Trivia / Blue Heelers

• Enforced Method Acting: All the actors playing police officers had to undergo academy training.
• Screwed by the Network: Because it was no longer the highest rating show in Australia the show was axed to afford Olympic and football coverage.
• What Could Have Been: The original premise of the series called for it to be set in a police station in suburban Melbourne, with a style more or less identical to that of British show The Bill. The genius moment came when one of the producers suggested turning this premise on its head: instead of being set in the city, why not have a city cop move to a country town, and finding that things are done differently than they are "in the big smoke"? This decision to set the series in a country town is arguably what made it stand out. Though, Mount Thomas made Melbourne look bigger than Tokyo, Paris and New York City, and had more crime than all three cities put together.
• You Look Familiar: Quite a few of the regular and recurring cast got their start as a one off character. Marcus Eyre, who was Luke Darcy's father, would come back as homicide detective Paul Donald. Jane Alsop, known for her portrayal as Jo Parish, first started as a woman who was used in a dating agency scam. Samantha Tolj was a guest star at least twice before securing the role of Kelly O'Rourke.

---