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Blue Heelers – A Woman’s Place (1993)

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Clip description

The 'blue heelers’ are relaxing at the Imperial Hotel after work when Bruce McLaren (Josh Picker) arrives. He’s just been released on bail after being charged with the rape of his girlfriend Sally-Anne. When Chris Reilly (Julie Nihill) orders him to leave, Maggie Doyle (Lisa McCune) steps in to help.

Curator’s notes

by Kate Matthews

The confrontation between Maggie and Bruce concludes the episode’s more serious primary 'crime’ story-line. These 'A’ plots often revolved around social issues; in this episode it’s rape and attitudes to women. Further issues explored in series one include marriages in crisis and the celebrity status of AFL footballers. Sometimes a single episode uses more than one story-line to explore the same theme; in this case the 'harmless’ sexism Maggie faces as a female police officer is taken to its extreme with the rape of Sally-Anne.

The confrontation also winds up another thread in the episode as Maggie the outsider proves her mettle to the locals. Producer and series co-creator Hal McElroy has described the Maggie Doyle character as 'an innocent that had a real inner strength’, the 'girl next-door’ who nonetheless shows qualities of steely determination and perseverance. In his opinion, McCune’s success in the role was because 'she is that girl’ – already possessing these qualities, playing the character 'gave her permission to reveal them’.

Both Doyle and McCune were to become enduring favourites with viewers, evidenced by McCune’s extraordinary run at the TV Week Logie Awards from 1995 to 2000. Starting with the Most Popular New Talent award in 1995, McCune went on to win the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress from 1996-2000 – as well as the top gong, the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality, from 1997-2000. Blue Heelers also garnered the Most Popular Series award from 1997-2000 and Martin Sacks the Most Popular Actor prize from 1997-2001.

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