# Blue Heelers season 8

The eighth season of the Australian police-drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network on 21 February 2001 and aired on Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM. The 42-episode season concluded 28 November 2001. The main cast returned from season 7 barring the departure of Lisa McCune as Maggie Doyle and with the introduction of Ditch Davey as Evan 'Jonesy' Jones. Like preceding seasons, the eighth season was released on DVD both as a two part set and a complete set, on 1 October 2008.

## Casting
### Main

* John Wood as Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon
* Julie Nihill as Christine 'Chris' Riley
* Martin Sacks as Senior Detective Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' Hasham
* Paul Bishop as Senior Constable Benjamin 'Ben' Stewart
* Rupert Reid as Constable Jack Lawson
* Jane Allsop as Constable Jo Parrish
* Ditch Davey as Constable Evan 'Jonesy' Jones
* Caroline Craig as Sergeant Tess Gallagher

### Guest stars

* Carol Burns
* Richard Cawthorne
* Norman Yemm
* Val Lehman
* David Clencie
* Simon Burke
* Terry Gill
* Alethea McGrath
* Gary Sweet
* Rhys Muldoon
* Gary Day
* Lisa Crittenden
* Julia Blake
* Alan Hopgood
* Gerard Kennedy
* Lesley Baker
* Mat Stevenson
* Kirsty Child

## Plot

Jack is beginning to get the hang of his legs again after the 5% operation was a success. Tess begins to have feelings for Jack up to a point where they start a secret relationship in the episode "Manly Art". Their relationship is going somewhere until a case comes up about an old time drug dealer who just got out of prison. Jack begins to put his emotions in front of the job and will do anything to get his own justice. Jack is suspect for murder by Killing the drug dealer. Tess says one of them should get a transfer to St Davids because they could never work together if they can't trust one another. Jack then admits he could have saved the guy but instead watched him fall to his death. Jack is charged and dismissed from the force. While Tess is feeling sad the members are disappointed by the fact he did kill the guy and didn't admit the truth earlier. New probationary Constable Jones has arrived with a secret plot to find out what really happened in his father's death. Tess and Jo quickly take a liking to him but Tess remembers what happened to her last secret relationship with Jack and doesn't want to relive that moment so she keeps it to herself and gets on with her job as a sergeant. After all Tess knows not to mix work with play. Jonesy suspects a local building contractor, Les Anderson, of murdering his father. After a DDT poisoning is connected to Anderson, Jonesy inserts himself into the investigation. Commander Jones, Jonesy's adoptive father, halts the investigation as Jonesy realizes there's been a coverup in his father's case. Anderson is then implicated in a death on his building site and later he's found very seriously assaulted. Before he dies, he confesses privately to Jonesy that he did kill Jonesy's father. By the time the team has solid evidence of the crime, Anderson has died and Jonesy has to decide if he will stay in the police force. Tess finds a child from a troubled home has slept in overnight in her car. More trauma touches the family when Tess makes an error in professional judgement, and when things don't go well for the child in her new placement, Tess adopts her. Tom starts a relationship with Grace Curtis, the new Anglican minister, but her son's bad behavior is too great a strain on the relationship.

## Reception

Ratings in the 8th season began to decline slowly, with many fans disliking Maggie's absence, or the absence of the so-called "McCune-Factor".

## Awards
### Logie Awards

| Year | Nominee | Award | Result |
| 2001 | Lisa McCune | Most Popular Personality on Australian Television | Nomination |
| 2001 | John Wood | Most Popular Personality on Australian Television | Nomination |
| 2001 | John Wood | Most Popular Actor | Nomination |
| 2001 | Martin Sacks | Most Popular Actor | Win |
| 2001 | Blue Heelers | Most Popular Programme | Nomination |
| 2001 | Caroline Craig | Most Popular New Female Talent | Nomination |

### Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards

| Year | Nominee | Award | Result |
| 2001 | Gary Day (ep. 322) | Best Actor in a Guest Role in a TV Drama Series | Win |
| 2001 | Carol Burns (ep. 297) | Best Actor in a Guest Role in a TV Drama Series | Nomination |

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Australian air date |
| 295 | 1 | "The Blame Game (1)" | Grant Brown | Bill Garner | 21 February 2001 (2001-02-21) |
| A woman rushes into the station claiming a man has kidnapped her children, and Ben's work starts to mirror his private life. ||||||
| 296 | 2 | "The Blame Game (2)" | Declan Eames | Bill Garner and Harriet Smith | 28 February 2001 (2001-02-28) |
| The father of the children appears in court with a bomb stapped to his body and abducts Ben. ||||||
| 297 | 3 | "Deadly Fascination" | Kevin Carlin | David Boutland | 7 March 2001 (2001-03-07) |
| A crime fiction writer is asking a lot of questions about the death of a baby 25 years ago. ||||||
| 298 | 4 | "Letter of the Law" | Chris Langman | Tony Morphett | 14 March 2001 (2001-03-14) |
| Tess and Tom must choose a new policeman for nearby Widgeree. ||||||
| 299 | 5 | "A Bit on the Side" | Grant Brown | Dave Worthington | 21 March 2001 (2001-03-21) |
| PJ is faced with the opportunity to move back to the city when two detectives turn up. ||||||
| 300 | 6 | "Tough Nut" | Declan Eames | Cassandra Carter | 28 March 2001 (2001-03-28) |
| Tess takes on more than her job demands when she tries to help the three children of a local woman. ||||||
| 301 | 7 | "The Fine Print" | Raymond Quint | Peter Dick | 4 April 2001 (2001-04-04) |
| PJ's mother comes to stay and trouble quickly follows. Can he keep a professional distance while allowing his mother to play a vital role in solving the case? ||||||
| 302 | 8 | "Family Reserve" | Kevin Carlin | Jo Merle and John Banas | 11 April 2001 (2001-04-11) |
| Jo is under pressure when her parents arrive in town to find their "princess" another career. ||||||
| 303 | 9 | "Chop Chop" | Chris Langman | David Allen | 18 April 2001 (2001-04-18) |
| PJ's plans for an illegal tobacco raid are blown. ||||||
| 304 | 10 | "Blood" | Roger Hodgman | Deborah Parsons | 25 April 2001 (2001-04-25) |
| Mick Boyce has just finished doing time. What is he doing in Mount Thomas? Jack decides to make him feel unwelcome and Tess tires of his apologies and begins to doubt him as an objective member of the team. ||||||
| 305 | 11 | "They Don't Make Them Like They Used To" | Raymond Quint | Chris Corbett | 2 May 2001 (2001-05-02) |
| Jo takes on a case involving Mount Thomas' only cinema which goes back 30 years. ||||||
| 306 | 12 | "Love and Money" | Graham Thorburn | David Boutland | 9 May 2001 (2001-05-09) |
| Arnie Briggs is out of prison and Jack is after him dragging Tess into a highly volatile situation. ||||||
| 307 | 13 | "Fowl Play" | Peter Sharp | Bill Garner | 16 May 2001 (2001-05-16) |
| Jo takes on a case as an amusing diversion from paperwork, only to find it could have life threatening consequences for the people of Mount Thomas. ||||||
| 308 | 14 | "Fooling Around" | Kevin Carlin | Michaeley O'Brien | 23 May 2001 (2001-05-23) |
| Ben's love of drink and woman lead him into dangerous terrain - both personally and professionally. ||||||
| 309 | 15 | "Death By Flight" | Chris Langman | David Worthington | 30 May 2001 (2001-05-30) |
| A plane crashes into a farmhouse, killing three people, and P.J. and Ben face emotional barriers while investigating a complex case. ||||||
| 310 | 16 | "A Friend Indeed" | Richard jasek | Yuki Asano and Caroline Stanton | 6 June 2001 (2001-06-06) |
| Jo defends a simple young man who appears manipulated by so called friends, willing to let him be the fall guy, and in the process questions her own ideas of friendship and betrayal. ||||||
| 311 | 17 | "The Manly Art" | Kevin Carlin | Caroline Stanton | 13 June 2001 (2001-06-13) |
| P.J. plays cupid in helping Jack form a romantic bond with Tess. ||||||
| 312 | 18 | "Falling Part 1" | Peter Sharp | Tony Morphett | 20 June 2001 (2001-06-20) |
| Tess is forced to confront her worst fears - that Jack will do anything, even lie to her, in order to carry out his own version of justice. ||||||
| 313 | 19 | "Falling Part 2" | Grant Brown | John Banas | 20 June 2001 (2001-06-20) |
| Jack's and Tess' romance is on full throttle, but neither of them are aware of what lies ahead professionally, and how far Jack is prepared to go in order to see his own version of justice done. Final appearance of Constable Jack Lawson ||||||
| 314 | 20 | "Winners And Losers" | Aarne Neeme | David Allen | 27 June 2001 (2001-06-27) |
| Tess must put Jack out of her mind when her attempts to rescue a kidnapped boy placing her own life in danger. ||||||
| 315 | 21 | "No Place Like Home" | Riccardo Pelizzeri | Deborah Parsons and David Allen | 11 July 2001 (2001-07-11) |
| P.J. must confront his deepest beliefs when a desperate young man needs his help. ||||||
| 316 | 22 | "Dragged" | Peter Sharp | Bill Garner | 18 July 2001 (2001-07-18) |
| Tess must accept the help of Jonesy, the rebellious new constable, when a young suspect becomes bent on revenge. First appearance of Constable Evan Jones ||||||
| 317 | 23 | "Baby Love" | Steve Mann | Cliff Green | 25 July 2001 (2001-07-25) |
| Jonesy's preconceptions about the sanctity of parenthood are challenged when he befriends a young mother in trouble. ||||||
| 318 | 24 | "An Inspector Calls" | Roger Hodgman | Dave Worthington | 1 August 2001 (2001-08-01) |
| Jo and Falcon-Price have no choice but to work as a team when both their lives are threatened. ||||||
| 319 | 25 | "Dinosaurs" | Steve Mann | Chris Corbett | 8 August 2001 (2001-08-08) |
| Tom is faced with one of the toughest decisions of his career when two old friends are suspected of theft. ||||||
| 320 | 26 | "Charming" | Esben Storm | Cassandra Carter | 15 August 2001 (2001-08-15) |
| Ben's protective instincts threaten to overcome him as he races to save a young girl from certain harm. ||||||
| 321 | 27 | "The Sins of the Father" | Fiona Banks | Carol Williams | 22 August 2001 (2001-08-22) |
| Jo must confront her prejudices when a local politician dies under suspicious circumstances. ||||||
| 322 | 28 | "Poisoned Fruit Part 1" | Denny Lawrence | Tony Morphett | 29 August 2001 (2001-08-29) |
| Jonesy risks everything to avenge his father's death. ||||||
| 323 | 29 | "Poisoned Fruit Part 2" | Roger Hodgman | Tony Morphett | 5 September 2001 (2001-09-05) |
| As Jonesy fights to discover the truth, the Commander's reputation is placed against the wall. Have his protective instincts allowed a murderer to walk free? ||||||
| 324 | 30 | "Fifteen Minutes" | Fiona Banks | Abe Pogos | 19 September 2001 (2001-09-19) |
| Jo's vanity threatens to undermine her ability to do her job. ||||||
| 325 | 31 | "Copping The Flak" | Declan Eames | Caroline Stanton | 26 September 2001 (2001-09-26) |
| Ben and Jonesy's essential differences threaten to complicate an investigation. ||||||
| 326 | 32 | "Strays" | Chris Langman | Philip Dalkin | 3 October 2001 (2001-10-03) |
| Tess questions her own happiness when that of a little girl is threatened. ||||||
| 327 | 33 | "The Lord Giveth" | Declan Eames | John Banas | 10 October 2001 (2001-10-10) |
| An investigation into a nobly motivated burglar leads Tom to discover the identity of a mysterious and attractive woman. ||||||
| 328 | 34 | "Credit Limit" | Daina Reid | Dave Worthington | 17 October 2001 (2001-10-17) |
| Jonesy's inexperience and good intentions place lives at risk. ||||||
| 329 | 35 | "A Hard Call" | Aarne Neeme | Bill Garner | 17 October 2001 (2001-10-17) |
| Tess' actions are placed under scrutiny when she makes a life and death decision. ||||||
| 330 | 36 | "Role Model" | Chris Langman | David Allen | 24 October 2001 (2001-10-24) |
| Tom questions the role of a mentor when a burglar's bid to impress leads to a serious crime. ||||||
| 331 | 37 | "A Safe Bet" | Declan Eames | John Banas and Karen Altman | 31 October 2001 (2001-10-31) |
| Jo fights to help a young man when he lacks the strength to help himself. ||||||
| 332 | 38 | "A Matter of Faith" | Riccardo Pellizzeri | Ysabella Dean | 7 November 2001 (2001-11-07) |
| Jo marvels at the human capacity for forgiveness when a faith healer is assaulted. ||||||
| 333 | 39 | "Who Can You Trust?" | Fiona Banks | Caroline Stanton and Piers Hobson | 11 November 2001 (2001-11-11) |
| Jonesy risks Tess' trust when she suspects him of influencing a witness to suit his own prejudice. ||||||
| 334 | 40 | "Best Eaten Cold" | Chris Langman | Tony Morphett | 21 November 2001 (2001-11-21) |
| Jonesy must reevaluate his place on the force when he learns the truth about his father's death. ||||||
| 335 | 41 | "The Real Santa" | Steve Mann | Caroline Stanton | 28 November 2001 (2001-11-28) |
| Does Ben's hunger for the perfect Christmas place his children's happiness at risk? ||||||
| 336 | 42 | "Dreaming of a White Christmas" | Roger Hodgman | Michaeley O'Brien | 28 November 2001 (2001-11-28) |
| It's Christmas and everyone celebrates it or avoids it in their own way. ||||||

## Weakest Link Special Episode

On 9 August 2001, a special episode of The Weakest Link featuring the actors from Blue Heelers went to air. The results were as follows:
| | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Main Rounds | Final Round |
| Round: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Final |
| Voted Out: | Peta 5/9 Votes | Caroline$^1$ 3/8 Votes | Paul 4/7 Votes | Jane 4/6 Votes | Suzi$^2$ 2/5 Votes | Jeremy 3/4 Votes | Ditch 2/3 Votes | – | John (Winner) Neil (Runner-up) |
| Money Banked: | $7,500 | $5,500 | $3,500 | $0 | $3,200 | $4,000 | $1,200 | $3,500 x 3 | $35,400 TOTAL |
| Contestant | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| John | Peta | Caroline | Paul | Jane | Suzi | Jeremy | Ditch | Won | Won |
| Neil | Peta | Caroline | Ditch | Jane | Suzi | Jeremy | Ditch | Lost | Lost |
| Ditch | Peta | Jeremy | Paul | Jane | Jeremy | Jeremy | John | | |
| Jeremy | Peta | Suzi | Paul | Jane | Neil Suzi$^2$ | John | | | |
| Suzi | Peta | Ditch | Jeremy | Jeremy | Jeremy | | | | |
| Jane | Jeremy | Caroline | Paul | John | | | | | |
| Paul | Jeremy | Jeremy | John | | | | | | |
| Caroline | Jane | Jeremy | | | | | | | |
| Peta | Jane | | | | | | | | |
* Note that the following are regarding the contestant, not the contestant the contestant votes against:
    Red indicates the contestant was the weakest link
    Lime indicates the contestant was the strongest link
$^1$ Jeremy and Caroline tied with three votes each, but as Neil was the strongest link, he opted to vote Caroline off.
$^2$ Jeremy and Suzi tied with two votes each, but as Jeremy was the strongest link, and could not vote himself off, he opted to vote Suzi off, though he originally voted for Neil who was not part of the tie.
Peta was first eliminated for not answering enough questions correctly. Caroline was next on a countback also for not answering enough questions correctly. Paul followed for being too big a threat to the team. Jane was voted out for not answering any questions correctly. Suzi was eliminated on a countback for not answering enough questions correctly. Jeremy was next also for not answering enough questions correctly. Ditch was voted out for not banking anything nor answering any questions correctly. In the end, John defeated Neil in the head-to-head round.
The final total won was $35,400, which John donated to the Red Cross Australia.

## DVD release

Similarly to the release of Blue Heelers' seventh season, the eight season was also postponed due to the contractual negotiations. However, everything was finalised for a 1 October 2008 release. Like the seventh season, "The Complete Eight Season" will be released as a complete boxset.
The Complete Eighth Season: Part 1 :
| | Set details | Set details | Set details | Special features |
| | 22 episodes (970 mins.) Episodes 266-287 6-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | 22 episodes (970 mins.) Episodes 266-287 6-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | 22 episodes (970 mins.) Episodes 266-287 6-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | Photo gallery (12 pics) |
| Photo gallery (12 pics) |||
| | Australia | | | Photo gallery (12 pics) |
| | 1 October 2008 | | | Photo gallery (12 pics) |
The Complete Eighth Season: Part 2 :
| | Set details | Set details | Set details | Special features |
| | 19 episodes (842 mins.) Episodes 288-306 5-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | 19 episodes (842 mins.) Episodes 288-306 5-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | 19 episodes (842 mins.) Episodes 288-306 5-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | Photo gallery (20 pics) |
| Photo gallery (20 pics) |||
| | Australia | | | Photo gallery (20 pics) |
| | 1 October 2008 | | | Photo gallery (20 pics) |
The Complete Eighth Season :
| | Set details | Set details | Set details | Special features |
| | 41 episodes (1812 mins.) Episodes 266-306 11-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | 41 episodes (1812 mins.) Episodes 266-306 11-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | 41 episodes (1812 mins.) Episodes 266-306 11-disc set Full frame English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) | Photo gallery |
| Photo gallery |||
| | Australia | | | Photo gallery |
| | 1 October 2008 | | | Photo gallery |