Australia’s Doctor Blake to make house calls in the UK
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July 4, 2013 – December Media is delighted to announce The Doctor Blake Mysteries has been picked up by BBC One daytime in the UK.
BBC One daytime will screen the 10-episode series in late 2013.
In Australia, the highly successful series achieved a national average audience of 1.5 million viewers across its 10 weeks on air.
Series creator George Adams said today, “Having BBC One take a murder mystery show created and produced in Australia is a tremendous validation of the hard work put in by our entire cast and crew, and especially Craig’s spectacular performance as Doctor Lucien Blake”.
“We thought it would be hard to top the fact that we have had the ABC hit of the year with 1.5m viewers tuning in every week, but this is the icing on the cake,” says Adams. “Our distributor ITVG has done a great job in securing the sale and we hope that the domestic and now international recognition of the show goes some way to repaying the commitment shown by ABC TV, Screen Australia and Film Victoria. As Doctor Blake would say “Onwards and upwards.”
Head of Fiction ABC TV Carole Sklan said, “The Doctor Blake Mysteries showcases the creative work of outstanding Australian practitioners. Itʼs wonderful to know it not only connects strongly with local audiences but also resonates with audiences around the world.”
Head of Programme Acquisition for the BBC Sue Deeks said, “We are delighted that the unconventional Doctor Blake will be providing traditional Aussie grit and humour as well as intriguing and intelligent mystery to BBC Daytimeʼs successful drama line-up.”
The Doctor Blake Mysteries, set in the late 1950s, is filmed in the iconic town of Ballarat 115km north west of Melbourne. Craig McLachlan stars as the intriguing Dr Lucien Blake. Nadine Garner plays housekeeper Jean Beazley, Cate Wolfe is the district nurse Mattie OʼBrien and Joel Tobeck the tenacious Chief Superintendent Matthew Lawson.
ABC TV announced recently it had commissioned a second series of its top rating drama series The Doctor Blake Mysteries. Filming will commence on Monday July 29, 2013.
The Doctor Blake Mysteries is a December Media Production in association with ABC TV, Screen Australia and Film Victoria. Producer George Adams and Executive Producer Tony Wright. ABC Executive Producers Christopher Gist and Carole Sklan.