTILISER BOMB - to the police station, killing him and Constable Jo Parish in the resulting explosion. It broke my heart to hear about his death, as my mum watched that episode without me, although I wouldn't have wanted to witness the death of my favourite character.

I have to warn you guys that this show is VERY hard-hitting with some instances of mild gore and police brutality.

Changed my rating from 10 to 5 stars...

[nbrice18 · 5/10 · 8 April 2021]

...due to Season 11. We were able to watch the first 4 seasons on Prime via IMDB and then had to pick up at Season 11 on Tubi. I can't believe the change in the show. What was once an enjoyable hour with some drama mixed with a little comedy and romance has become a dark and depressing show with too many new characters, and a change in a few long time characters.

I read all the reviews including spoilers recently and it seems that many were in agreement about the decline of the show. After the bombing of the police station Tom Croydon is barely the same character and it's been just one misery after another in Mt Thomas. Something else I've noticed over the years is that it's not a good place to be female. There have been numerous families with dead mothers, and of course there was the murder of Maggie and now the death of Jo. Poor Gina, Maggie's roommate, died of some weird infection. If I were a female in that town I'd high tail it out of there to Melbourne ASAP. It seems like a big city is much safer than the wackos in Mt Thomas, St Davids and Widgeree.

We may stick with the last 3 seasons until the end but I really can't up much desire to watch. I miss the light hearted banter between Wayne, Nick, PJ, Maggie, Roz and Boss.....

editing to add: quit at the end of Season 11. No more depressing, dark shows for me.

One of the best series in Australia, but how much longer can it last?

[DvdJervs · 1 December 2000]

The fact that it was until recently the highest rating TV series in Australia (only brought down lately by 'Seachange' after a strong fight that lasted a couple of years) should speak volumes about the quality. Based in the small town of Mt. Thomas the Heelers must constantly solve crimes and keep the peace whilst at the same time deal with each other in their small, cooped up police station. The regular addition of new cast members has also helped keep the series fresh as well as add the interesting relationshiops that develop.

The big problem however that appears to be fast catching up with the series is that despite the constant cast changes keeping the storys fresh it has also wittled down the original cast which has kept the old flavour alive. Now with the departing of Maggie (Lisa McCune) only Tom 'Boss' Croydon, PJ, and Chris at the pub are left. I have a bad feeling as to what will happen if any of the last 3 leave.

Rumours are already abounding that John Wood (Croydon) intends to retire within the next year or so. If Martin Sacks (PJ) leaves as well I think the series will have lost too much that any new cast could make up for. Characters may come and go but Croydon has always run the place his way and PJ is, well, PJ, which has kept the old feeling alive. And Chris has always been the old reliable woman at the pub for a chat. Whilst McCune's leaving may have proved that the series could survive even without it's biggest star I think anymore losses in the original cast may give the series it's deathblow.

Digitv just went off the air!

[RetFireFEMTech · 10/10 · 2 August 2022]

Gotta watch Blue Healers on Roku since DigiTV just went off the air 8-1-2022. I don't like Adam's new wife. Dash takes a little getting used to and I'm typing just to get to the 150 character minimum.

Started off great and then got formulaic.

[chriskoczka-64473 · 8/10 · 6 July 2019]

Blue Heelers is for the most part a well written, well directed, and well acted crime drama. Of course in the later series it gets too formulaic: Add one part very likable crime drama, and dump a crap load of overly emotional and unprofessional behavior into the mix and the viewer if not Aussie, may feel they would be better off in a land where the police are more professional. When they add the character of Joss Peroni, they should have just chucked the series in. He's a liar, cheat, open to favors in the way of gambling tips and he will look the other way... If a partner risks their life to save an accident victim, don't worry, Joss will stand back, until it is time to take the credit. Lies to hi mother that he is so well off to spend thousands on her vacation from gambling money he doesn't even possess yet... So unprofessional that it make the whole station seem incompetent to keep him on. The series started off great and then got formulaic, and that was sad.

The more I watch

[morn1960 · 2/10 · 3 September 2019]

The more I cant understand why people would think these female characters are good. A man hating, evil detective, a silly young constable who constantly makes extremely bad decisions and judgments. Another constable who associates with drug dealers and makes the same bad decisions when shes old enough to know better. The males aren't much better, egotistical, violent, judgmental and unintelligent. My opinion keeps dropping the more I watch.

Blue Heelers has run it's course

[bradles_01 · 16 January 2006]

Blue Heelers, is truly one of Australia's most successful television programs. However i feel that the current series is really de-grading to the previous series. What i mean is that it's is just not as good as it once was. I feel that now the show has been axed, it is just too over due. Blue Heelers has definitely run it's course and in my opinion should have ended with the death of Maggie Doyle (Lisa McCune). The reasons for this is because Magggie was Blue Heelers, she was indisputably the most successful cast memeber and really captured the audience and was the 'golden girl' in Mount Thomas. Her sudden death was devastating and should have resulted in the show being canceled.

Well-crafted and intriguing

[Pythius · 18 November 1998]

Genuinely intriguing long-running series about a police station in a small country town. Consistently good writing and acting helped to make "Blue Heelers" one of the best and most-watched homegrown dramas on Australian television, arguably spawning other admirable programs such as "water Rats" and "Murder Call" (all three were and are made by Hal McElroy (spelling?) productions). "Blue Heelers" utilised the careers of well-established actors (John Woods and Martin Sachs) at the same time as providing a head start for less well-known but still talented actors (Grant Bowler, Lisa McCune, Tasma Walton etc.). Genuinely three dimensional character writing helped avoid the cliche saccharine nature too common to the genre, all of the characters can be seen to be realistic, they all have their faults and personal obstacles. Although it can be quite often seen to be a little unrealistic, why should a town as small as Mt. Thomas have so much crime and intrigue??, this is easily forgivable as the viewer gets immersed in the storyline. "Blue Heelers" utilises the continually evolving sub-plot to further distance itself from the routine one-case-an-episode formula. Will PJ and Maggie ever get together? What about Dash and her fight against breast cancer etc. The characters have also established themselves with the Australian public as a source of concern. The higher rating episodes have been those involving major life changes for the main characters, recently Maggie's struggle with her heroin addicted brother and Nick Schultz's departure from the show. I would argue, that, had the series not been so well-constructed, this phenomenon would not be in evidence.

Loosing Originals But Not Originality

[starving_artist_04 · 22 May 2005]

Most of Australia has been watching blue heelers since its humble beginning 12 years ago, weather regularly or on and off. But what startles me when i sit down for the first time in weeks to catch up with the folks in Mt Thomas is new faces constantly appearing and disappearing.

It is a sad thing to see the original cast members say farewell to the show and as fast as their gone, they are replaced. But this is not a bad thing. Raise your hand if the 94 eps of Blue Heelers would still enthrall you today? Would you bite your nails in anticipation to discover who actually stole the Harris's tractor, or other such slight criminal investigations? I appreciate the nature of growth and change on Blue Heelers. The truth is, no drama can survive without it. Times change, demands change and i admire that the old dog has held on, instead of going under.

great tv show

[pcolenew · 23 October 2002]

hi blue heelers is a trully fantastic tv show it is absolutey brillant and i never miss an episode of it i think all the characters are fantastic except for the stupidblond who plays tess gallagher what an attitude problem she has got along with a fat trap she should learn to keep it shut anyway everything besides tess is great about the show maybe its time to get rid of tess she is so much a dog its not funny oh well its a great show anyway bye from phillip cole