Dr Blake Mysteries
ABC1 Friday 8.30pm
REMEMBER Henry from Neighbours or the heart-throb “Mona” singer from Check 1-2 in the ’90s?
Craig McLachlan is a flirtatious, talented Aussie actor and musician who we’ve all come to love in his varying roles.
More recently, he donned the fishnets and corset again and took to the stage to revisit Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, 20 or so years after he first shocked Aussies with his lippy-wearing portrayal of the ‘sweet transvestite’.
Continuing to prove his dynamic talent, he is now cast as a complicated, older character on a crime-drama.
And here we are – three seasons deep and two Logie nominations later.
The Doctor Blake Mysteries follows the maverick police surgeon Doctor Blake (Craig McLachlan) in 1950s Ballarat as he oversteps the boundaries of his role to solve the murders of the bodies he autopsies in the morgue.
It’s seriously addicting storytelling: I binged and watched the three seasons over two weeks.
Despite the time difference, the characters are still relatable, the power struggles still relevant and the relationships still heart-warming.
Lucien Blake struggles to put the pieces of his life back together after three decades away from Ballarat.
He lost contact with his wife and daughter in China at the fall of Singapore and McLachlan’s portrayal of this desperate husband and father will pull at your heartstrings.
It’s exciting that Australia has produced another well-written, well-received crime-drama.
The production for season four is set to begin in August and I’m excited to see what happens next for Doctor Blake.
If you’re keen for a bit of crime and history with an older, hunky Henry-from-Neighbours, Doctor Blake has you covered.
– DANI ROTHWELL
