View source for Blue Heelers

{{Short description|1994–2006 Australian police drama series}}
{{About|the Australian television programme|the dog breed|Australian Cattle Dog}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = bh logo2004.jpg
| caption              =
| alt_name             = ''Boys in Blue'' ([[working title]])
| genre                = Drama
| creator              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Tony Morphett]]
* [[Hal and Jim McElroy|Hal McElroy]]
}}
| director             = 
| creative_director    = 
| developer            = 
| starring             = {{Plainlist|
* [[John Wood (actor, born 1946)|John Wood]]
* [[Julie Nihill]]
* [[William McInnes]]
* [[Lisa McCune]]
* [[Martin Sacks]]
* [[Grant Bowler]]
* [[Ann Burbrook]]
* [[Damian Walshe-Howling]]
}}
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| endtheme             = 
| composer             = {{Plainlist|
* Garry Hardman
* [[Red Symons]]
* Michael Atkinson
}}
| country              = Australia
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 13
| num_episodes         = 510
| list_episodes        = List of Blue Heelers episodes
| executive_producer   = Riccardo Pellizzeri
| producer             = 
| company              = [[Endemol Australia|Southern Star]]<br>7 Network
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = {{Plainlist|
* [[Video camera|Video]] (1994–2002)
* [[High-definition video|HD video]] ([[Film look|filmized]]) (2003–2006)
}}
| runtime              = 45 minutes
| network              = [[Seven Network]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1994|1|18|df=y}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|2006|6|4|df=y}} 
}}

'''''Blue Heelers''''' is an Australian [[Police procedural|police drama]] series that was produced by [[Endemol Australia|Southern Star Group]] and ran for twelve years on the [[Seven Network]], from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, the series generally depicted the everyday lives and relationships of the residents of [[Mount Thomas]], a fictional small town in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]].

The series was one of the highest-rated and most-awarded programs in the history of [[Australian television]], having won 25 Logie awards, and having equal standing with ''[[The Don Lane Show]]'' as the most awarded show in the history of the [[Logie Awards|Logies]] (with five wins). It is also noted for its two main stars [[Lisa McCune]], a four-time recipient of the [[Gold Logie]], and [[John Wood (actor, born 1946)|John Wood]], who also won Gold.

== Overview ==
''Blue Heelers'' was first aired on 18 January 1994, with the episode "A Woman's Place". The last episode, episode #510 titled "One More Day" aired on 4 June 2006. The series was produced by Southern Star Group for the [[Seven Network]]. During its 13-season run it won a total of 32 awards and was nominated for a further 50.<ref name="BH-awards">Zuk, Tim. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/awards.html Blue Heelers Awards], Australian Television Information Archive.</ref> This included 25 Logie Awards, five of which were the [[Gold Logie]], the most coveted television award in Australia.<ref name="FF">Idato, Michael. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/finalfarewell.html "Final Farewell"], ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 29 May 2006.</ref>

As well as everyday policing matters, the series deals with many controversial and "touchy" subjects. The series was the first to examine the stressful world of young police officers who are "thrown into the deep end where they are left to sink or swim".<ref name="BCSM"/>

Police procedurals were enormously popular in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, but by the 1980s they had been replaced by home-grown soap operas and mini-series, like ''[[Neighbours]]'' and ''[[Home and Away]]''.

''Blue Heelers'', however, was Australia's most popular television drama while it lasted. The series drew more than 2.5&nbsp;million viewers every week at its peak.<ref name="FF"/> Along with the long-running [[Crawford Productions]] series ''[[Homicide (Australian TV series)|Homicide]]'', ''Blue Heelers'' holds the Australian record for most episodes produced of a weekly prime-time drama. It was also nearly the longest-running series,<ref>[http://www.televisionau.com/copshows.htm television.au Aussie Cop Shows]</ref><ref name="AFL">[http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/blue-heelers-axed/2006/01/13/1137118960344.html "''Blue Heelers'' Axed, and AFL the Main Suspect"], ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 14 January 2004.</ref> but ''Homicide'' lasted one calendar month longer and, due to five feature-length episodes, had more time on air.

''Blue Heelers'' was sold to 108 territories and gained international recognition in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and other countries.<ref name="SS2006">[http://www.southernstargroup.com/NewsDetails.aspx?niid=1523&d=0 "Blue Heelers Final Episodes to Air in 2006"], Southern Star Group, 13 January 2006. {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The series launched the careers of many Australian actors, such as Lisa McCune, [[Grant Bowler]], [[Ditch Davey]], [[Rachel Gordon]], [[Tasma Walton]], [[Charlie Clausen]] and [[Jane Allsop]]. While many of these actors are still best known for their work on ''Blue Heelers'', some have gone on to bigger roles. Many other actors of today also appeared in guest roles, including [[Hugh Jackman]], [[Charles 'Bud' Tingwell]], [[Peter O'Brien (actor)|Peter O'Brien]], [[John Howard (Australian actor)|John Howard]] and [[Robert Rabiah]].

John Wood, alongside [[Julie Nihill]] remained the only actors with ''Blue Heelers'' to remain during its entire 12-year run, portraying [[Tom Croydon|Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon]] and publican [[Chris Riley (Blue Heelers character)|Chris Riley]] respectively.

==Plot==
[[File:Blue Heelers actors.jpg|170px|thumb|right|[[Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' Hasham|P.J. Hasham]], [[Tom Croydon]] and [[Margaret 'Maggie' Doyle|Maggie Doyle]]]]

The series primarily focuses on the daily lives of police officers working at a police station in the fictional small town of Mount Thomas in the Australian state of Victoria. Each episode is presented from the perspective of the officers. This was a specific technique that creator [[Hal and Jim McElroy|Hal McElroy]] chose to employ.<ref name="DCITA">Government of the Commonwealth of Australia. [http://archive.dcita.gov.au/2000/07/artbeat_july_2000/small_screen_big_picture_huge_future Small Screen, Big Picture, Big Future] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801002251/http://archive.dcita.gov.au/2000/07/artbeat_july_2000/small_screen_big_picture_huge_future |date=1 August 2008 }}, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, July 2000.</ref>

The police officers, commonly referred to as "Heelers", are always active sorting out the town's many problems. These problems range from trivial complaints such as land and fencing disputes to more serious offences, such as homicides and assaults. The small town is also faced with many other significant occurrences including bank robberies, escaped criminals, police shootings, kidnappings and the acts of deluded criminals. Of these, one of the more significant events is the bombing of the police station during the show's twelfth season.

Whenever overwhelmed, the Heelers call on the assistance of the police in the larger town of St Davids, home of the resident police inspector Russell Falcon-Price. An antagonist in the series, Falcon-Price often tries to terminate the employment of the Mount Thomas sergeant or to close the entire station, which in reality would be almost entirely out of his control.

Along with their police work, aspects of the Heelers' personal lives are regularly featured, notably the relationship between [[Margaret 'Maggie' Doyle|Maggie]] and [[Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' Hasham|PJ]], which ends with Maggie's death in one of the most watched moments on Australian television.

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Blue Heelers episodes}}
{{:List of Blue Heelers episodes}}

==Cast==
{{Main|List of Blue Heelers characters}}

===Main===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:14%;" | Actor
! rowspan="2" style="width:14%;" | Character
! rowspan="2" style="width:7%;" | Episode count
! colspan="13" | Season
|-
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 1|1]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 2|2]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 3|3]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 4|4]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 5|5]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 6|6]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 7|7]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 8|8]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 9|9]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 10|10]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 11|11]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 12|12]]
! style="width:5%;" | [[Blue Heelers season 13|13]]
|-
|[[John Wood (actor, born 1946)|John Wood]]
|[[Tom Croydon]]
| 510
| colspan="13" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Julie Nihill]]
| [[Chris Riley (Blue Heelers)|Chris Riley]]
| 510
| colspan="13" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Martin Sacks]]
| [[P. J. Hasham]]
| 484
| colspan="12" {{CMain|Main}}
| {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Lisa McCune]]
| [[Maggie Doyle]]
| 255
| colspan="7" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="6" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[William McInnes]]
| [[Nick Schultz (Blue Heelers)|Nick Schultz]]
| 214
| colspan="5" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="1" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Grant Bowler]]
| [[Wayne Patterson]]
| 96
| colspan="3" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Ann Burbrook]]
| [[Roz Patterson]]
| 31
| {{CMain|Main}}
| {{CNone}}
| {{CGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Damian Walshe-Howling]]
| [[Adam Cooper (Blue Heelers)|Adam Cooper]]
|178
| colspan="5" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="7" {{CNone}}
| colspan="1" {{CGuest|Guest}}
|-
| [[Tasma Walton]]
| [[Dash McKinley]]
| 128
| colspan="2" {{CNone}}
| colspan="4" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="7" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Paul Bishop (actor)|Paul Bishop]]
| [[Ben Stewart (Blue Heelers)|Ben Stewart]]
| 253
| colspan="4" {{CNone}}
| colspan="7" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="2" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Rupert Reid]]
| [[Jack Lawson (Blue Heelers)|Jack Lawson]]
| 102
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
| colspan="3" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Jane Allsop]]
| [[Jo Parrish]]
| 202
| colspan="5" {{CNone}}
| colspan="6" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="2" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Caroline Craig]]
| [[Tess Gallagher (Blue Heelers)|Tess Gallagher]]
| 139
| colspan="6" {{CNone}}
| colspan="4" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="3" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Ditch Davey]]
| [[Evan Jones (Blue Heelers)|Evan Jones]]
| 193
| colspan="7" {{CNone}}
| colspan="6" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Simone McAullay]]
| [[Susie Raynor]]
| 99
| colspan="9" {{CNone}}
| colspan="4" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Rachel Gordon]]
| [[Amy Fox (Blue Heelers)|Amy Fox]] 
| 70
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
| colspan="3" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Samantha Tolj]]
| [[Kelly O'Rourke]]
| 69
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
| colspan="3" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Danny Raco]]
| [[Joss Peroni]]
| 69
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
| colspan="3" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Geoff Morrell (actor)|Geoff Morrell]]
| [[Mark Jacobs (Blue Heelers)|Mark Jacobs]]
| 59
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain|Main}}
| colspan="10" {{CNone}}
|-
| [[Charlie Clausen]]
| [[Alex Kirby (Blue Heelers)|Alex Kirby]]
| 50
| colspan="11" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain|Main}}
|-
| [[Matt Holmes (actor)|Matt Holmes]]
| [[Matt Graham (Blue Heelers)|Matt Graham]]
| 20
| colspan="11" {{CNone}}
| colspan="2" {{CMain|Main}}
|}

[[File:Blue Heelers (TV series), cast promo photo(2006).jpg|right|thumb|''Blue Heelers'' final cast of [[Blue Heelers season 13|2006]]]]

===Recurring cast===
{|class="wikitable"
! Actor
! Character
! Episode count
! Reference 
|-
| [[Arianthe Galani]]
| Helena Hasham
| 6
|
|-
| [[Beth Buchanan]] 
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Susan Croydon|Susan Croydon]]
| 15
| <ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ruben|first=Amanda|date=19 July 1997|title=Beth Battles Back|magazine=[[TV Week]]|pages=22–23}}</ref>
|-
| [[Brett Climo]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Robbie Doyle|Robbie Doyle]]
| 9
| <ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ruben|first=Amanda|date=19 July 1997|title=Meet Maggie's bad-boy brother|magazine=[[TV Week]]|page=23}}</ref>
|-
| [[Catherine Wilkin]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Sally Downie|Sally Downie]]
| 14
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-love-across-the-water/169824051/|title=Love across the water|last=Hooks|first=Barbara|date=29 October 1998|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=8 April 2025|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|-
| [[Damien Fotiou]]
| Vinnie Morelli
| 3
|
|-
| [[Danny Adcock]]
| Barry Baxter
| 8
|
|-
| [[David Lyons (actor)|David Lyons]]
| Jason Tyler
| 3
| 
|-
| [[Debra Lawrance]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Grace Curtis|Grace Curtis]]
| 26
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/tv/we-still-like-pippa-even-if-shes-rose-ng-ya-376847|title=We still like Pippa, even if she's Rose|last=Yeap|first=Sue|date=2 September 2014|work=[[The West Australian]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Dennis Miller (Australian actor)|Dennis Miller]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Pat Doyle|Pat Doyle]]
| 14
|
|-
| [[Emily Browning]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Hayley Fulton|Hayley Fulton]]
| 9
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/news/australian-actress-emily-browning-on-nerves-social-media-and-that-twilight-audition/news-story/c2075e796904a8c8eb779e829f60b0a5|title=Australian actress Emily Browning on nerves, social media and that Twilight audition|last=Clark|first=Lucie|date=2 April 2019|work=[[Vogue Australia]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Frances O'Connor]]
| Gabe Greenway
| 3
|
|-
| [[Helen Thomson (actress)|Helen Thomson]]
| Dr Tatiana Zylinski
| 6
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/07/three-things-with-helen-thomson-barbie-as-a-salem-witch-has-pride-of-place-in-my-office|title=Three things with Helen Thomson: 'Barbie as a Salem witch has pride of place in my office'|last=Cunningham|first=Katie|date=6 August 2023|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jack Finsterer]]
| Detective Constable Johnny Kowalski
| 4
| 
|-
| [[Jeremy Kewley]] 
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Tony Timms|Tony Timms]]
| 23
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/news/dream-job|title=A Dream Job|last=Drouyn|first=Coral|publisher=Stage Whispers|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Josh Lawson]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#David Murray|David Murray]]
| 5
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/st-denis-medical-cast-josh-lawson|title=Who is Josh Lawson? Everything to Know about the St. Denis Medical Star|last=Bauman|first=Oscar Kim|date=29 October 2024|publisher=[[NBC Insider]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kevin Harrington (actor)|Kevin Harrington]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Charlie McKinley|Charlie McKinley]] 
| 4
|
|-
| [[Martin Copping]]
| Boyd Spurling
| 5
|
|-
| [[Marty Fields]]
| Sgt. Roy Holland
| 4
|-
| [[Matt Passmore]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Brad Fingleton|Brad Fingleton]]
| 5
|
|-
| Merfyn Owen
| Father Brian Hegerty
| 11
| {{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
|-
| Michael Isaacs
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Clancy Freeman|Clancy Freeman]]
| 11
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/back-with-the-pack-20040708-gdy7ge.html|title=Back with the pack|date=8 July 2004|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Mirrah Foulkes]]
| Deborah Masters
| 3
|
|-
| [[Neil Pigot]] 
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Russell Falcon-Price|Inspector Russel Falcon-Price]]
| 42
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/depression-poverty-and-bad-teeth-performers-really-do-suffer-for-art-20180730-p4zufb.html|title=Depression, poverty and bad teeth: performers really do suffer for art|last=Maddox|first=Garry|date=31 July 2018|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| Peta Doodson
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Monica Draper|Inspector Monica Draper]]
| 33
| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bgmagency.com.au/uploaded/cv/DOODSON%20Peta.pdf|title=Peta Doodson|publisher=BGM Agency|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rachel Blakely]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Gina Belfanti|Gina Belfanti]]
| 10
|
|-
| [[Reg Evans]] 
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Keith Purvis|Keith Purvis]]
| 5 +
|
|-
| [[Richard Carter (actor)|Richard Carter]]
| Les Anderson
| 4
|
|-
| [[Richard Huggett (actor)|Richard Huggett]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Sean Neale|Detective Constable Sean Neale]]
| 6
| <ref>{{cite magazine|last=Devlyn|first=Darren|date=13 August 1994|title=Heelers heals Richard's blues|magazine=[[TV Week]]|page=26}}</ref>
|-
| [[Roger Oakley]]
| Russ Cavell 
| 4
|
|-
| [[Roy Billing]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Ian Goss|Senior Constable Ian Goss]]
| 5
| 
|-
| [[Sarah Chadwick]]
| Acting Sgt Lindy Schroeder
| 3
|
|-
| [[Stephen Curry (comedian)|Stephen Curry]]
| Eddie Dodds
| 3
|
|-
| [[Steve Mouzakis]]
| Theo Kallergis 
| 5
|
|-
| Suzi Dougherty
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Mel Carter|Dr. Mel Carter]]
| 30
| <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-age-tv-tonight/169828987/|title=TV Tonight|last=Hughes|first=Simon|date=3 November 1999|work=[[The Age]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Tara Morice]]
| Melanie Anderson
| 5
|
|-
| [[Terence Donovan (actor)|Terence Donovan]]
| Ian Waldron
| 3
|
|-
| [[Terry Gill]] 
| [[Superintendent (police)|Superintendent]] [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Clive Adamson|Clive Adamson]]
| 5
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2015/02/vale-terry-gill.html|title=Vale: Terry Gill|last=Knox|first=David|date=25 February 2015|publisher=[[TV Tonight]]|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Terry Serio]]
| [[List of Blue Heelers characters#Mick Doyle|Mick Doyle]]
| 8
| 
|-
| [[Todd MacDonald]] 
| Brendan Maguire
| 3
| 
|-
| [[Tottie Goldsmith]]
| Fay Tudor 
| 3
|
|-
| [[Vince Colosimo]]
| Bill Lapscott
| 3
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rgm.com.au/entertainment/vince-colosimo/|title=Vince Colosimo Corporate Speaker – Presenter|publisher=RGM Artists|access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Production ==
On average, 42 episodes of ''Blue Heelers'' were broadcast per year on Australian television, with each episode comprising fifty scenes. One episode was made every week. The scripts were written to a formula which allowed one day for rehearsal, two days on location and two days in the studio.<ref name="Heelers hit 150">James, Carol. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081210114839/http://www.lisamccune.net/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=213 Heelers hit 150], TV Week, 5 July 1997. Retrieved from [http://www.lisamccune.net/ LisaMcCune.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415121628/http://lisamccune.net/ |date=15 April 2018 }} on 13 August 2008.</ref> Episodes were shot eight to ten weeks ahead of their scheduled broadcast date.<ref name="BH in town">[http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/castlemaine.html Blue Heelers in town], Bendigo Advertiser, 8 April 2005. Retrieved 6 May 2008.</ref> There were 16 episodes in various stages of production at any one time (from the conception of new storylines to post-production). In addition, there were always seven complete episodes waiting to go to air.<ref name="Heelers hit 150"/> Apart from the regular cast members, the show employed 4,300 guest actors annually, plus 30 extras every week. A total of 150 people were involved in some way with the show's production each week, including cast members, crew, wardrobe, publicists and writers.<ref name="Heelers hit 150"/>

=== Conception and development ===
''Blue Heelers'' creator/producer, [[Hal and Jim McElroy|Hal McElroy]], conceived the idea of ''Blue Heelers'' when he heard that an eighteen-year-old friend was planning to become a police officer. Intrigued, he inquired as to why this young boy, fresh out of school, would want to become a police officer, as opposed to the many other opportunities he had open to him. McElroy soon discovered that, at the time, a staggering 60% of Australian police officers were under the age of 26.<ref name="BB">Farmer, Monique. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/bushbobbies.html "Bush Bobbies"], ''Sydney Morning Herald'' 17 January 1994</ref> This, coupled with McElroy's desire to create a country cop show, formed the basis of the programme. When this same young officer left the force only a year later due to the shooting death of his colleague, McElroy was even more intrigued to learn about the very fickle, yet rewarding job of policing the community.<ref name="DCITA"/> McElroy continued his quest by asking ex-police officer Michael Winter to write down what it was like to be a city cop who transferred to a country town. These became the ideas that ''Blue Heelers'' was based around.<ref name="CCS">Schembri, Jim: [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/countrycopshop.html "A Country Cop Show"], ''The Age'', 14 January 1994</ref> Michael Winter also conceived the name of the programme by recounting the common names for a country police officer: "tyre-biters"—referring to the fact that country cops are often involved in car chases—and "blue heelers"—referring to their blue uniforms and overall similar appearance and persona to a [[Australian Cattle Dog|Blue Heeler dog]], a protective and intuitive breed of Australian dog.<ref name="BB"/> From the time that McElroy's idea was initially conceived, to the time the programme was ready to air, three years passed.

During the early development of ''Blue Heelers'' two completely different pilots were shot: one depicting the story from the perspective of a police officer and the other from the perspective of a criminal. When these were presented to the Seven Network, the network committed to 13 episodes of the first pilot. The pilot went on to become the official first episode of ''Blue Heelers'', telling the story of a new cop in town, Maggie Doyle, and her beginnings in Mount Thomas. Hal McElroy chose to discard the second pilot, realising it was a fatal mistake to be "with the criminals as they plotted the crime". He also conceived his rule that the producers of the show "couldn't have a camera in a room unless there was a copper there as well" (a rule shared by long-running UK Police drama ''[[The Bill]]''). Hence, the basis of the show being from a police officer's perspective became a firm reality.<ref name="DCITA"/> (The only bending of this rule was with scenes featuring publican Chris; as she was billed with the main cast, she was given the same on-screen "rules" as the officers. In early episodes, before she worked at the station, this "rule" also applied to Wayne Patterson's wife Roz).

Hal McElroy gives his police adviser's opinion:

{{blockquote|
He had been posted to [[Yass, New South Wales|Yass]] (in New South Wales) and he really loved it up there because the routine was so simple and straightforward-most often you knew the victim and sometimes you knew the culprit, and someone in charge would give them a clip behind the ear and say 'wash the police car' or 'sweep the yard' and 'don't ever do it again', rather than sending a juvenile to jail.

I loved it, and I said 'Hey this is great'. But all the writers said, 'No it's boring, we want that gritty, inner-city police stuff'. (We had Boys in Blue set up in Leichhardt in Sydney.) And I still remember the moment I was driving home up River Road and I thought, 'Then we can have two shows'. I said to this copper 'What are you called in the country? What is your nickname?' And he said they call highway patrol 'tyre biters' and coppers 'blue heelers'. And I thought 'That's the title!' So I rang [scriptwriter] Tony Morphett and said 'Let's do a show about young cops in the country. It's called Blue Heelers.
|Hal McElroy|<ref name="DCITA"/>}}

By creating the programme, McElroy and Morphett hoped to close the gap between to police and the public. They hoped to show the human side of the policing and that, like other citizens, police officers have feelings, regrets, aspirations and fears.<ref name="BCSM">Hallett,Bryce [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/bushcoppers.html "Bush coppers show mettle"], ''The Australian'', 18 January 1994.</ref> They also hoped that the show would act as a tribute to the courage of police officers, who risk their lives everyday, never knowing if they would return home at the end of the day.<ref name="BB"/>

=== Filming locations ===
Only about half of the footage for each episode was shot on location.<ref name="BH in town"/> Most of the scenes, including scenes in the police station and pub, were filmed at the Seven Network studios in Melbourne.<ref name="BH in town"/><ref name="Blue Appealers article">Webster, Di. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/blueappealers.html Blue Appealers], Who Weekly, 10 February 1997. Retrieved 3 May 2008.</ref> Much of the filming on location was carried out in towns such as [[Williamstown, Victoria|Williamstown]],<ref name="Blue Appealers article"/> and the more established parts of [[Werribee]].<ref name="Axe falls on Blue Heelers">Webb, Caroline; Idato, Michael. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/axe-falls-on-blue-heelers-sevens-institution/2006/01/13/1137118970295.html "Axe falls on ''Blue Heelers''"], The Age, 14 January 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2008.</ref> The scenes of the outside of the Mount Thomas police station were actually filmed at the old, disused [[Williamstown, Victoria|Williamstown]] police station, which was then a private residence. Scenes at Mount Thomas High School were filmed at Williamstown High School. The town of [[Castlemaine, Victoria|Castlemaine]] was most often used as the backdrop for Mount Thomas, seen in almost every episode.<ref name="Castlemaine">[http://www.australiaeguide.com.au/castlemaine.php Castlemaine, Australia], Australia eguide. Retrieved 3 May 2008.</ref><ref name="ACMI">Victorian Government. [http://www.acmi.net.au/tv50_tour.htm Famous television locations] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802182100/http://www.acmi.net.au/tv50_tour.htm |date=2 August 2008 }}, [http://www.acmi.net.au/ Australian Centre for the Moving Image]. Retrieved 3 May 2008.</ref> Although the Blue Heelers' pilot was shot in Castlemaine, the cast and crew very rarely returned there to shoot further episodes;<ref name="BH in town"/> images of Castlemaine were usually just establishing shots. Chris Riley's fictional Imperial Hotel, for example, was actually the real Imperial Hotel in Castlemaine.<ref name="Castlemaine"/><ref name="ACMI"/> Mount Thomas' fictional Commercial Hotel was filmed at the Willy Tavern in Williamstown.<ref name="Blue Appealers article"/> The second Mount Thomas police station, adopted during the programme's reform of 2004, was filmed at Newport Railway workshops. The Mount Thomas Hospital was filmed at the Werribee Mercy Hospital.<ref>Hobsons Bay City Council. [http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Page/page.asp?Page_Id=128&h=0 Tourism & Places of Interest]. Retrieved 4 May 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820021921/http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Page/page.asp?Page_Id=128&h=0 |date=20 August 2006 }}</ref> Sunbury railway station was commonly used as the Mount Thomas railway station.
Hobson's Bay, and Wyndham, Victoria were also locations used in Blue Heelers.

=== 2004 revamp: the station bombing ===
After low ratings in 2003 and 2004, the producers and executives of ''Blue Heelers'' realised that there were apparent problems which could potentially lead to the series' downfall. In 2004, ''Blue Heelers'' lost the top ratings spot to ''[[McLeod's Daughters]]''.<ref name="investing in heelers future">Miller, Kylie. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/backwiththepack.html Investing in Blue Heelers' future], The Age, 7 July 2004. Retrieved 12 July 2008.</ref> During 2003 and 2004, Australian television drama was also at its "lowest point in a decade" and many popular shows were cancelled.<ref>Warneke, Ross. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/publicitypeople.html The Publicity People Did It], The Age, 8 July 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.</ref> As the show remained basically unchanged from its debut ten years earlier, the production team decided that a revamp was in order.

At the beginning of season 11, the revamp began with new, more modern opening credits, using an electric guitar, rather than an acoustic. Later in that season, a live episode, "Reasonable Doubt", was broadcast in hope of offering a short-term ratings boost and encourage more long-term viewers. Although an immediate success, the live episode did not bring about a sustained increase in ratings.<ref name="investing in heelers future"/> Producers also hoped that a shift in direction, a change of mood and setting, and the addition of four cast members would cement ''Blue Heelers''' long-term future.<ref name="investing in heelers future"/> They also wanted the show to remain relevant and more accurately reflect today's modern world:<ref name="Blue If Heelers Axed">Fidgeon, Robert. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/blueifheelersaxed.html Blue if Heelers axed], The Herald Sun, 14 July 2004. Retrieved 12 June 2008.</ref>

{{Blockquote|Mount Thomas was created in 1993 and the world has changed... It will now be more reflective of today's country towns, not the sleepy backwater it was. It wasn't an easy task but the creative team responded brilliantly and there's a real feeling of excitement again... The old girl can still dance. And dance to new tunes.|John Holmes|<ref name="The Force Is With Them"/>}}

The main plot, setting and character changes started in July 2004, with the airing of the episode "End of Innocence". In this episode, the main storyline was the bombing of the Mount Thomas police station. The blast killed popular main character Snr. Const. Jo Parrish (Jane Allsop) and recurring cast member Clancy Freeman, and injured the show's main protagonist,<ref name="Wood's support for Gold">Dennehy, Luke.[http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/blueheelerseesred.html Blue Heeler sees red], The Herald Sun, 29 April 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2008.</ref> Senior Sergeant Croydon. After the bombing it was revealed that Croydon's wife, the Reverend Curtis, was missing. It was later revealed she had been brutally raped and murdered.<ref name="investing in heelers future"/> These events brought about sweeping changes to the mood of not only Croydon but also the mood of the entire show. ''[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]]'' television writer Marcus Casey commented, "Mount Thomas has become a darker, grittier place, the people and cops in it transformed by an invasion of evil".<ref name="The Force Is With Them">Casey, Marcus. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/forceiswiththem.html The Force Is With Them], The Daily Telegraph, 25 August 2005. Retrieved 12 June 2008.</ref>
Consequently, the story changed its focus from the old Mount Thomas police station to the new one that was used until the show's cancellation in 2006. The Seven Network feared that in the modern [[post-9/11]] world, a show about country police was no longer what audiences wanted.<ref>[http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/outofthewoods.html "Can John get Heelers out of the woods?"], The Daily Telegraph, 1 July 2004</ref> Storylines of the proceeding five episodes focused on the bombing of the station and the four new main characters: Rachel Gordon as Amy Fox, Geoff Morrell as Mark Jacobs, Samantha Tolj as Kelly O'Rourke, and Danny Raco as Joss Peroni.<ref name="investing in heelers future"/><ref name="The Force Is With Them"/> Popular former cast member [[William McInnes]] also returned to the show, temporarily reprising his role as [[Nick Schultz (Blue Heelers)|Nick Schultz]]. Producers hoped the new tone of the series, the new younger actors, and McInnes's role reprisal would lure back viewers who had stopped watching the programme.<ref name="The Force Is With Them"/> This new style of programme that ''Blue Heelers'' was embracing was a sign of the show trying to keep up with other larger television shows, particularly the [[CSI (franchise)|''CSI'' franchise]].<ref name="The Force Is With Them"/>

The revamp of the series resulted in a 25% ratings increase, bringing the series' weekly viewership to 1.6&nbsp;million people.<ref>Fidegon, Robert. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/newlease.html New Lease of Life for Blue Heelers], The Herald Sun, 7 August 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2008.</ref> Critical response after the event was reassuring, and it appeared that critics were approving of the drastic moves by Seven and Southern Star:

{{Blockquote|The recent shake-up at the old station has swept aside an unhealthy staleness that had settled on the place and there's some much-needed fresh energy provided by the new recruits, including Samantha Tolj as true-blue Aussie gal Kelly O'Rourke and Danny Raco as Italian stallion Joss Peroni.|Debi Enker|<ref>Enker, Debi. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/review.html ''Blue Heelers'' review], The Age, 24 February 2005. Retrieved 13 June 2008.</ref>}}

=== Cancellation ===
In the hope that viewing would increase, an 11-episode season in 2006 was commissioned by the Seven Network.<ref>Miller, Kylie.[http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/heelersstay.html Heelers stay], The Age, 29 September 2005. Retrieved 26 March 2008.</ref> However, the ratings spike begun in 2004 was not sufficient for the Seven Network to commit to continuing to produce the show. In January 2006, Seven officially announced that they had cancelled ''Blue Heelers'' but would air a final shortened season of 11 episodes in mid–2006.<ref>Le Marquand, Sarah. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/bootforheelers.html Boot for Heelers], The Daily Telegraph, 14 January 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2008.</ref> At the time, the show was still drawing 1.2&nbsp;million viewers per week on average, down from the 3.5&nbsp;million it was drawing at its peak.<ref>Nicholson, Sarah. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/everydog.html Every Dog Had Its Day], 31 May 2006, The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 9 September 2008.</ref> The announcement was front-page news on nearly all of Australia's major newspapers, including ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|''The Daily Telegraph'' (Sydney)]], ''[[Herald Sun|The Herald Sun]]'', ''[[The Age]]'' and Brisbane's ''[[The Courier Mail|Courier Mail]]''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108709/trivia "Blue Heelers" (1994)]</ref> Two different endings were shot for the final episode, which finished filming on 20 December 2005. The first ending wrapped up all the show's storylines, while the second left the show open for another season; the second version was used.<ref name="Axe falls on Blue Heelers" />

For ''Blue Heelers''' final season in 2006, it was moved from its primetime Wednesday-night [[timeslot]], to a lower-rating Saturday-night timeslot.<ref name="timeslot">[http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/finalseason.html ''Blue Heelers'' Returns For Final Season], Seven Network, 13 March 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2008.</ref> In the Saturday timeslot, ''Blue Heelers'' competed with ''[[The Bill]]'', a British police drama which had become quite popular in Australia on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], and [[Saturday Night Footy|Saturday Night AFL Coverage]] on [[Fox Footy Channel]] and [[Network Ten]].<ref name="Wood's support for Gold"/> This move was slammed by leading cast member John Wood.<ref name="Wood's support for Gold"/> ''Blue Heelers''<nowiki/>' cancellation may also be related to Seven's [[Australian Football League|AFL]] broadcast, which saw Seven invest $780m for the 5-year broadcasting rights of the game.<ref name="AFL"/>

== Broadcast ==
=== Australia ===
''Blue Heelers'' originally aired on Tuesday nights at 7:30&nbsp;pm on the Seven Network, thus it was limited to a PG content level restriction. When the series was hailed as a success, it began the transition from this timeslot to the 8:30&nbsp;pm timeslot on the same day. After the move, writers could explore more diverse storylines, as the show was restricted to an M rating. The third and fourth season premiers aired on Monday nights during the 8:30&nbsp;pm timeslot, but the show moved back to its original slot before the next episode. In its fifth season, ''Blue Heelers'' moved to the Wednesday night 8:30&nbsp;pm timeslot, which it occupied for most of its run, until the end of its twelfth season. This move was made to make way for hospital drama ''[[All Saints (TV series)|All Saints]]''.

Starting in 2004, the Seven Network aired ''Blue Heelers'' weekdays at 2:00&nbsp;pm. All episodes aired with the final episode airing in 2007. This made way for the broadcast of early episodes of ''All Saints''.

Seasons generally ran in Australia from early February to late November. Each season generally consisted of 41 to 42 episodes. The eleventh season however, only consisted of 39 episodes, as the Seven Network had gained the rights to televise the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Olympic Games]]. In total, 510 episodes were aired: 509-hour-long standard episodes and one live episode. The live episode, titled "Reasonable Doubts", was filmed to celebrate ''Blue Heelers'' 10th year on the air.<ref>Witham, Katrina. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/liveandlaughing.html Live and Laughing], The Courier-Mail, 15 April 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2008.</ref> To prepare, the cast was given six days to memorise their lines.<ref>Miller, Kylie. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/heelerstrynewtrick.html Heelers Try New Trick], The Age, 15 April 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2008.</ref>

The final episode of the 13th season aired as a 2-hour tribute. It opened with an introduction from John Wood and concluded with a [[anthology|compilation]] of ''Blue Heelers'' moments from over its 13-season run.<ref>Blundell, Graeme. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/copout.html Cop Out], The Australian, 3 June 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2008.</ref>

Australian television quiz-show ''[[The Weakest Link (Australian game show)|The Weakest Link]]'', hosted by [[Cornelia Frances]], also aired a ''Blue Heelers'' special episode on 9 August 2001. Cast members John Wood, Neil Pigot, Ditch Davey, Jeremy Kewley, Jane Allsop, Suzi Dougherty, Paul Bishop, Caroline Craig and Peta Doodson took part in this special event.<ref>Zuk, Tim. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/bh/series8.html Blue Heelers season 8 (2001) episode guide], [http://www.australiantelevision.net/ Australian Television Information Archive]. Retrieved 11 July 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci3VCdq1bUQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/Ci3VCdq1bUQ |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=The Weakest Link Blue Heelers special|publisher=[[YouTube]]|author=tsstevens|date=9 August 2001|access-date=12 November 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In February 2014, repeats of series 12 started airing; and, in May 2014, repeats of series 13 aired on [[7two]]. ''Blue Heelers'' has also screened on [[Universal Channel (Australia)|Hallmark Channel]] in Australia in various time-slots.

=== International ===
''Blue Heelers'' had a strong following not only in Australia but also worldwide; it has been sold to 108 territories<ref name="SS2006"/> and is shown in over 70 countries.<ref>Tuohy, Wendy. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/trueblue.html True Blue and Loving It], The Age, 14 May 2000. Retrieved 16 June 2008.</ref>

==== New Zealand ====
In New Zealand ''Blue Heelers'' screened on [[TV One (New Zealand)|TV One]] in a popular timeslot. However, following the on-screen death of [[Maggie Doyle]], ratings fell, and the show was moved to a 9:30&nbsp;pm slot on Friday. Following that, the show moved to a late night Thursday slot where the rest of the episodes played out, with the show beginning anywhere between 11:30&nbsp;pm and midnight. It aired its final episode on TV One on 20 March 2008.

==== Ireland ====
Debuted on [[RTÉ]] on 15 September 1995, initially airing every Friday afternoon at 4:30pm. In 1998, the show moved to a late night slot on RTÉ2, typically airing around 1:00am on Thursdays. 

Season 5 premiered in September 2001, and was promoted to weekday mornings at 10:30am on RTÉ One. With five episodes airing per week, the Irish broadcast quickly caught up with the Australian schedule. As a result, in 2004, RTÉ reduced its output to a single weekly episode, which aired late on Thursday nights, usually around 1:00am.

RTÉ began broadcasting the final season on 30 May 2008 in a late-night Saturday slot, with the series finale airing on 30 November 2008.

On 24 June 2009, RTÉ began re-airing Blue Heelers from the beginning, typically in a very early Sunday morning slot around 4:00am.

RTÉ screened all episodes in their original unedited state. The drama proved very popular in Ireland and rated very well.

==== United States ====
''Blue Heelers'' aired briefly in the United States of America in the early 2000s on the short-lived cable channel [[Trio (TV network)|Trio]] (carried primarily by [[DirecTV]]). No episode after number 76 was ever shown in the United States, and when Trio changed their programming in 2004, ''Blue Heelers'' was dropped from the schedule. The series returned to US airwaves in September 2021 on the new digital network [https://www.watchdigitv.com/series/blue-heelers DigiTV], a channel devoted mainly to imported British and Australian series.

==== Canada ====
''Blue Heelers'' was broadcast on [[Showcase (Canadian TV channel)|Showcase]] in Canada, last airing on 15 May 1998.<ref>Zuk, Tim. [https://archive.today/20120722064637/http://www.australiantelevision.net/now.html Series Previously Aired in Canada], [http://www.australiantelevision.net/ Australian Television Information Archive]. Retrieved 19 September 2008</ref>

==== United Kingdom ====
In the United Kingdom, ''Blue Heelers'' was broadcast on most of the regional franchises of the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] Network. At least ten out of the fourteen regional companies that formed ITV aired the first few years of the series and most initially broadcast it in the original hour-long format during the afternoon (with necessary edits to suit the time slot, usually regarding [[profanity]]). Some ITV regions edited each episode into two half-hour editions, and stripped these episodes across two or three days. This half-hour format of broadcasting Australian series was well established by ITV with ''[[A Country Practice]]''. Very early hour-long episodes of ''Blue Heelers'' also ran unedited later in the evening, around midnight, on both Central and UTV.

[[Carlton Television]] and [[Westcountry Television]] were the first to broadcast ''Blue Heelers'', and they began with three half-hour weekly episodes, Monday to Wednesday, 14:20-14:50, starting from 3 January 1995. Later in the year, they then switched to airing hour-long episodes, 14:20-15:20, on Mondays. [[ITV Central|Central Television]] were next to start in February 1995 with a late night 23.40-00:35 slot on Tuesdays, before following Carlton with the half-hour 14.20-14:50 slot on Mondays and Tuesdays from March. Central also reverted to hour long episodes in 1996, usually on Monday and Friday, 14:20-15:15, but went back down to one hourly episode per week in 1997, on Mondays, 13:50-14:45, as the gap with Australian broadcasts narrowed. By 2000, half-hour editions were being aired again, 13:30-14:00, but now on Tuesday and Wednesday, where it remained until 2002. Central were one of the most consistent ITV regions to broadcast ''Blue Heelers'', completing series 6 by early 2002. When the three Carlton-owned ITV regions (Carlton, Westcountry and Central) started a uniform programme schedule during 2002, ''Blue Heelers'' continued to air as two half-hour episodes, and the final batch of episodes shown in these regions were from Season 7, finishing the season on Wednesday, 20 November 2002 (Australian air date: 22 November 2000).

''Blue Heelers'' also aired on [[Anglia Television]], [[Meridian Broadcasting|Meridian Television]] and [[Channel Television]], typically Mondays at 14:20-15:15. During the summer school holidays, it was broadcast daily in a morning slot, usually from 11:05, until late 1998. [[Granada Television]] and [[Border Television]] also screened the series from 1995 in the hour long format but by 1998, these regions had dropped the series. [[Ulster Television]] (UTV) began airing ''Blue Heelers'' in early 1995. The show initially screened 3 times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 13:50, later moving to 14:20. UTV aired several episodes late night, around 11:40pm on Wednesdays or Thursdays during July 1997, as their content was deemed unsuitable for daytime viewing. UTV cancelled ''Blue Heelers'' in 1998.

[[Scottish Television]] began aired hour-long episodes from January 1995, airing on Fridays, Then Tuesday from May until Xmas 1995, the series was dropped as there was no room do to network programmes, 2 editions went out in 1996, the series returned on 9th January 1998 on Fridays until the end of march, then reappeared on 3rd Oct with Eps65 until 19 December. During 1999 From April until early August the series was broadcast at 04.30 most weekday morning before being dropped completely. 

[[Grampian Television]], [[ITV Wales & West|HTV]], [[Yorkshire Television]], and [[Tyne Tees Television]] all chose not to purchase ''Blue Heelers'', opting for locally made programming instead. 

When the English [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] contractors reformatted as one company in late 2002, regionally-run programmes such as ''Blue Heelers'' and ''Shortland Street'' (which were at different points of the series in each region) disappeared from the schedules. No ITV region ever screened the series in full. ''Blue Heelers'' also aired on an early UK digital and cable channel, [[Carlton Select]], in the late 1990s. Early episodes aired daily, and then in a weekly slot on Fridays at 20.00 as episodes became more recent. Episodes to the later part of the 1997 season were shown before the series was dropped, along with the entire channel shortly afterwards.

==Home media==
{{unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

=== Home Media Overview ===
* 2005–2011: Paramount Pictures released each season of ''Blue Heelers'' on DVD.
* July 2013: The show's production company, [[Endemol Australia]] (formerly Southern Star Productions), stated there are no plans at this stage to re-release.
* November 2015: Channel 7 said that there are still no plans to re-release ''Blue Heelers'' on DVD or Blu-ray.
* May 2017: Via Vision Entertainment stated they would be re-releasing ''Blue Heelers'' on DVD.
* 2017–2018: Via Vision Entertainment released four collectable [[box set]]s of ''Blue Heelers'' which featured all 510 episodes.
* 2018: Via Vision Entertainment released ''Blue Heelers: The Complete Collection''.
* August 2018: [[7plus]] (Channel 7 Streaming Service) started releasing all episodes.

=== VHS Releases ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Title
!Format
!Episodes #
!Tapes & discs
!Region 4 (Australia)
!Special features
!Distributors 
|-
| Welcome To Mt Thomas 
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"| Season 1, Episode 1 & 2
| 1
| 
| N/A
| 
|-
| The Earth is Made of Glass
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1, Episode 3 & 4
| 1
| 
| N/A
| 
|-
| The Spice of Life
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1, Episode 5 & 6
| 1
| 
| N/A
| 
|-
| The Wheel of Chance
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1, Episode 7 & 8
| 1
| 
| N/A
| 
|-
| Cops with Heart 
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1, Episode 1<br/>Season 2, Episode 22 & 23
| 1
| 28 November 1996
| Behind The Scenes
| Buena Vista Home Entertainment 
|-
| Stories from the heart
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1, Episode 18 & 23<br/>Season 2, Episode 40 & 41
| 1
| 1996
| Interviews with the cast
| 
|-
| Brotherly Love – Parts 1 & 2 
| VHS
| style="text-align:center;"|Season 2, Episodes 40 & 41
| 1
| 3 August 1998
| None
| 
|-
| Double Jeopardy – Parts 1 & 2
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 2, Episodes 30 & 31
| 1
| 7 September 1998
| None
| 
|-
| Paranoia – Parts 1 & 2
| VHS
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 2, Episodes 22 & 23
| 1
| 5 October 1998
| None
|
|}

=== DVD Releases ===
{|class="wikitable"
|+ ''TimeLife'' (DVD Releases)
|-
!Title
!Format
!Episodes #
!Tapes & discs
!Region 4 (Australia)
!Special features
!Distributors 
|-
| Welcome To Mt Thomas 
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Season 1: Episode 1 & 2
| 1
| 2003
| None
| [[TimeLife]]
|-
| The Earth is Made of Glass 
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1: Episode 3 & 4
| 1
| 2003
| None
| TimeLife
|-
| The Spice of Life
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1: Episode 5 & 6
| 1
| 2003
| None
| TimeLife
|-
| The Wheel of Chance
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 1: Episode 7 & 8
| 1
| 2003
| None
| TimeLife
|-
|}
{|class="wikitable"
|+ ''Paramount Home Entertainment'' (DVD Releases)
|-
!Title
!Format
!Episodes #
!Tapes & discs
!Region 4 (Australia)
!Special features
!Distributors 
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 1
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Series 1, Episodes 1–17
| 6
| 2 November 2005
| Photo Gallery
| [[Paramount Home Entertainment]]
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 2 (Parts 1&2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Series 1, Episodes 18–45

Series 2, Episodes 1–9
| 10
| 1 December 2005
| Photo Gallery;

Commentary on episodes 19 and 44 (season 1)
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 3 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 2, Episodes 10–41
Season 3, Episodes 1–10
| 11
| 16 February 2006
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 4 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 3, Episodes 11–42
Season 4, Episode 1–11
| 11
| 6 April 2006
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 5 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 4, Episodes 12–42
Season 5, Episode 1–11
| 11
| 6 June 2006
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 6 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 5, Episode 12–41
Season 6, Episode 1–12
| 11
| 10 August 2006
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 7 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 6, Episodes 13–42
Season 7, Episodes 1–12
| 11
| 31 July 2008
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 8 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 7, Episodes 13–41
Season 8, Episodes 1–12
| 11
| 1 October 2008
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 9 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 8, Episode 18–42
Season 9, Episodes 1–12
| 11
| 5 November 2009
| Photo Gallery
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 10 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 9, Episodes 13–40
Season 10, Episodes 1–12
| 10
| 6 May 2010
| None
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 11 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 10, Episodes 13–42
Season 11, Episode 1–10
| 10
| 5 August 2010
| None
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 12 
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 11, Episodes 11–40
| 8
| 4 November 2010 
| Blue Heelers: Live Episode
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 13 (Parts 1 & 2)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 12, Episodes 1–20
Season 12, Episodes 21–42
| 10
| 3 March 2011
| None
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers Season 14 
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"|Season 13, Episodes 1–10
| 3
| 2 June 2011
| None
| Paramount Home Entertainment
|-
|}
{|class="wikitable"
|+ ''Via Vision Entertainment'' (DVD Releases)
|-
!Title
!Format
!Episodes #
!Tapes & discs
!Region 4 (Australia)
!Special features
!Distributors 
|-
| Blue Heelers (Collection 1)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Series 1, Episodes 1–45

Series 2, Episodes 1–41

Series 3, Episodes 1–10
| 27
| 5 July 2017
| Photo Galleries
 
Commentary on

Episodes 19 & 44
| Via Vision Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers (Collection 2)
| DVD
|style="text-align:left;"| Series 3, Episodes 11–42
Series 4, Episodes 1–42

Series 5, Episodes 1–41

Series 6, Episodes 1–42

Series 7, Episodes 1–12
| 44
| 6 September 2017
| Photo Galleries (Series 4–7)
| Via Vision Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers (Collection 3)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Series 7, Episodes 13–41
Series 8, Episodes 1–42

Series 9, Episodes 1–41

Series 10, Episode 1–11
| 37
| 4 October 2017
| Photo Galleries (Series 8–9)
| Via Vision Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers (Collection 4)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Series 10, Episodes 12–42
Series 11, Episodes 1–39

Series 12, Episodes 1–42

Series 13, Episode 1–11
| 31
| 3 November 2017
| Blue Heelers: Live Episode
| Via Vision Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers (Complete Collection)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Series 1–13, Episodes 1–510
| 134
| 17 October 2018
| Selected Episode Commentaries

Photo Gallery (Series 1–9)

Blue Heelers: Live Episode
| Via Vision Entertainment
|-
| Blue Heelers (Complete Collection)
| DVD
| style="text-align:left;"| Series 1–13, Episodes 1–510
| 134
| 29 November 2023
| Selected Episode Commentaries

Photo Gallery (Series 1–9)

Blue Heelers: Live Episode
| Via Vision Entertainment
|}

=== Streaming ===
{|class="wikitable"
|+ ''Blue Heelers'' 7+ streaming
|-
!Title
!Format
!Episodes #
!Release date
!Streaming Status
!Distributors 
|-
| Blue Heelers Season One
| Streaming 
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 17
| 12 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| [[7plus]]
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Two
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 37
| 12 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Three
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 42
| 12 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Four 
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 43
| 17 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Five
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 42
| 17 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Six
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 42
| 17 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Seven
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 42
| 17 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Eight
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 41
| 17 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Nine
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 42 
| 21 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Ten
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 40 
| 21 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Eleven 
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 40 
| 21 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Twelve
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 29
| 24 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Thirteen
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 42
| 24 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|-
| Blue Heelers Season Fourteen
| Streaming
| style="text-align:left;"| Episodes 10
| 24 August 2018
| Currently Streaming
| 7plus
|}

== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
{{Expand section|date=September 2022}}
Described by critics before its launch as "''[[A Country Practice]]'' meets ''[[Cop Shop]]''",<ref name="CCS"/> and as "the contemporary cousin of British cop show, ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]''",<ref>Reviewers. [http://www.law4u.com.au/lil/tv_blue_heelers.html Blue Heelers review] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720024925/http://www.law4u.com.au/lil/tv_blue_heelers.html |date=20 July 2008 }}, Law4u. Retrieved 12 June 2008</ref> ''Blue Heelers'' was not anticipated by critics to become a hugely popular programme.

=== Viewership ===
It became a hit TV show soon after it began airing. During most of its broadcast, ''Blue Heelers'' was very popular in Australia, regularly attracting up to 2.5&nbsp;million viewers,<ref name="FF"/> and up to 3.5&nbsp;million viewers at its peak.<ref>Freeman, Jane. [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/articles/topdogs.html The top dogs of local TV drama], The Age, 17 April 1997. Retrieved 16 June 2008</ref> Throughout the show's broadcast it continually drew a strong audience, regularly appearing among the top-rating prime time programmes on Australian television. Viewership of Blue Heelers never dropped below 1&nbsp;million viewers.<ref name="SS2006"/> The episodes "Gold" and "Fool's Gold" (episodes 140 and 141), which aired during the programme's fourth season, were two of the most popular ''Blue Heelers'' episodes. Each drew 2.5&nbsp;million viewers, considered a huge achievement in 1997.<ref name="AFL"/>

''Blue Heelers<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' executive producer, Gus Howard believed the show's popularity was due mainly to the quality of the cast.

{{Blockquote|Much of the success of Blue Heelers has been attributed to one of the best ensemble casts of any drama on television, with most every cast member becoming a household name... The basic vocation for the show has always been about shedding a little light on the human condition, something Australian audiences have readily identified with. The show epitomises and represents the Australian ethos in a way that truly reflects Australian life.|Gus Howard|<ref name="SS2006"/>}}

Much of the show's sixth season, as well as the first 10 episodes of its seventh season, were the most watched episodes of the series. These episodes focus of the death of Maggie Doyle (played by Lisa McCune). Maggie's being shot and left for dead during episode 255, "One More Day", was ranked by TV Week as the third most memorable moment of a drama series on Australian television.<ref name="TVWEEK50">TV Week, [http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=145967 50 most memorable TV moments]. Retrieved 8 September 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208174715/http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=145967 |date=8 December 2008 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center"
!rowspan="2"| Season
!rowspan="2"| No. of episodes
!colspan="2"| Originally Aired
! rowspan="2"| Viewers ''(in millions)''
! rowspan="2"| Rating
! rowspan="2"| Drama Rank
|-
![[Season premiere]]
![[Season finale]]
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 1|1]]
| 45
| 10 September 1993
| 22 November 1994
| rowspan="4" colspan="3" {{n/a}}
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 2|2]]
| 41
| 21 February 1995
| 21 November 1995
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 3|3]]
| 42
| 12 February 1996
| 26 November 1996
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 4|4]]
| 42
| 10 February 1997
| 25 November 1997
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 5|5]]
| 41
| 24 February 1998
| 25 November 1998
| {{n/a}}<ref name="ratings1998-2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/television/australian-content/in-the-archive/top-drama-comedy-series-before-2004|title=Top-Rating Australian Drama Series and Serials (Including Comedy) on Television, 1998–2003
|publisher=screenaustralia.gov.au|access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref>
| 18.0<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| '''#1'''<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 6|6]]
| 42
| 10 February 1999
| 24 November 1999
| {{n/a}}<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| 15.6<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| '''#2'''<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 7|7]]
| 41
| 9 February 2000
| 22 November 2000
| {{n/a}}<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| 13.7<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| '''#2'''<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 8|8]]
| 41
| 21 February 2001
| 28 November 2001
| 1.757<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| 13.4<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| '''#1'''<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 9|9]]
| 40
| 13 February 2002
| 20 November 2002
| 1.508<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| 11.3<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| '''#2'''<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 10|10]]
| 42
| 12 February 2003
| 26 November 2003
| 1.397<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| 10.3<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
| '''#3'''<ref name="ratings1998-2003" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 11|11]]
| 39
| 4 February 2004
| 5 November 2004
| 1.264<ref name="ratings2004-2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/television/industry-trends/in-the-archive/top-programs/top-20-drama-series-2004-2009|title=Top 20 Drama Series and Serials Shown on Television, 2004–2009|publisher=screenaustralia.gov.au|access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref>
| 9.3<ref name="ratings2004-2006" />
| '''#12'''<ref name="ratings2004-2006" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 12|12]]
| 42
| 2 February 2005
| 26 November 2005
| 1.209<ref name="ratings2004-2006" />
| 8.7<ref name="ratings2004-2006" />
| '''#19'''<ref name="ratings2004-2006" />
|-
| [[Blue Heelers season 13|13]]
| 11
| 1 April 2006
| 4 June 2006
| colspan="3" {{n/a}}<ref name="ratings2004-2006" />
|}

=== Awards and nominations ===
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Blue Heelers}}

In terms of awards, Blue Heelers is regarded as one of the most successful programmes on Australian television.<ref>AAP. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/blue-heelers-coming-back/2005/09/30/1127804637133.html Blue Heelers coming back], The Age, 30 September 2005. Retrieved 7 May 2008.</ref> ''Blue Heelers'' has been the recipient of many awards, including 25 [[Logie Award]]s, five of which are the prestigious [[Gold Logie]], 3 [[Australian Film Institute Television Awards|AFI Television Awards]], 3 [[People's Choice Awards (Australia)|People's Choice Awards]], and 1 [[Australian Writers' Guild|AWGIE Awards]].<ref>[http://imdb.com/title/tt0108709/awards "Blue Heelers" (1994) – Awards]</ref><ref>[http://australiantelevision.net/bh/awards.html Australian Television: Blue Heelers: awards & nominations]</ref> ''Blue Heelers'' was nominated for a further twelve Gold Logies. ''Blue Heelers'' has also won multiple Silver Logies, including numerous Most Popular Actor, Most Popular Actress and Most Popular Programme awards, as well as many Outstanding Awards. Many ''Blue Heelers'' cast members have also presented awards at the Logies. In the 2005 [[50 Years 50 Shows]] poll, ''Blue Heelers'' was voted 37th greatest show on Australian television and ranked within the top ten dramas.

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 35em; padding:4px;"
|+ '''''Blue Heelers'' award summary'''<ref name="BH-awards"/>
|- style="background:#ddf;"
! Award
! style="background:#cec; width:50px;"| Wins
| style="background:#fcd; width:50px;"| Nominations
|- style="background:#eef;"
| style="background:#eef;" | [[Gold Logie|Gold Logie Awards]]<ref>TV Week editors. [http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=63394 History of the Gold Logie], TV Week. Retrieved 8 June 2008 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202224432/http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=63394 |date=2 February 2007 }}</ref>
| {{won|5}}
| {{nom|5}}
|- 
| style="background:#eef;" | [[Logie Award|Silver Logie Awards]]<ref>Zuk, Tim. [http://australiantelevision.net/awards/awards.html List of Logie Award winners and nominees], Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 8 June 2008.</ref>
| {{won|20}}
| {{nom|35}}
|-
| style="background:#eef;" | [[Australian Film Institute Television Awards|AFI Television Awards]]<ref name="AFI past awards PDF">[http://www.afi.org.au/awards/pastwinners/Television%20Award%20Winners%201986-2007%20.pdf Television Awards 1986 – 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723121059/http://www.afi.org.au/awards/pastwinners/Television%20Award%20Winners%201986-2007%20.pdf |date=23 July 2008 }}. [[Australian Film Institute]]. Retrieved 26 April 2008.</ref>
| {{won|3}}
| {{nom|4}}
|-
| style="background:#eef;" | [[Australian Writers' Guild|AWGIE Awards]]<ref name="AWG 1997">[[Australian Writers' Guild|Australian Writers' Guild Awards]]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/awards/awgie1997.html Australian Writers' Guild Awards of 1997]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/ @ Australian Television Information Archive]. Retrieved 26 April 2008.</ref><ref name="AWG 2002">[[Australian Writers' Guild|Australian Writers' Guild Awards]]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/awards/awgie2002.html Australian Writers' Guild Awards of 2002]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/ @ Australian Television Information Archive]. Retrieved 26 April 2008.</ref>
| {{won|1}}
| {{nom|1}}
|- 
| style="background:#eef;" | [[People's Choice Awards (Australia)|People's Choice Awards]]<ref name="PCA 1998">[[People's Choice Awards (Australia)|People's Choice Awards]]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/awards/people1998.html People's Choice Awards of 1998]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/ @ Australian Television Information Archive]. Retrieved 26 April 2008.</ref><ref name="PCA 1999">[[People's Choice Awards (Australia)|People's Choice Awards]]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/awards/people1999.html People's Choice Awards of 1999]. [http://www.australiantelevision.net/ @ Australian Television Information Archive]. Retrieved 26 April 2008.</ref>
| {{won|3}}
| {{nom|6}}
|- 
| style="background:#eef;" | Australian Screen Editors' Awards<ref name="BH-awards"/>
| {{won|0}}
| {{nom|1}}
|- 
| style="background:#eef;" | '''TOTAL'''
| {{won|'''32'''}}
| {{nom|'''52'''}}
|}

== Merchandise ==
A CD Album titled ''Music From Blue Heelers'' was released in 1995. It included the Blue Heelers theme music, plus other songs related to the program, many of them [[Country music|country]] songs.

The first full ''Blue Heelers'' novel, ''Maggie's Story'', was written by Roger Dunn and released in 1997 by Coronet Books. In August 1998, a second novel, ''Tom's Story'', written by Cassandra Carter was released by [[Bolinda Publishing]].

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Format 
!Release
|-
|''Music From Blue Heelers''
|CD
|1995
|-
|''Blue Heelers Maggie's Story''
|Book
|1997
|-
|''Blue Heelers Tom's Story''
|Book
|August 1998
|-
|Blue Heelers 
|calendar
|1999
|}

== See also ==
{{wikiquote|Blue Heelers|''Blue Heelers''}}
* [[List of Australian television series]]
* [[Mount Thomas]]
* [[Victoria Police]]
* [[List of longest-running Australian television series]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://7plus.com.au/blue-heelers ''Blue Heelers''] on 7plus
*{{IMDb title|0108709|Blue Heelers}}
* [http://australiantelevision.net/bh/blueheelers.html ''Blue Heelers''] at the Australian Television Information Archive
* [http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/summary/summary.w3p;page=1;query=Blue%20Heelers;resCount=10 ''Blue Heelers''] at the National Film and Sound Archive

{{Main characters of Blue Heelers}}
{{Logie Award for Most Popular Drama Series on Australian Television}}
{{Southern Star Entertainment}}

[[Category:Blue Heelers| ]]
[[Category:1990s Australian drama television series]]
[[Category:Seven Network original programming]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:1994 Australian television series debuts]]
[[Category:1990s Australian crime television series]]
[[Category:2000s Australian crime television series]]
[[Category:2006 Australian television series endings]]
[[Category:Television series by Endemol Shine Australia]]
[[Category:Australian English-language television shows]]
[[Category:2000s Australian drama television series]]