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Renewed: The Doctor Blake Mysteries

On the back of excellent ratings and a Logie nomination, ABC renews a third season of the good Doctor.

2014-04-08_1034ABC is set to investigate more crimes in Ballarat with a third season of The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

The news follows excellent ratings and Craig McLachlan receiving a Silver Logie nomination as Most Outstanding Actor. Last week the show was the third-highest rating show on ABC1 at 938,000 viewers.

ABC Head of Fiction Carole Sklan says, “Craig McLachlan has proven to be perfectly cast as the good Doctor and he has acquired a legion of new and old fans. December Media constantly surprise with the originality and authenticity of the murders and mysteries that they are able to conjure up. We’re looking forward to more!”

December Media Executive Producer Tony Wright says “I am totally delighted that the ABC wants to push ahead with developing the third series. We look forward to being able to reward our large, consistent and loyal audience with more episodes of The Doctor Blake Mysteries.

The drama from December Media also airs on BBC1 in the UK, around Europe, New Zealand and negotiations are currently in progress with the PBS network in the United States.

But the news also comes at a time when no future for Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries has been clarified by the ABC, despite a Gold Logie nomination for Essie Davis and the show nominated for Most Popular Drama.

The season final of Doctor Blake airs this Friday at 8.30pm on ABC1.

10 Responses

  1. As I don’t have pay TV I’ve never seen Top of the Lake, and I’m certainly not alone. I imagine most Australians haven’t seen it either.

    Back on topic .. it’s nice that Dr Blake has been renewed, even though you have to suspend belief that the local doctor/coroner is far better at policing than the local cops. They’re secondary to his brilliance. And I wish they’d add a bit more colour (literally) into the series, it’s so dark and gloomy it could be in black and white. Ballarat can certainly be like that, but let’s not take it to extremes.

  2. Top Of The Lake was made over 2 years ago now and is essentially a New Zealand drama, so much so even the ABC withdrew its support after Elizabeth Moss was cast as an Australian police woman and doubts it fell within the ABC’s charter. UKTV were pressured by BBC2 who had commissioned and developed it, to fill the financial and broadcaster void left by the ABC’s withdrawal. It doesn’t diminish my argument David.

    1. Yes I am aware of the history regarding Elisabeth Moss. I broke the story. You’ve asked why we can’t make Scandi style dramas and I am suggesting Top of the Lake is evidence we can. Reviews likened it to Scandi dramas. If you can’t see that I really can’t help. Otherwise, there are plenty of other answers by various readers to your question across the life of this site, thx.

  3. Dr Blake deserves a renewal even though it is very safe , predicable and old fashioned genre drama. But would love to see the ABC stretching themselves with some drama which is more challenging, original and risk taking. The Scandinavian dramas on SBS are far more interesting and from countries with a fraction of our population. Why can’t we make sophisticated, clever, original drama like our Nordic friends?

  4. Craig is a fabulous Dr Blake. I wasn’t sure when it first started but I am converted!! The Doctor and Jean together??Hmm not so sure about that.

  5. Good to hear there will be a third series – have enjoyed watching..
    Friday night is the perfect timeslot for this show as there is so little competition.
    Craig so deserves that Silver Logie – he’s outstanding as Dr Blake.
    @Gaz – nah, think it would ruin it if Jean and the good doctor got together – the dynamics are much more interesting as they are…

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