Trivia / RFDS (2021)

• Backed by the Pentagon: The real-life Royal Flying Doctor Service heavily supported the series, providing advice to the writers on both medical and aviation procedures. The series often even filmed at the real RFDS airstrip in Broken Hill, NSW.
• Reality Subtext:
  • A lot of the plots of season 1 are motivated by the long drought that's affected much of Australia: the attempted Pater Familicide by Taylor's father is brought on by the loss of the family sheep station to foreclosure after the drought costs them their income.
  • Season 2 deals quite a lot with race relations between European and Aboriginal Australians, and was made while indigenous peoples were campaigning to amend the Australian constitution to explicitly recognize them and their rights (which was ultimately voted down). Eliza makes some false starts out of ignorance while treating an Aboriginal family, but is clearly making a sincere effort and ultimately wins them over. Meanwhile Wayne has to deal with a prison guard spouting right-wing buzzwords who refuses his medical advice while having a panic attack after Graham has to make an emergency landing (he calls Eliza, who tells the guard to shut up and listen to Wayne), and the death of his brother after a white doctor mistakes his diabetes symptoms for drunkenness.

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