Blue Heelers (season 10)

Infobox tvseason
season_name = Blue Heelers - Season 10
headercolour = cedff2


caption = "Blue Heelers" cast of 2003
dvd_release_date =
dvd_format =
country = AUS
network = Seven Network
first_aired = 12 February 2003
last_aired =
26 November 2003
num_episodes = 42
prev_season = Season 9
next_season = Season 11The "tenth season" of the Australian police-drama "Blue Heelers" premiered on the Seven Network on 12 February 2003 and aired on Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM. The 42-episode season concluded 26 November 2003.

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"]
* Paul Bishop as Sergeant (formerly Senior Constable) Benjamin 'Ben' Stewart ["full season"]
* Jane Allsop as Probationary Constable Jo Parrish ["full season"]
* Caroline Craig as Sergeant Tess Gallagher ["until episode 407"]
* Ditch Davey as Constable Evan 'Jonsey' Jones ["full season"]
* Simone McAullay as Constable Susie Raynor ["from episode 409"]

Guest actors this season included Betty Bobbitt, Robert Grubb, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Richard Cawthorne, Lisa Crittenden, Maggie Millar, Betty Lucas, Paul Mercurio, Lynda Gibson, Ian Rawlings, Colette Mann, Ernie Bourne, Lyndel Rowe and Andrew Clarke.

Plot

By the 42-episode tenth season, "Blue Heelers" was in a comfortable but not successful ratings pattern. Storylines included:
*Ben recovering from alcoholism, and then beginning an affair with Inspector Falcon-Price's wife,
*PJ losing his house in a fire caused by a drunk Ben,
*Jonesy proving ulterior motives behind Josh's marriage to Tess,
*Jo and PJ drifting apart with them both moving on to other relationships but realising they love each other and start a full time relationship,
*Ben falling for, and proposing to, Salvation Army Captain Marissa Craddock (Heidi Arena),
*The arrival in town of Ben's daughter Maddie,
*Tom dealing with his teenage stepson's problems,
*Tess leaving town, pregnant with Josh's child, due to a natal condition,:"in reality, Caroline Craig had taken time off for the Melbourne Playhouse production of Falling Petals, but chose not to return to Blue Heelers", [Fidgeon, Robert. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/sgttesstoquit.html "Sgt Tess decides to quit"] , Herald Sun, 31 May 2003.]
*and the arrival of Constable Susie Raynor, whose paralysed husband Brad (Matt Passmore) became wrongly suspicious of Ben and Susie's friendship, ending in a confrontation where Ben had no choice but to shoot and kill Brad in front of Susie.

Production

Reception

Awards

Episodes

References

;General
* Zuk, T. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/series10.html Blue Heelers: 2003 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=10&tag=season_dropdown;dropdown;9 "Blue Heelers" Episode Guide - Season 10] , TV.com. Retrieved 1 August 2007.;Specific