Blue Heelers (season 4)

Infobox tvseason
season_name = Blue Heelers - Season 4
headercolour = cedff2


caption =
dvd_release_date = April 6, 2006
dvd_format = 11-disc boxset
country = AUS
network = Seven Network
first_aired = 10 February 1997
last_aired =
25 November 1997
num_episodes = 42
prev_season = Season 3
next_season = Season 5The "fourth season" of the Australian police-drama "Blue Heelers" premiered on the Seven Network on 10 February 1997 and aired on Tuesday nights at 8:30 PM. The 42-episode season concluded 25 November 1997.

Casting

Main cast for this season consisted of:
* John Wood as Sergeant Tom Croydon ["full season"]
* Julie Nihill as Christine 'Chris' Riley ["full season"]
* Martin Sacks as Detective Senior Constable Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' Hasham ["full season"]
* Lisa McCune as Constable Margaret 'Maggie' Doyle ["full season"]
* William McInnes as Senior Constable Nicholas 'Nick' Schultz ["full season"]
* Damian Walshe-Howling as Probationary Constable Adam Cooper ["full season"]
* Tasma Walton as Probationary Constable Deirdre 'Dash' McKinley ["full season"]

Semi-regular cast members for this season included:
* Peta Doodson as Inspector Monica Draper
* Beth Buchanan as Susan Croydon
* Michael Isaacs as Clancy Freeman
* Suzi Dougherty as Dr. Mel Carter
* Axl Taylor as Len the barman
* Dennis Miller as Ex-Sergeant Pat Doyle
* Stuart Baker as "Richo"
* Reg Evans as Keith Purvis
* Terry Gill as Superintendent Clive Adamson
* Karen Davitt as Doctor Zoe Hamilton
* Rachel Blakely as Gina Belfanti
* Don Bridges as Charlie Clarke
* Marie Trevor as Lelia Clegg
* Pauline Terry-Bietz as Beth McKinley
* Neil Pigot as Inspector Russel Falcon-Price
* Adam May as Ellis Corby
* Peter Aanensen as Merv Poole
* Jeremy Kewley as Tony Timms
* Kevin Harrington as Charlie McKinley
* Kate Atkinson as Stacey Norse

Notable guest actors this season included Anne Phelan, Stefan Dennis, Vincent Gil, Alan Dale, Peta Brady, Brett Climo, Wendy Strehlow, Fiona Corke and Lesley Baker.

In the episode, "Fool For Love", Jane Allsop guest starred. She impressed the producers so much that they would later invite her back to the show in a main role as Jo Parrish.

Plot

Storylines for season four included:
*"Mad Cow Disease" coming to Mt. Thomas and Maggie nearly losing her life,
*Adam confessing his unrequited love for Dash,
*Chris's niece Leonie marrying Clancy Freeman and them beginning a family together,
*Nick and Zoe growing closer,
*Chris's Irish fiancee being murdered
*the marriage of Adam to Stacey Norse (Kate Atkinson) and Stacey's miscarriage of the baby Adam thought to be his,
*The introduction of two popular recurring characters: Jeremy Kewley as less-than-helpful reporter Tony Timms, and Neil Pigot as Inspector Russell "Rusty" Falcon-Price,
*Chris becoming politically minded and running for local council,
*Tom's daughter Susan's struggle to take up a posting at the school after her troubled past,
*Adam facing the fact that his wife had lied and cheated on him,
*Maggie attempting to protect her drug-addicted brother from the law,
*Luke Darcy, PJ's nemesis, attempting to ruin his life once and for all,
*The attraction of Tom to local solicitor Sally Downie (Catherine Wilkin),
*and the sexual tension being consummated between PJ and Maggie, leading to them finally starting a secret relationship.

Production

Reception

The 1997 Season was the highest rating for the show; was the number one show on Australian Television for that year: Averaging a mammoth 2,441,000 in the five cities for the year.

Two of the most popular episodes remain the two-parter "Gold" and "Fool's Gold", in which PJ and Maggie are trapped down a mine shaft and release their sexual tension.

Awards

Episodes

References

;General
* Zuk, T. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/series4.html Blue Heelers: 1997 episode guide] , Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
* TV.com editors. [http://www.tv.com/blue-heelers/show/3333/episode_guide.html?season=4&tag=season_dropdown;dropdown;3 "Blue Heelers" Episode Guide - Season 4] , TV.com. Retrieved 1 August 2007.;Specific