The ABC confirms that the movie-length finale of The Doctor Blake Mysteries begins filming in August.
The final episode of The Doctor Blake Mysteries is set to begin filming in late August.
By Colin Vickery (News Limited)
The news comes as producers December Media continue to seek a lifesaver for the hit Aussie drama.
Details of the plot line for the movie-length finale are being kept under wraps but insiders speculate it could culminate in a wedding.
The ABC had promised the telemovie would resolve the simmering romance between Craig McLachlan’s Dr Lucien Blake and housekeeper Jean Beazley (Nadine Garner).
“Pre-production on the Doctor Blake telemovie starts in July and shooting will be from late August until mid-September,” an ABC spokesman says.
Fans of The Doctor Blake Mysteries have been in an uproar since the ABC announced in March that it was ending the show.
The decision came as a shock because The Doctor Blake Mysteries has been one of the ABC’s biggest hits with over 1.5 million viewers per episode.
In April, McLachlan broke his silence saying he found the decision “very disappointing” and “exceedingly disrespectful to an audience that has been so extraordinarily loyal”.
Cast member John Wood also lashed the ABC saying “it didn’t make a lot of sense to me to cancel your highest rating show”.
December Media is believed to have been in talks with all the commercial networks as well as Foxtel and streaming services Netflix and Stan in recent months.
No deal has yet been inked but insiders say the producers are hopeful of a last minute rescue because of the show’s strong ratings and large overseas following.
The Doctor Blake Mysteries screens in over 130 countries around the world.
The decision to film a movie-length finale has led to a delay in the screening of season five which was originally scheduled for straight after Easter.
The ABC wants the eight episodes that make up the fifth season of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, plus the telemovie, to screen without a break.
That would suggest that the earliest fans will see the return of the show is late September — nearly 18 months after season four ended.
“Nothing is confirmed (about the return date) as yet,” the ABC spokesman says.
I discovered Dr. Blake’s Mysteries on the public channel last year and absolutely love the series. As an American I always love the shows from Australia and Great Britain.
They are always high quality.
I hope somehow this show gets a reprieve. It certainly is deserving.