Sea Patrol (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Sea Patrol


caption = The season 1 titlecard.
genre = Crime drama
Action-adventure
creator = Hal and Di McElroy
director =
developer =
starring = Ian Stenlake
Lisa McCune
Saskia Burmeister
Matthew Holmes
Jeremy Lindsay Taylor
Kristian Schmid
David Lyons
John Batchelor
Jay Ryan
Kirsty Lee Allan
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer = Les Gock
country = AUS
language = English
num_seasons = 2
num_episodes = 26 (as of 23 June 2008)
list_episodes = List of Sea Patrol episodes
executive_producer = Hal McElroy
Di McElroy
Jo Horsburgh
producer = Julie Forster
asst_producer =
editor = Marcus D'Arcy
story_editor = Susan Bower
location = Queensland
New South Wales
camera = Single camera
runtime = 42 minutes (without commercials)
network = Nine Network
picture_format = 576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
audio_format = Dolby Digital 5.1
first_aired = 5 July 2007
last_aired = present
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website = http://seapatrol.ninemsn.com.au/
imdb_id = 0879688
tv_com_id = 67638

"Sea Patrol" is an Australian television drama, set onboard a fictional Royal Australian Navy Armidale class patrol boat, the HMAS "Hammersley". The series focuses on the ship and the lives of its crew members.The first season debuted on 5 July 2007 on the Nine Network, who invested $15 million into the programme. [Murdoch, Alex. [http://australiantelevision.net/sea_patrol/articles/thinklocal.html "TV Bosses Bank Local"] , The Courier-Mail, 9 October 2006.] A second season of "Sea Patrol", titled "Sea Patrol II: The Coup" began airing on 31 March 2008, and ended in June 2008. Executive producers of the show, Hal and Di McElroy, hope to see at least six seasons of the show produced and have a ten-year plan for the series.Editors. [http://www.sea-patrol.com/content/view/240/93/ Sea Patrol F.A.Q.] . [http://www.sea-patrol.com/ Sea-Patrol.com] . Retrieved 24 April 2008.] Most recently, the confirmation for a third season, titled "Sea Patrol III: Red Gold" has been confirmed for 2009.

This series is intentionally not a follow-on to the 1979 series, "Patrol Boat". The Nine Network intends to air at least three seasons of "Sea Patrol", with an upgrade from the "Fremantle" class to a newer "Armidale" class boat at the start of the second season.cite news|first=Barry |last=Rollings|title=Navy's starring role|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/4918/topstories/story02.htm|work=Navy News (Volume 49, Number 18|date=2006-10-05|accessdate=2007-01-08]

Before its debut in 2007, "Sea Patrol" was one of the most anticipated shows in Australia and marked many monumentous events: Lisa McCune's return to television and Nine's attempt to reclaim the market with this, the most expensive television programme produced in Australia. Over its broadcast in Australia, "Sea Patrol" has received a variety of reviews and a mix of good and bad opinions.

Cast

Current main cast

Plot

Both seasons of Sea Patrol have consisted of standalone episodes dealing with serious breaches of Australian law, such as illegal fishing, asylum seekers and other problems the navy encounter on typical patrols. The premiere of each season usually introduces a larger event which is expanded on and connected as the season goes on, before being resolved in the finale.

The first season's premiere began with the introduction of Bright Island, which was positioned as a type of mystery island, and the death of a marine biologist. Over the duration of the season, the CO and some of the crew became suspicious and later entwined in a conspiracy invloving water containing a deadly toxin.

The second season, known as "Sea Patrol II: The Coup", has so far revolved around insurgents on the fictional Samaru Islands attempting to overthrow the current government, and a group of Eastern European mercernaries and smugglers who near-fatally stabbed Charge and are in cahoots with the insurgents and Samaruan constabulary.

Production

Origins

"Every hour of every day in all weathers young men and women of the Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boat Service battle the elements and the odds to defend Australia's borders and enforce its economic zone. They provide security, support, and relief for the world's largest island..." [cite web|url=http://www.sea-patrol.com/|title=Sea-Patrol.com|accessdate=2007-01-08]

This series has been saidWho to show the gender and cultural diversity of the Navy, and deal with contemporary issues such as illegal fishing, boat people, drug-running, immigration, and people-smuggling, and have an underlying mystery that runs throughout the series.

Filming for "Sea Patrol" II: The Coup" started in late September, 2007, [ [http://www.australiantelevision.net/sea_patrol/articles/resumesfilming.html Sea Patrol resumes filming in far north Queensland] , The Courier-Mail, 20 September 2007.] and wrapped up on 8 February 2008. [ [http://www.australiantelevision.net/sea_patrol/articles/sp2wraps.html Sea Patrol II wraps in Queensland] , Pacific Film and Television Commission, 31 January 2008.]

hips

The first season features two real "Fremantle" class patrol boats, whose appearance have been to become HMAS "Hammersley" (PTF 202). HMAS "Wollongong" was used for filming in Sydney, while HMAS "Ipswich" was used for six weeks of filming off Dunk Island in Queensland. [cite news |first=Rollings |last=Barry |title=Ipswitch switches over |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS/editions/4920/topstories/story07.htm |work=Navy News |date=2006-11-02 |accessdate=2007-05-30] "Hammersley" serves under the fictional naval command structure of "NAVCOM", and was decommissioned during the final episode of season one. A second fictional "Fremantle" is mentioned in several episodes and appears in the ninth episode: HMAS "Kingston" (PTF 205). "Kingston" shares her pennant number with real patrol boat HMAS "Townsville".

When the first season was being filmed, it was predicted that later seasons would replace "Hammersley" with the newer "Armidale" class patrol boat. The second season did use an "Armidale", also named HMAS "Hammersley", with the hull number 82.cite news |first=Michael |last=Idato |title=All ship shape |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/all-ship-shape/2008/03/29/1206207482199.html?page=2 |work=SydneyMorningHerald.com.au, Entertainment (TV and Radio) section |page=2 |date=2008-03-31 |accessdate=2008-04-10] Again, footage from two ships was to represent "Hammersley": 42 of the 86 days of the series filming were spent aboard HMAS "Broome" (ACPB 90), with later pick-up filming aboard HMAS "Launceston" (ACPB 94).

Locations

*Cairns, Queensland
*HMAS Waterhen, Navy Base, Sydney, NSW
*Dunk Island, Queensland
*Mission Beach, Queensland
*Cowley Beach, near Innisfail, Queensland
*Tamborine Mountain,Queensland

Reception

Before "Sea Patrol" started airing, it was one of the most highly anticipated programmes in Australia, partly due to the episode budget of over AU$1 million, twice that of other Australian dramas. [Warnecke, Ross. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/dramainstrife.html Australian television drama in strife with loss of its most successful product] , The Herald Sun, 14 January 2006.] "Sea Patrol" also marked the return of Lisa McCune to television acting.

"Sea Patrol" received mixed but generally positive reviews. The debut episode received the second highest ratings for an Australian drama premiere, behind 2001 series "Always Greener".Fact|date=April 2008 Ratings were not as strong for later episodes, with the first season receiving a 1.2 million viewer average, however during the second season ratings picked up to a healthy 1.5 million viewers for the final five episodes which bodes well for the third season.

Many critics claim that the scripts are not well written and that the actors are not given the opportunity to shine.Hardy, Marieke. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/sea_patrol/articles/toowet.html Sea Patrol just too wet] , The Age, 30 August 2007.]

Michelle Over, a reviewer for [http://www.militarypeople.com.au militarypeople.com.au] , scored the first episode a disappointing 6.5 out of 10. Over also predicted that the series would begin jumping the shark at episode 5, primarily due to a lack of quality scripts and an unlikeness to the real life of a Navy officer. [ [http://www.militarypeople.com.au/mainsite/content/view/185/1/ Sea Patrol Review - disappointing Launch for Channel 9] ]

Shortly after the series began, the Royal Australian Navy created "The Real Sea Patrol", an interactive website about the activities and personnel on board the Australian patrol boat HMAS "Larrakia", designed as a promotional and recruiting tool to capitalise on the series. [ [http://www.navy.gov.au/The_Real_Sea_Patrol The Real Sea Patrol] ]

DVD release

The first season of thirteen episodes has been released on DVD and was released in Australia by Roadshow [ [http://www.roadshow.com.au/village_product.asp?txtCatalog=DVD&txtCategory=&txtProductID=R-107819-9 Sea Patrol - Season 1] , Roadshow Entertainment. Retrieved 25 May 2008.] on 17 October 2007. [Citation |title=Sea-Patrol.com - Merchandise |url=http://www.sea-patrol.com/content/view/219/90/ |accessdate= 2007-10-23] [ [http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/795480 Sea Patrol - Season 1 (complete) DVD summary] , [http://www.ezydvd.com.au/ ezydvd.com] . Retrieved 22 May 2008.] [ [http://www.dvdorchard.com.au/product.asp?PND=147729 Sea Patrol - Series 1] , [http://www.dvdorchard.com.au/ DVD Orchard] . Retrieved 25 May 2008.] The DVD was classified M by the Office of Film and Literature Classification. [Australian Government. [http://www.classification.gov.au/resource.html?resource=1026&filename=1026.pdf Media Release: Sea Patrol Series 1 classified M upon review] , Australian Classification Review Board, 26 September 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2008.]

The second season of "Sea Patrol" - Sea Patrol II: The Coup - is set to be released on Region 4 DVD on 6 November 2008. [ [http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/802087 Sea Patrol - Season 2 (complete) DVD summary] , [http://www.ezydvd.com.au/ ezydvd.com] . Retrieved 16 August 2008.]

Broadcasting

On 26 March 2007, Portman Film & Television acquired the international broadcast rights to "Sea Patrol".

ee also

* List of Australian television series

References

External links

* [http://seapatrol.ninemsn.com.au/ Official website]
* [http://www.sea-patrol.com/ Sea-Patrol.com]
* [http://video.ninemsn.com.au/catchuptv/seapatrol "Sea Patrol catch up TV"] , official webpage for full episode download of "Sea Patrol"
* [http://tviv.org/Sea_Patrol Sea Patrol] at The TV IV
* [http://australiantelevision.net/sea_patrol/index.html Sea Patrol] at the Australian Television Information Archive