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Doctor Blake courts Seven

Producers and Seven hold talks over Doctor Blake's future, as fans maintain the rage.

Is The Doctor Blake Mysteries hoping for a lifeline with Seven?

A series of meetings between producers December Media and Seven took place during the week, according to News Corp.

The ABC series is due to end its run on ABC later this year with a a series and telemovie. But December Media and star Craig McLachlan were surprised the show was ending given its popularity with audiences, and international sales.

Its fanbase has rallied behind a change.org petition of more than 12,000 signatures, demanding ABC reverse its decision.

Ironically, it was a petition that helped save A Place to Call Home from vanishing after Seven axed the show ahead of a Foxtel lifeline.

At the time Seven cited the show’s audience as being too old, together with the expense of period drama production.

How serious Seven might be on Doctor Blake remains to be seen.

Seven declined to comment other than to say it was a fan of the show.

15 Responses

  1. I’ve opined on this before.

    Doctor Blake is a very well presented show.

    It is a credit to all who work on it.

    Devastated that ABC decided it was not not to be renewed.

    One of the few FTA shows we looked forward to each week

    Let’s hope this is on the crads.

  2. I actually think Dr Blake is pretty poor. I like Craig McLaughlin in most of the programs he’s been in, but in Dr Blake he’s so low-key he’s almost going backwards. Does he actually do any doctoring, as he seems to spend most of his time doing the police’s work, making them look like idiots. The program looks good, but the content leaves much to be desired.

    1. You need to remember this is the 50’s & 60’s. Back in the late 50’s cop doctors had a bit of a say in the policing. Its part of Blake’s nature to stick his beak in as well. My doctor, not a cop one, was mild mannered and softly spoken back in those days too. I have seen many an episode where he has ‘doctored’ as well as helped with autopsys.

  3. I would prefer it would stay with ABC….but anywhere else is better’n not at all….and I would guess Seven hyperventilates every time APTCH is renewed each year.

        1. I think the difference here is that APTCH got a bit darker and more dramatic when it switched from Ch7 to Foxtel (which I applaud) whereas Dr Blake doesn’t need to go that route.

  4. I think it will be a big mistake if ABC doesn’t reverse its decision. It would have been acceptable if they had replaced it with another decent drama but all of the one’s that I’ve seen this year have been mediocre at best, including Seven Types of Banality – what a disappointment that was.

    It’s ironic that Seven axed A Place to Call Home on the basis of its audience skewing too old when it’s the older demographics which give them the numbers to beat Nine in the ratings battle.

  5. Why can’t Seven produce and show both “A Place to Call Home” and “Dr Blake” on 72 for heavens sake instead of the crap shown on there now? Make channel 72 for older viewers, believe it or not seven, there are many of us out there.

    1. It is targeted at Over 55s though?

      It’s Australia’s highest-rating multi-channel.

      Inspector Morse, Lewis, Doc Martin, Murdoch Mysteries, Jonathan Creek, etc. are all top-rating.

      If Seven pick it up, Doctor Blake must get main channel treatment.

      Being on Seven, it’ll probably average 2m national viewers per week!

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