The Doctor Blake Mysteries

Just found this in the UK and loved it. It is a classic example of the period detective genre like 'Ripper Street' or 'Murdoch Mysteries' with a little bit of 21st century hindsight. That is par for the course. I didn't find Blake at all grumpy - quite the opposite. I get a little fed up with the short tempered detectives of the likes of Frost or DCI Banks. But Blake is anything but that. Setting the series in Ballarat rather than Melbourne also allows it to have the feel of a small town environment that the Aussies seem to love to do. Think of 'Blue Heelers', 'A Country Practice' or (dare I mention them) some of their soaps. As with most Australian dramas there is an underlying positiveness - despite the traumatic past that the characters might have had.

I first came across this series a couple years ago and since then have looked forward to each new series and have not been disappointed every episode has hit the mark.

Craig McLachlan breaks away from his likely lad image and makes a brilliant job playing the maverick police surgeon Dr Lucien Blake. The wonderful Nadine Garner plays his housekeeper Jean Bezley to perfection. Equally brilliant is Joel Tobeck as the police inspector and former school mate of Dr Blake.

The inter play between Dr Blake and his housekeeper is major source of amusement running through the series. Both characters have back stories that put obstacles in the path of a romantic outcome. Joel Tobeck's police inspector has the tricky job of managing Dr Blake he admires Blake's brilliance but has to reign in Blake when breaks procedure and takes the investigation of at a tangent.

Watch and enjoy every episode is a gem.

Recommended series. Lucien Blake (Craig McLachlan) is an ex-POW now practicing medicine in post-WW2 Ballarat, Australia who gives the local police headaches by his obsessive refusal to accept the obvious explanation when called to the scene of a murder in his official capacity. Engaging characters, elegant ensemble acting, and fantastic period sets make this a winner for those who love a good murder mystery. Close attention is required for those who don't speak Australian. Erotic tension between the Doctor and his no-nonsense practice manager/housekeeper Jean (Nadine Garner) adds spice to the mix. Despite being it's highest rated show, the series inexplicably has been canceled by the network. Yet another Dr. Blake Mystery.

I still keep thinking when is the clown Henry Ramsay going to appear With mullet, love the title music, love the cello,Thank God it's like productions made by the BBC, instead of made in Hollywood where millions is thrown at it and it makes absolutely no sense ,this is like reading a novel and it's exactly !!!!( relief )the same. Interesting to learn about Australia I have relatives and knew nothing about late 1950s and early 1960s Australia, it has elements of Sherlock Holmes updated and British police dramas ,Sadly it's now been discontinued, so like the BBC there are now gameshows ,Way too many gameshows ,Been watching it on the drama channel, not prepared to pay for a subscription to watch it though.

After seeing this show wondered why we don't have more types of TV like this made in Australia.

I so love the production on this new Aussie show, which is made in Ballarat and set in the early 50s.

A worthy partner of Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries, another fabulous, beautiful looking period piece.

I really really liked this show. I was worried thinking of my memories of Craig McLachlan singing Mona in the 80s with a mullet and all those terrible shows he was in like Neighbours etc but he does a great job as Dr Blake and I really love his house set up and rather eccentric personality!

Can't wait for the next episode.