Blue Heelers season 13
| Company type | Television season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | April 1, 2006 |
| Defunct | June 4, 2006 |
| Fate | Series cancelled due to drop in viewership |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | John Wood (Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon) |
| Products | Television drama episodes |
Number of employees | Principal cast and crew of Blue Heelers |
The thirteenth and concluding season of the Australian police drama Blue Heelers debuted on the Seven Network on 1 April 2006, with episodes airing Saturdays at 8:30 pm. This final season, consisting of 11 episodes, wrapped up on 4 June 2006 after the series was cancelled due to a significant drop in viewership. Although Seven Network had initially ordered these episodes in late 2005, the decision regarding the show's continuation was finalized afterward.
In January 2006, Seven officially announced the cancellation but pledged to broadcast the entire completed season during mid-year.
The narrative focus of this season remains on the series’ central character, Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon, played by John Wood, who appears in every installment and continues to serve as the show's pivotal figure. The finale was presented as a two-hour special tribute, including an introduction by Wood and a compilation showcasing memorable moments from all thirteen seasons.
For its final run, Blue Heelers was shifted from its prime Wednesday evening slot to a less favorable Saturday night schedule, where it faced competition from the well-established British police series The Bill. Audience numbers averaged approximately 1.2 million viewers per episode, peaking at 1.5 million for the concluding installment; however, the show did not rank within the top 20 programs throughout this time.
Despite dwindling ratings, this season garnered notable accolades, especially for John Wood, who secured the esteemed Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television as well as the Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actor. Prior to his win in 2006, Wood had been nominated for the Gold Logie for ten consecutive years.
By the end of this season, Blue Heelers had equaled the record for the highest number of episodes produced by an Australian television drama, matching the milestone set by Homicide in 1977.
All eleven episodes were subsequently broadcast on subscription television on 26 January 2011 (Australia Day) during a marathon screening on the Universal Channel.
Cast
The full principal cast was retained throughout this season, with all members appearing in every episode.
Main
- John Wood as Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon
- Julie Nihill as Christine "Chris" Riley
- Ditch Davey as Detective Senior Constable (Senior Detective) Evan "Jonesy" Jones
- Simone McAullay as Senior Constable Susie Raynor
- Rachel Gordon as Detective Senior Constable (Senior Detective) Amy Fox
- Samantha Tolj as Constable Kelly O'Rourke
- Danny Raco as Constable Joss Peroni
- Charlie Clausen as Acting Sergeant Alex Kirby
- Matthew Holmes as Constable Matt Graham
Recurring
- Louis Corbett as Rory Hayes, Alex Kirby's son
- Stephanie Millar as Dr. Sophie Ash
- Neil Pigot as Inspector Russell Falcon-Price
- Joshua Lawson as David Murray
Guest stars
- Roy Billing as Ian Goss
- Ian Roberts as Wayne Rhodes
- Jacinta Stapleton as Tilda Dean
- Bernard Curry as Andrew Gilfillan
- Elly Varrenti as Angela Peroni, mother of Joss
- Kane Alexander as Roger Armstrong
- Spencer McLaren as Gary Harding
- Marcus Graham as Pilgrim Bond
- Damian Walshe-Howling as Adam Cooper
- Peta Doodson as Inspector Monica Draper
Plot
With Tom unwell, Falcon-Price takes over leadership of the station, heightening demands on the team and escalating attempts to destabilize Tom’s authority. Alex grapples with the challenges of fatherhood while a stabbing incident threatens to damage Tom’s standing. Concurrently, rivals Kelly and Joss explore new romantic relationships—Kelly with an opposing lawyer and Joss with a former pickpocket victim—while contending with lingering jealousy and rivalry stemming from their academy days.
Joss faces mounting gambling debts that lead to violence, homelessness, and strained family ties, further complicated by his mother’s arrival. Former officer Adam Cooper returns to Mount Thomas intent on vengeance against Tom by trying to implicate him in a crime. Amid these trials and accusations directed at Tom, the future of the Mount Thomas police station hangs in the balance, compelling the team to consider reassignment and possible separation.
Production
The season began airing on 1 April 2006 with the milestone 500th episode titled "Only The Lonely". However, the network promoted the subsequent episode, "Boss", as the official 500th, highlighting Tom Croydon’s cancer diagnosis storyline.
Filming for the final episode of 2005 wrapped up on 20 December amid uncertainty about the show’s continuation. To prepare for cancellation, two different endings were shot: one open-ended for a potential 14th season, and another that resolved all story arcs conclusively. The cast was on break when cancellation was confirmed; the last eleven episodes filmed in late 2005 were broadcast as part of the 2006 season. The series finale employed the definitive ending but left room for future developments.
The two-hour concluding episode, "One Day More", aired during prime time on 4 June 2006. It focuses on Tom’s battle with illness, family reconciliation, legal troubles, and the looming closure of Mount Thomas police station. Damian Walshe-Howling returned as Adam Cooper for this episode. Producers chose a subtle farewell over a dramatic climax to respectfully honor the show’s legacy.
This season matched the record for the highest number of episodes produced in an Australian weekly primetime drama, equaling Homicide's 1977 achievement. Nonetheless, it fell short of Homicide’s total airtime record by five hours.
Reception
During its twelfth season, Blue Heelers experienced a ratings decline to a historic low of 1.2 million viewers per episode—less than half its peak audience exceeding 2.5 million between 1997 and 2000. In response, Seven commissioned a shortened thirteenth season consisting of only 11 episodes, bringing the series total to 510.
On 13 January 2006, after months of speculation, Seven officially announced the series cancellation. The show was shifted from its long-standing Wednesday prime-time slot to a Saturday night timeslot with lower viewership, competing against popular programs such as The Bill and AFL broadcasts—a move criticized by cast members. Ratings remained weak; no episodes featured in OzTAM's top 20 weekly rankings.
The final installment drew 1.5 million viewers across major Australian cities—adequate for prime time but insufficient to justify continued production costs estimated at $500,000 per episode. Meanwhile, more economical reality programs like Border Security attracted audiences up to two million per episode. Blue Heelers had not reached two million viewers in over five years.
Awards
In 2006, John Wood received the esteemed Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television after multiple nominations dating back to 1997. His campaign garnered significant backing from media outlets and public figures including Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon. Wood also secured the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor and earned a nomination for Most Outstanding Actor; additionally, the series was nominated for Most Popular Australian Drama Series.
At the 2006 Australian Film Institute Awards, Blue Heelers was nominated for Best Television Drama Series but lost to Love My Way. Guest performers Marcus Graham and Saskia Burmeister won Best Guest or Supporting Actor and Actress respectively for their appearances on the show.
Episodes
Season 13 DVD Launch
The thirteenth season became available on Thursday, 3 March 2011.
| Complete Thirteenth Season (Parts 1–2) | |||
| Set Specifications | Included Features | ||
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| Availability Dates | |||
| Australia | |||
| 3 March 2011 | |||