My new go-to cop show isn't new at all

it's one of Australia's old favourites

Blue Heeler is a breed of Australian cattle dog, described as extremely alert and intelligent, loyal to their families, and wary of strangers. They are also known to be energetic, and need to be active to thrive.

Blue Heeler is, or has been a nickname for Australian police officers, which seems like a good fit.

Blue Heelers is also an Australian TV show which ran for 12 seasons on the Seven Network, won many awards, and was that country’s most watched show.

It focused on day to day lives of police members working out of a small detachment in the fictional rural town of Mount Thomas, in Victoria State.

I am 7 1/2 seasons in, and have watched a few rookies start their police careers, find their way into the network of relationships in the town, and at the station, and then, for various reasons move on.

After that many seasons, with 30-40 episodes a year, there has also been time to develop a familiarity with the environs, the regular townies that orbit the station, and even the look and feel of the squad-room itself. I can see why the show had such a strong and loyal following, for so long.

In the early seasons, the Heelers are sorting out how to use cell-phones, and then computers, and then the early iteration of the internet. The small town, largely agricultural-based, is also a great context in which to watch the social adjustments that have come with these new technologies.

Tom Croydon, the Senior Sergeant who runs the detachment, likes to be called “Boss” and describes himself as an old-fashioned country copper. He often laments the changes to culture and society, and reminds his staff, especially the greenest members, of the values and principles that undergird what they do.

Croydon reminds me of a retired OPP sergeant I know, who loved his work. He saw it very much as a calling, and as a way to help people- especially the ones who ended up crossing lines into trouble. I like to be reminded that most officers look at their work in similiar terms.

Blue Heelers script-writers tackles many of the issues cops face, in their personal and professional lives. Their stories did not shy away from taking on homophobia, domestic abuse, human trafficking, the drugs trade, organized crime and racism.

I just watched an episode in which one of plot lines was about the sale of tobacco to minors. I have the sense the producers and writers knew they had a platform from which to insert worthy questions into public conversation.

Blue Heelers is a carefully crafted hybrid of a British style soap- think Coronation Street, complete with the local pub, and a police procedural. There is enough crime and police action to move the story forward, along with good development of characters and relationships.

Twelve seasons, over 400 episodes are streamable on Amazon Prime, at least where I live in Canada.