R.F.D.S. (TV series)

Australian television series

R.F.D.S. is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions which was a spin-off of the long running series The Flying Doctors. It revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The series ran for one season on the Nine Network from 1992 to 1993 and screened internationally.

The three-part miniseries The Flying Doctors, set in the fictional Coopers Crossing, screened in 1985 with the continuing series running from 1986 to 1991 for 221 episodes. The ratings were in decline and few original characters remained in the cast so the show was revamped.[1]

In 1993, this spin-off series R.F.D.S. was created. The setting was changed to the real life location of Broken Hill, New South Wales and of the cast only original cast members Maurie Fields and Val Jellay. The storyline involved their characters, formerly publicans at the Coopers Crossing pub, moving to Broken Hill. The only other character retained from the original show was Penny Wellings, played by Sophie Lee. The series lasted just one season in this new incarnation.[2]

Australian pay-TV channel FOX Classics secured the rights to the program from 3 July 2006.

## Cast

[edit]

### Main / regular

[edit]

* Steve Jacobs as Dr. Jim Solomon
* Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Dr. Sebert Blitho
* Elaine Smith as Dr. Sissy Wetherall
* Peter Phelps as Sr. Dennis Taylor
* Belinda Davey as Laura Regan
* Maurie Fields as Vic Buckley
* Val Jellay as Nancy Buckley
* Simone Buchanan as Rebecca Owens
* Lydia Miller as Leanne Cassidy
* Kevin J. Wilson as Ted Eastman
* Sophie Lee as Penny Wellings
* Justin Connor as Rollerblades
* Simon Grey as Jesse Solomon
* Marieke Hardy as Zoe Solomon

### Guests

[edit]

* Radha Mitchell as Tracey (2 episodes)

## See also

[edit]

* The Flying Doctors
* RFDS
* List of Australian television series
* List of Nine Network programs

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Crawfords classics on DVD". 4 January 2012.
2. ^ "Friday Flashback: The Flying Doctors | TV Tonight".

## External links

[edit]

* RFDS (TV series) at IMDb
* The Flying Doctors (1985 mini-series) at IMDb
* The Flying Doctors (TV series) at IMDb