ABC axes its most popular series, The Doctor Blake Mysteries
The ABC has announced the end of its most popular TV series The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
The show – which stars Craig McLachlan and Nadine Gardner and is set in Ballarat in the 1950s – will end after its fifth series, currently in production, is broadcast later this year.
Twilight for Doctor Blake
During 2016, The Doctor Blake Mysteries was the ABC’s most popular Australian-made program, averaging 1.659m national viewers. The only regular ABC program to get a fractionally bigger audience was its rebroadcast of British TV show Doc Martin which averaged 1.67m nationally.
The only other regular programmes to outrate The Doctor Blake Mysteries nationally were Seven’s My Kitchen Rules, Wanted, House Rules and Seven News, and Nine’s The Block and The Voice.
Last year, The Doctor Blake Mysteries was also one of Australia’s most time shifted programs with the average overnight metro audience of 1.148m growing by 31.4% over the subsequent 28 days via catch-up viewing.
The finale episode will be a feature length finale.
In tonight’s announcement, the ABC’s head of scripted production Sally Riley said: “Dr Blake has had a sensational run on the ABC and we feel that the time is right to go out while we are still on top. We have a fantastic final season still to come and we look forward to wrapping the series up with a satisfying movie-length finale, as we bid farewell to an Australian TV icon.”
The show was produced for the ABC by December Media. Show-runner George Adams said in the announcement: “Having been the ABC’s number one returning Australian drama year on year we felt that we wanted to go out on a high.
He hinted that viewers would get “answers to many of the remaining mysteries between Blake and Jean.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGkoIU6tTww
October 27 update: The Seven Network has picked up The Doctor Blake mysteries, which will run during 2018 as a series of telemovies (details via this link)
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Terrible decision! Why cancel the # 1 show that has an international following with fans begging for more? I am in the US and recently discovered some of these wonderful Australian shows, Doctor Blake being at the top of my list. Fell in love with Australia after watching them. Once again, what the fans want doesn’t seem to matter to the networks. They replace well made, intelligent shows with cheaper to produce reality shows. Have they looked at social media and all of the fans who are discussing Doctor Blake and loving it? Downton Abbey went on for a lot of seasons, Doc Martin is still going on. Why can’t Doctor Blake? Very sad, or as Lucien would say, “Bloody Hell” and I agree!
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Am in Texas and discovered Dr. Lucien Blake just a few months ago. Watch it on Public Broadcasting as often as it’s broadcast – can’t get enough of the characters. Bad decision on ABC’s part. Don’t know how networks work in Australia but maybe another network or country can take it on!
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Doc Martin has been running since 2004 with it’s last season in 2017 announced.
Surely Australia can get more than 5 years out of an beautiful location like Ballarat.
It sounds more like there has been trouble with the cast of the show. Hence no comment in the announcement from Craig…..
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This year the ABC has poured money into a new show Newton’s Law, which is dull, cliched and poorly acted.
Doctor Blake, like Miss Fischer, Rake, Janet King, The Code and Jack Irish are examples of Australian productions the ABC does well. Rather than investing in quality local productions as a point of difference, the ABC comes up with Newtons Law as a populist imitation.
SBS on the other hand seems to be taking the place of the ABC as the home of high standard, local programming. And in doing that, it becomes a terrific media for quality audiences for advertisers.
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I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A My husband and I record every episode of The Doctor Blake Mysteries and can’t wait for the next episode. Please rethink your decision of cancelling this show. Many people worldwide will be greatly disappointed!
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When Othello realises that he has been robbed of his dignity and fallen prey to base reaction, he says.
“I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak of one………
Of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian (Judean) threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe.”
Too many television drama departments (it is sad to include the ABC because they are capable of much better judgement) are like amateur gardeners, who plant and let one season yield its glory, and then, in stead of nurturing, they dig over and plant another crop.
The Doctor Blake Mysteries has promise, Newtons law is a travesty whose concept is viable, but whose execution is staggering beyond belief.
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Amazing the following this show seems to have around the world!
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Book publishers and media content managers do not have a good record of choosing outstanding quality. The mistakes in book publishing are legion, eg JK Rowland’s huge successes and books like “Snow Falling on Cedars”. The argument put forward for axing Blake has nothing to do with quality, indeed seems silly. That the show has a long run ought not to be a factor unless quality is declining and there is no evidence for that. Who gets to review decisions like this? The Macbeth quote is most apposite!
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I live in Scotland and love doctor Blake hope jean and doc get married
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Doctor Blake Mysteries Fans:
I just signed the petition “ABC Australia: Save Doctor Blake Mysteries from being cancelled!” and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.
The goal is to reach 5,000 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/abc-australia-save-doctor-blake-mysteries-from-being-cancelled?recruiter=693822188&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive
Thanks!
J
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Are you people at ABC mad axing a popular show do you have 12 year olds working and make stupid decisions love Dr Blake series stop this decision
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Can’t believe the ABC can axe popular shows like Dr Blake and spends so many of our tax dollars producing dreadful shows that no one wants to watch. Am I stupid or does this make sense? Hoping one of the commercial or Foxtel channels grasps the opportunity!
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Doctor blake is brilliantly conceived great interesting plots one of the very few shows I instinctively look forward to avidly watching. Simply put it is incoceivable that whilst the quality writing and acting are of such an unarguably high standard that this show should ever finish………or is it at all possible that the more commercial interests jelously aware that, wow! that doc’ blake is dragging viewers away from low quality tediously silly overly commercialised progamming ….hmmm! money really does talk rather loudly, how very sad should this be true, I sincerly hope not.
frankee wynn vale south australia
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Yes it’s NOT our ABC if they axe a program that is popular and people enjoy watching!
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STOP !!!! Think what you are doing !!!! DO NOT AXE Dr Blake !!!!!!!
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The love between jean and doc is something that has been in the back of my mind, I kept thinking it would happen. I like the idea but it would never work out, jean is too by the book and Blake is the polar opposite. She would eventually get tired of bailing the doctor out and end the relationship. Either that or they would realize they were too rushed into things and broke things off to mourn their lost spouses. Jack Beazley would never accept it and Blake wouldn’t get along with Jean’s sons.
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Logic says continue production of the Dr Blake series. Commonsense says replace the ABC dolts that decided to discontinue Dr Blake.
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This is yet another ridiculous decision by the ABC!
When we visited Germany a couple of years ago, we were asked where we lived….Ballarat was he reply. Ah! Dr. Blake says the Dutch woman.
My daughter watched in Texas and locally people rave about the quality of the actors, plots and marvellous filming techniques
To lose all that and be subjected to yet MORE repeats of shows that are touted as “new” is all that will be left of the once fabulous ABC!
The politicians won’t have to cut funding to destroy Auntie, the ABC administrators are doing a marvellous job themselves!
Disgraceful!
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Damn you abc. C’mon @foxtel or @netflix please pick this up and continue it ??
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My favorite show taken away. I am sure some ridiculous programming will replace an excellent show. Very very disappointed in Minnesota as are friends of mine in New York . How sad.
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Another US fan who is very disappointed to read this–definitely a show I looked forward to, and actively sought out. Very sad. Are there other Australian series that have such an international following? You’d think they’d keep it for that reason alone.
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ABC has been trying to cancel The Doctor Blake Mysteries every season since the beginning. Completely perplexing ! It has the highest rating, is watched worldwide. I watch it in Europe. Thank God it’s been picked up by another Australian channel for season 6!♡!♡. Wonderful show, charming. Has the great actor Craig McLachlan, stellar cast, great writers. ABC what is your problem?
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Dr. Blake is a favorite and surely a top show is
worth keeping? What foolish individuals decided to
drop it? Hopefully, someone smarter will see the show
continues.
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Great show, watched all over the world. There is such little quality programming left. Be the purveyors of such.
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