Original title
Matlock Police
Released
2/25/1971
Origin country
AU
Genre
Drama
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
6
Number of episodes
229
Matlock Police is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1970 and 1975. The series was the 0-10 Network's attempt to come up with a police show to rival Homicide and Division 4. Matlock Police was different from its Melbourne-based predecessors by being set in a small country town, the fictional Matlock, Victoria. Series writers had a reference manual giving full details of the town’s geography, amenities, social structure, etc., as well as that of the surrounding area - neighbouring towns included Wilga, Chinaman's Creek, Possum's Creek and Burrabri, and there was an offshoot of the Great Dividing Range called the Candowies. The town's colourful history included the local Aboriginal tribe, the town founder, a gold rush, a bushranger and a town patriarchy. About the only landmark the Matlock district lacked for dramatic purposes was a beach.
Matlock's town matriarch, Grace Falconer, is brutally attacked and robbed. Suspects include a group of hippies who become involved in town affairs when a local girl's horse is shot, two yobbos on a hunting trip who are found trespassing, and a handyman recently sacked by Mrs. Falconer - who refuses to account for his movements on the night in question.
Local tough guy Brownie Merkle becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a man and the disappearance of another when he suddenly begins paying his debts, and Det. Sgt. Maddern finds his attention diverted from his marital problems.
The search for a trio of prison escapees, Carol Price, Judy Bennett and Bob Pollard, endangers many lives when searchers and escapees alike are caught in a bushfire.
A mysterious hermit, has lived in a shack outside Matlock for seven months. Suddenly, his past and present catch up with him, when he is terrorised by three local youths. When one is accidentally blinded, Chip Richardson burns down Herman's shack and later blames him for the accident. Herman takes off in panic and the police mount an intensive search for him.
A motel robbery and the death of a young police constable in a car accident lead to the revelation of several Matlock townspeople's personal conflicts.
Matlock police investigate a complaint of carnal knowledge involving an itinerant artist and a young girl, but the accused has his own way of extricating himself from the situation.
The Matlock saw-millers are a tough breed, but the builders of a new dam claim to be even tougher, A series of ugly incidents lead the two groups towards a violent showdown.
A broken down ex-heavyweight boxer, Dan Regan, is in Matlock on a sinister assignment. Unforseen events cause Regan's past, present and future to meet head-on in the biggest battle of his career.
An important businessman, Eric Schneider, wants to set up a deal with a Matlock company. However, when he is arrested for assaulting a young girl, public feelings rise up against Det. Curtis who may have made a serious mistake. Schneider, with his lawyer Harrison, puts his money and his pressure in the right places to beat the charge.
When Johnny Marcelli returns from the Vietnam war on compassionate leave, he is told that his father has committed suicide. He refuses to believe it and sets out to solve the mystery.
The investigation of a series of wool thefts in the Matlock District uncover the problems of one of the suspects, and provide some surprises for the police - especially Cont. Hogan.
Ron Grey, an ex-Spitfire pilot embarks on a dubious mission as a courier to gain some quick money, because he only has a few years of active life lift - he is a chronic diabetic who keeps coma and semi-blindness at bay with insulin shots. While flying a light aircraft with his girlfriend Betty Holmes, the plane strikes trouble and they have to crash land in the Candowie Rangers. When the plane is found by a police search party, they discover that Gray and Holmes both fled into the bush.
A feud among some Albanian immigrants in Matlock starts to get out of hand, and police are soon investigating an attempted murder.
When salesman Frank Ross finds himself in serious financial difficulties, he takes an illegal way out and starts an unexpected chain of events that bring surprise to the Matlock police.
Lee Gibson is convinced that bad luck follows him about and that he can never win - but this time he is determined to do or die when he carries out an armed robbery.
The innocent friendship between a little girl and a mentally retarded young man leads them to an encounter with criminals.
When a callous farmer, Geoff Mitchell, who thinks more of his shotgun than he does of his wife, chases a trespasser off his property, it sets off a chain of events that culminate in a fatal shooting.
A rich stranger, Ben Peterson, arouses the curiosity of the Matlock police, which turns to hatred when he is suspected of a violent sex crime. The battered, molested body of teenager Doreen Henderson is found in the bush and police discover that Peterson was the last person to see her alive.
Two Matlock boys return home from spending time in Pentridge to recover the hidden proceeds of their crime. They are also seeking vengeance on Salvation Army Major McKenzie, but find they have too much conflicting information when they realise they have been double-crossed.
A lonely young boy joins a dangerous criminal on a crime spree that climaxes into a violent death.
In the middle of the camping season, Matlock police run up against an irate father and an officious American Army officer - and some surprising result.
An accident involving the use of explosive fuel brings Matlock police to the local camping ground. During their investigations a young girl is found murdered, causing tragedy and complications for the detectives.
A routine investigation turns into a death puzzle for the Matlock police when their enquiries take them among the truck drivers that operated along the Central Highway.
An attractive young girl goes missing from Matlock, a series of bashings follow, then another girl goes missing. Matlock police try to fit the pieces together in what turns out to be a fatal game of cat and mouse.
A family's objection's to a teenage couples relationship erupts into violence.
Butcher Green's past catches up with him in Matlock when two old mates pressure him to share a lottery prize, which they feel they have a right to. Constable. Gary Hogan is accused of accepting bribes in connection with driver license tests.
Fear of the supernatural is exploited when Mrs. Czoska goes to live with her son and daughter-in-law. The situation is made worse by the mutual hatred between the two woman.
Farmer Ted wood is driven to take desperate action when he finds everything he loves in jeopardy and the Matlock Police apparently unable to help. Det. Curtis is promoted to Sargent and transferred to Melbourne.
A kidnapped child escapes only to get lost in the bush. Rescue operations are complicated by the child's neurotic mother and her criminal lover.
The relationship between a young criminal and a middle-aged widow causes a number of problems for the Matlock police during an investigation into a car yard breaking, and an assault on Constable McKenzie.
Sly grog and prostitution at an old De-Licenced pub causes the Matlock police a number of unexpected headaches.
Police investigations lead to a backyard abortion racket when a woman is found unconscious in her car.
Three young women fall victim to a sexual pervert and are assaulted. The prime suspect is a 17-year-old boy who has grown up in almost complete isolation in a remote area of Matlock.
Police become involved in the welfare of a young crippled girl whose mother's attentions are driving her to the brink of insanity.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
