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'''The Flying Doctors''' was an Australian drama series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the real Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.
It was initially a 1985 mini-series based in the fictional outback town of Cooper's Crossing starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. Tom Callaghan. The success of the mini series led it its return the following year as an on-going series with McFarlane being joined by a new doctor, Chris Randall, played by Liz Burch. McFarlane left after the first season and actor Robert Grubb came in as new doctor Geoff Standish.
The series' episodes were mostly self-contained but also featured ongoing storylines, such as Dr. Standish's romance with nurse Kate Wellings (Lenore Smith). Other major characters included pilot Sam Patterson (Peter O'Brien), mechanic Emma Plimpton (Rebecca Gibney), local policeman Sgt. Jack Carruthers (Terry Gill) and Vic and Nancy Buckley (Maurie Fields and Val Jellay), who ran the local pub/hotel, the Majestic. Andrew McFarlane also later returned to the series, resuming his role as Dr. Callaghan. The popular series ran for many seasons and was successfully screened internationally.

Contents

Cast and characters

Doctors

''R.F.D.S.''

Filming locations

See also

References

External links

Cast and characters

Doctors

★ Andrew McFarlane played 'Tom Callaghan', a young doctor who takes over the R.F.D.S base in Coopers Crossing after proving himself to the original boss of the base, Harry Sinclair. He brings along Chris Randall, who is also a doctor, as his assistant. In episode sixteen Tom leaves the base, volunteering for World Vision in Africa, but he returns for awhile in episode 113 until episode 156 in which he leaves again. Tom makes a final appearance in episode 201 when there is a town celebration in Coopers Crossing.

★ Liz Burch played 'Chris Randall', a female doctor who comes along with Tom Callaghan to run the R.F.D.S base in Cooper Crossing. When Tom leaves for Africa she decides to stay in Coopers Crossing, until episode 146, when she moves to Melbourne to take care of her sick father. She comes back in episode 201 for the town celebration in Coopers Crossing, and falls in love with Tom Callaghan again. She decides to join Tom in Africa.

★ Robert Grubb played 'Geoff Standish', who makes his first appearance in episode 17 when he takes over the R.F.D.S base from Tom Callaghan. Geoff is one of the longest-running characters in the series, and stayed until the end. He is considered to be one of the most important characters of the series, and his relationship with Nurse Kate Wellings has been a big focus of the show.

''R.F.D.S.''

By 1993, the ratings were in decline and few original characters remained in the much-changed cast. To revamp the show the setting was changed to Broken Hill, the name changed to ''R.F.D.S.'', and of the cast only original cast members Fields and Jellay were retained in the show. The storyline had their characters, formerly publicans at the Cooper's Crossing pub, moving to Broken Hill. The show lasted just one season in this new incarnation.
Most recently the Australian Pay-TV channel FOX Classics has secured the rights to the program from July 3 2006.
The Flying Doctors have returned for a Re run Free To Air channel Win Televison from August 17 2007 Time 12pm-1.00pm
Weekdays only .

Filming locations

The series was filmed at^[1]:

★ Nulla Station, New South Wales

★ Cranbourne, Victoria (Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne)

★ Minyip, Victoria

★ Broken Hill, New South Wales

★ Lancefield, Victoria

★ RAAF Base Point Cook

See also

★ List of Australian television series

★ List of Nine Network programs

References

1. The Flying Doctors

External links

★

★

★ The Flying Doctors at the National Film and Sound Archive