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Blake telemovie to proceed at Seven without Craig McLachlan

Doctor Blake will disappear but housekeeper Jean Beazley will step up to solve next mystery.

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Seven will proceed with a telemovie of The Doctor Blake Mysteries but without its title star, Craig McLachlan.

A 90-minute telemovie, retitled as The Blake Mysteries, will see Doctor Lucien Blake disappear in mysterious circumstances, with housekeeper & new bride Jean Beazley (Nadine Garner) to take on a more central role.

News Corp reports Seven, December Media, ITV Australia and Film Victoria decided to proceed to ensure it could retain the cast including Garner and Anna McGahan. Not continuing would have seen options on cast lapse.

McLachlan has reportedly given the new telemovie his blessing.

Whilst McLachlan has been cleared of any wrong-doing by producers, he is continuing with a defamation against Fairfax, ABC and actor Christie Whelan-Browne.

“This is a quality show which is incredibly popular with Australian viewers and employs so many talented cast and crew,” a Seven spokesman said.

“The story is beautifully constructed and the glorious cinematography around Ballarat makes for gorgeous viewing.”

Four telemovies have been planned by Seven.

This week the December Media drama and star Craig McLachlan were both awarded in the New York Festivals Film & Television Awards.

23 Responses

  1. I am looking forward to the new telemovie and show. I think Nadine Gardner will do great in her new role. Also, I think it is in it’s own way, paying homage to Craig and his character. If it is done well, it will be a natural progression, and I can see how Nadine would not stop at anything to know and find what has happened to her husband, and using all she has learned from her husband and the “usual” characters that have been his background help in solving mysteries on the show, with finding her husband played out in the background. Still hoping,and leaving room for Craig to step back into his shoes as Dr. Blake.

  3. We should all give this isn’t support. Who knows it could be better only time will tell. The good thing is that Channel 7 even if this is a way of keeping everyone in contract can see some life it this show with or without Craig McLachlan. Lets see what happens ….. at least it isn’t another reality show

  5. Oh my gosh. It’s like having a James Bond movie without James Bond or something similar.

    Hopefully it’s like a one off and Craig can come back for the next stories.

  6. I love this idea! Jean, having lived for so long with Lucien and observed how he works, would have picked up a lot of his observations and nous. Forced on the defensive, Jean would have to dig deep into her mind and into what she knows of Lucien’s mind to solve the mystery. And as the story says, it’s just one movie.

    1. Will not be the same without Craig. This will be like Mork and Mindy without Mork. Laurel and Hardy without Hardy. I wont be watching it but I am sure Ch7 wiill find a way to turn it into a reality TV series.

  11. Yep….Dr Blake …without Dr Blake…cannot get my head around that one…but after I climbed off my high horse…yes…it will keep the cast together and in work…so that has to be a good thing…other than that…when and if Craig comes back…there will be something to come back to…

    1. My instincts are telling me this is a move to buy more time and keep the project alive. In theory it should be ok for one episode and then hopefully it can regroup. The alternative would have been worse.

      1. Perhaps they could treat it like a spin-off movie, in which case it should have a different title. Maybe they could call it “The Mrs Blake Mysteries”. This might be a little bit more palatable.

  13. House of Cards without Kevin Spacey has more credibility than making The Doctor Blake Mysteries without Craig McLachlan who is the heart and soul of the show, I think the producers should have bitten the bullet and finished things while they were on top.

    1. Seems to me it’s a smart move. Cast and crew keep working, which they clearly want to do. Best case scenario, court action is resolved and Craig returns to an ongoing project which is alive and well. Worst case, Craig drops out permanently and the producers then decide if the other three telemovies are viable.

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