The Flying Doctors (1986)
The Flying Doctors is an Australian drama series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the real Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. It was initially a 1985 mini-series based in the fictional outback town of Cooper's Crossing starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. Tom Callaghan. The success of the mini series led to its return the following year as an on-going series with McFarlane being joined by a new doctor, Chris Randall, played by Liz Burch. McFarlane left during the first season and actor Robert Grubb came in as new doctor Geoff Standish. The series' episodes were mostly self-contained but also featured ongoing storylines, such as Dr. Standish's romance with Sister Kate Wellings. Other major characters included pilot Sam Patterson, mechanic Emma Plimpton, local policeman Sgt. Jack Carruthers and Vic and Nancy Buckley, who ran the local pub/hotel, The Majestic. Andrew McFarlane also later returned to the series, resuming his role as Dr. Callaghan. The popular series ran for nine seasons and was successfully screened internationally.
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Episode 1 - Good Day For It
Release Date: 1987-07-07Sam and Kate are worrying for a woman named Sal Cleary, she acts a bit odd. They check it out and it turns out her daughter Julie is pregnant. She isn't married but still wants to keep the baby. The family wanted to pretend the baby was Sal's, so both she and Julie has to stay out of sight until the baby is born. At the birth there are some complications but everything goes well eventually and Geoff, Kate and Sam lets everybody think it was Sal's child. There is a political election between George Baxter and a man named Rob Dalton. George wins.
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Episode 2 - Horses For Courses
Release Date: 1987-07-14A man called Jim has a car-accident and goes to hospital. His wife, Carol, is acting a bit strange about it. Chris finds out she's dyslectic, but she refuses to admit it. Later her son drinks some medicine, she can't read the bottle and that way everybody finds out she can't read and write over the radio. Sam buys a horse from Carol, who is an extremely good rider, and Sam and Kate are practicing togehter for the big rodeo. Carol doesn't want to ride in the rodeo, she feels embarresed, but she turns out anyway. There's a beer-strike and Hurtle makes some own beer. But suddenly the whole town starts acting really strange. Geoff finds out Hurtle has mixed the alcohol with caffeine, which causes personality changes!
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Episode 3 - The Unluckiest Boy in Town
Release Date: 1987-07-21A woman named Barbara Freeman finds out she's got a braindisease. It's hereditary, but her husband Robert won't tell their son Michael, he doesn't want him to worry. But Michael hears it anyway, and steals Baxter's airplane. The plane is grounded, and finally Jack manages to talk him down. DJ wants to start a disco to get the youngsters calm, they've caused lots of trouble. Jack lets him build a gym. Jack's boss Kevin has heard complaints about the youngsters and shows up. He decides to transfer Jack, but when he sees how Jack talked Michael down from the plane he changed his mind. Finally DJ gets his disco and celebrates with a huge party!
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Episode 4 - It Isn't Cricket
Release Date: 1987-07-28A rich man calls Nigel turns up in town. Due to an accident he ends up in hospital. He has got one glass eye, and a melanoma in the other one. He refuses an operation since that would make him completely blind and doesn't care what the others say. Finally Kate and a blind lady convinces him to have the operation. There's a cricket game between the Crossing and Windoona and Nigel manages to get a top national player to play for Coopers Crossing. Sam plays for Windoona, and finally it's him versus Emma - Emma wins and so does the Crossing!!
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Episode 5 - An Only Child
Release Date: 1987-08-04Jan, Phil and Zoe Buchanon are come to the Crossing to write some articles and takes some photos for a couple of articles. Both Jan and Phil falls down a cliff, which leaves little Zoe all alone. She moves in with Chris. Sam can't stay at the pub, the RFDS can't afford paying the bill anymore, they can only pay 60 dollars a week. Sam moves in with Violet, but then it turns out Vic and Nancy would have let Sam stay at the pub for those 60 dollars. This causes a huge fight between Violet and Nancy! Sam is waiting to see if he will get his permenancy as a pilot of the RFDS,but when the letter comes it turns out he got another six month probation.
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Episode 6 - A Love Story
Release Date: 1987-08-11A couple gets married. Zoe stays in Chris house. Geoff falls into the water when he's talking to Kate.
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Episode 7 - Keeping Up Appearances
Release Date: 1987-08-18A couple get strickened by a employed, Chris is trying to help the woman (Chris thinks it's the husband who hits his wife) Chris and Zoe is fighting- but makes friends again.
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Episode 8 - All Things Bright and Beautiful
Release Date: 1987-08-25Two fellows from town are shooting kangaros. Kate finds a hurted ""Kangaroobaby"" and takes care of it. The guys even shoot ""Father Jacko""- but he makes it. Chris try to get Zoe to meet her real father.
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Episode 9 - My Name is Sky
Release Date: 1987-09-01A gang of ""Hippies"" comes to town. zoe talks to her father and Chris got a patient which she hates- he dies. Geoff goes to Sidney but miss the Outback.
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Episode 10 - Bachelors & Spinsters
Release Date: 1987-09-08It's a single night in Coopers Crossing. Zoe likes a boy who's name is Glen, but he likes Chris. Violet becomes an old grandmother
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Episode 11 - Fifty-two Hours Straight
Release Date: 1987-09-15Sam breaks two of his ribs when ""the Cochrane brother's"" car explodes. Sam, Emma and Geoff are stuck in the nomad out in the outback.
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Episode 12 - A Friend of a Friend
Release Date: 1987-09-22A ""madman"" comes to town. Emma and Sam visits Sams parents. Emma and Sam gets together- and break up again.
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Episode 13 - Friends and Lovers
Release Date: 1987-09-29Chris and Zoe goes to town to meet Zoe's dad. The guys in town is fishing eel. Sam and Emma is figthing.
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Episode 14 - Realms of Gold
Release Date: 1987-10-06Reg Hodges has finally found a piece of gold
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Episode 15 - The Hometown Hero
Release Date: 1987-10-13A novice pilot takes control of a plane when his instructor brother falls ill.
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Episode 16 - A Distant Echo
Release Date: 1987-10-20Violet wants to die when she finds out that her grandfathers father killed a lots of aborigines. Kate and Geoff ignore each other.
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Episode 17 - No Laughing Matter
Release Date: 1987-10-27The Cochrane brothers are in town. Theire mother almost dies and her son's catch her money and gold....... Zoe moves with her father to Sidney. At first Chris don't seems to care to much, but when she gets home again she finds a botle of jam and a wrapped and framed picture of Chris and Zoe. And Chris starts to cry...
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Episode 18 - No Quarter Asked
Release Date: 1987-11-03Kate's friend Jessie gets back after been away for five years. Emma and Sam decides that they shall get married.
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Episode 19 - Myths & Legends
Release Date: 1987-11-10Chris takes flying lessons to get something else than her lonleyness to think about. Old Hughi is back and makes everyone favours but then he dies.
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Episode 20 - The Hitch-hiker
Release Date: 1987-11-17Violet leaves for a vacation. Sam and Emma make plans for their marrige- Violet too. Chris father comes to visit her. Someone hurts her eye- geoff takes care of her.
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Episode 21 - Give a Dog a Bad Name
Release Date: 1987-11-24A carnival comes to Coopers Crossing and people get killed. The murderer seems to be a boy from the carnival. Chris father starts to be in the way for Chris and the others.
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Episode 22 - Everyday a Gift
Release Date: 1988-02-11Chris father (William)'s girlfriend arrives to Coopers Crossing. George Baxter wants to buy a farm- but his bid is to small. Finally he bides more and can buy the farm.
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Episode 23 - Bearing Gifts
Release Date: 1988-02-18An old lady sells/gives away hen's with ""sarmonella"". She gave one to Chris- but she couldn't kill it so she had it as a domestic animal (good for her). DJ and his friends from Greece opens a resturang. Violet was on Bali and Emma in Sindney, it's a big party when they come home.
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Episode 24 - Repeat Performance
Release Date: 1988-02-25Sam and Emma gets married. Chris misses the whole wedding when she's stuck on a farm in the outback with a sick child and the mother. They has to go 2,5 miles in a terrible wheather. But the girl survives and Chris breaks down after it. Geoff comforts her.