The Doctor Blake Mysteries is a television series which premiered on Australian television in 2013.
This review is about Season 2 which premiered in 2014.
Dr Lucien Blake is a fictional character created by George Adams and Tony
Wright. The main role as Dr Blake is played by Craig McLachlan who was born in
1965.
The story is set in the Australian town Ballarat.
Season one is set in the year 1959.
Dr Lucien Blake has returned to the town where he was born and raised. He
has taken over his father's medical practice and his father's job as the local
police surgeon.
Lucien lived abroad for many years. He left Australia around 1925, when he was around 20 years old, to study medicine in Scotland.
Later, he moved to Singapore where he worked as a doctor and married a Chinese woman. Together they had a daughter who was born around 1936.
In 1942, when Singapore was captured by the Japanese army, Lucien became a prisoner of war (POW) and therefore he lost contact with his wife and daughter.
After the war, when he was released, he tried to find out what had happened to them. He did not know if they were dead or alive. For years his efforts were in vain.
Lucien does not talk much about his past life, but as the story moves from one episode to the next, details about his past are mentioned occasionally.
We also learn some details about his mother who passed away around 1920, when Lucien was only 15 years old.
Season two is also set in the year 1959.
Lucien returns to Ballarat after a trip to China where he had hoped to be re-united with his daughter. Sadly, this did not happen. She did not want to meet him.
What do reviewers say about this crime drama?
Here are some results:
On IMDb it has a rating of 80 per cent.
On Amazon Australia there are at the moment more than 200 ratings of this product, more than 50 with reviews.
The average rating is 4.5 stars which corresponds to a rating of 90 percent.
If you ask me, the rating on IMDb is too low, while the rating on Amazon is more appropriate.
Why do I say this?
I have three reasons:
# 1. In each episode the script is well written and the actors play their roles well.
# 2. In each episode the story is captivating, dramatic and emotional.
# 3. While fictional, the story is always placed in a
historical context which seems quite realistic - except for the high murder
rate!
Episode 8 is about the world of art. In this episode, a painting called Beneath the Arena by Karl Theodor von Piloty is mentioned.
Is it fiction? No!
There was actually a painter by this name who lived 1826-1886. The painting mentioned here was completed in 1882, only four years before he died.
We are told it is on display in Ballarat’s Museum of Fine Art.
Is it fiction? No!
This painting is actually on display in Ballarat’s Museum of Fine Art.
An Australian painter called David Davies is also mentioned. We are told he is fairly well-known.
Is it fiction? No!
There was actually a painter by this name who lived 1864-1939. Where is he from?
Ballarat!
As you can see, the fictional story of doctor Blake has been closely and carefully connected with the history of the town in which the story is set.
The Doctor Blake Mysteries is a historical crime drama.
It is done very well.
It looks like Australia in 1959.
Season one was a great beginning.
Season two is a compelling continuation.
Perhaps even better than season one.
It is highly recommended.
PS # 1. Here is an overview of the series:
** Season 1 (2013) = 10 episodes
** Season 2 (2014) = 10 episodes
** Season 3 (2015) = 8 episodes
** Season 4 (2016) = 8 episodes
** Season 5 (2017) = 8 episodes
In 2017, the series ended with a television movie:
Family Portrait
*****
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