The Young Doctors
Encyclopedia
The Young Doctors is an Australia
n early evening soap opera
. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network
from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983.
and started a week early than The Sullivans
. Channel 9
made it clear only one of the series would be kept after 13 weeks. The odds were somewhat stacked against their favour, as The Sullivans
had a budget which was three times bigger than The Young Doctors. After 13 weeks trail period, The Sullivans was the critical success, which resulted in the Young Doctors being axed. When this news was released, loyal fans protested to Channel 9, who bowed to public opinion and reversed their decision. However, the series was placed at the 6.00 pm "graveyard" slot.
When the series ended after 1396 episodes, it held the record of Australia's longest-running television drama series, which was previously held by Number 96
. This was later surpassed by A Country Practice
and then Neighbours
, which is the current record-holder of longest-running Australian series.
The Young Doctors holds the distinction, rare among long-running Australian dramas, of having never won any sort of television award. Alan Coleman produced the show for most of its run until being replaced by Sue Masters, shortly before the series finished production in late 1982.
Network. Scottish Television
never purchased the series. Central Television pioneered the programme in their Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 slot in October 1982 while all other ITV contractors were screening The Sullivans
. This was then increased to a daily 15:30 slot until Sons and Daughters
launched in February 1983 and The Young Doctors shared the slot airing on Mondays and Tuesdays. This continued until 1988 when Central then returned the programme to 12:30. By 1989, it was invariably back to a daily 15:30 slot until Families began in April 1990, airing Mondays and Tuesdays. It was then moved to 14:50, Monday to Thursday, and finished 15 August 1992. Central was the first region to complete the series.
, it was named Los Jovenes Doctores which had brief stint on TVE1 shortly after the launch of Morning television in Spain. The series aired for a short while in a 9.30am weekday slot.
it was named Jeunes Docteurs) which was scheduled on France, second national-wide channel Antenne 2, at 8.30, from 21 March 1986.
announced plans to remake the series in conjunction with FremantleMedia
. Originally, it was set to be broadcast in 2008 but due to script delays, the premiere date had been pushed back to 2009. The remake was set to be named Young Doctors (minus "The"). However, at the end of 2008, the Nine Network
officially passed on the idea. The network decided against the remake, instead confirming a second series of the popular Australia
n drama Underbelly
. FremantleMedia
is currently searching for another television station to contract the program.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n early evening soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983.
History
The series was created and produced by the Reg Grundy OrganisationReg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
and started a week early than The Sullivans
The Sullivans
The Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
. Channel 9
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
made it clear only one of the series would be kept after 13 weeks. The odds were somewhat stacked against their favour, as The Sullivans
The Sullivans
The Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
had a budget which was three times bigger than The Young Doctors. After 13 weeks trail period, The Sullivans was the critical success, which resulted in the Young Doctors being axed. When this news was released, loyal fans protested to Channel 9, who bowed to public opinion and reversed their decision. However, the series was placed at the 6.00 pm "graveyard" slot.
When the series ended after 1396 episodes, it held the record of Australia's longest-running television drama series, which was previously held by Number 96
Number 96 (TV series)
Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...
. This was later surpassed by A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
and then Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, which is the current record-holder of longest-running Australian series.
The Young Doctors holds the distinction, rare among long-running Australian dramas, of having never won any sort of television award. Alan Coleman produced the show for most of its run until being replaced by Sue Masters, shortly before the series finished production in late 1982.
Story and setting
Despite the medical setting, medical procedures rarely figured in storylines, with most of the stories focusing more on the personal life of the staff.Original Air Dates
| Series | Year | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale |
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1-40 | |
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41-??? | ||
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470-??? | ||
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???-872 | ||
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873-1077 | ||
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1078–1356 | ||
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1356–1396 | |
Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Heavy (episode 409 only) | Peter Meredith |
| Bathsheba Smith | Su Cruickshank Su Cruickshank Susan "Su" Cruikshank was an Australian jazz singer, actress and writer.-Film:*Somewhere in the Darkness *Young Einstein *Those Dear Departed *Playing Beatie Bow... |
| Trina Mitchell | Mariette Rupps |
| Nurse | Sharon Del-Mace |
| Professor Hume | Tim Elliott |
| VJ Ridgeway | Patrick McCarville |
| Trixie Rogers/Coco the Clown | Bunney Brooke Bunney Brooke Bunney Brooke was an Australian actress best known for her television acting roles including the long-running role of Flo Patterson in soap opera Number 96 in the 1970s, and Vi Patchett in E Street in 1990.Brooke was adopted at an early age and had an unhappy early life... |
| Sir Thomas Kendall | James Condon James Condon James Condon is an Australian actor.He has made many appearances on television, including The Story Of Peter Grey, Homicide, Matlock Police, Number 96 , Bellamy, The Young Doctors, Carson's Law, Sons and Daughters, Prisoner, The Flying... |
| Nurse Angela Parry | Robyn Gibbes Robyn Gibbes Robyn Gibbes is an Australian actress, probably best known for her roles in Prisoner and Round the Twist .... |
| Mrs Featherstone | Muriel Hopkins |
| Mr Gantry | Craig Berry |
| Lois Norton | Penne Hackforth-Jones Penne Hackforth-Jones Penne Hackforth-Jones is an American-born Australian actress and writer.She has a number of television credits such as Bellbird, Homicide, Matlock Police, Division 4, Tandarra, Cash and Company, Young Ramsay, Punishment, Bellamy, A Country Practice, Mother and Son, Tanamera - Lion of Singapore,... |
| Miss Emery | Brenda Senders |
| Billy Webb/Ric Martin (Separate roles) | Gerry Sont |
| Gary Manning | John Allen John Allen -Politicians:*John Allen , U.S. Representative from Connecticut*John B. Allen , first U.S. Senator from Washington*John Clayton Allen , U.S. Representative from Illinois... |
| Nurse Martin Price | Greg Apps |
| Nurse Viki Rayner | Debbie Baile |
| Muriel Palmer | Joyce Jacobs Joyce Jacobs Joyce Jacobs is an English born Australia character actress adept at playing gossips and interfering busybodies.... |
| Mrs White/Vivienne Jeffries and Liz Kennedy's mother, Hazel Kennedy (separate roles) | Jessica Noad |
| Mr Kennedy | Bill Kerr Bill Kerr William 'Bill' Kerr is an Australian film and television actor. He was born into a performing arts family in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.... |
| Roland Perry | Wallas Eaton Wallas Eaton Wallas Eaton , sometimes credited as Wallace Eaton or Wallis Eaton, was an English film, radio, television and theatre actor.... |
| Philip Winter | Noel Trevarthen |
| Dr Brian Denham | Michael Beecher |
| Mrs Ada Simmonds | Gwen Plumb Gwen Plumb Gwen Plumb AM BEM was a veteran Australian performer of stage, radio and television.-Biography:Gwendoline Jean Plumb was born in 1912... |
| Dr Graham Steele | Tim Page Tim Page (actor) Tim Page is a New-Zealand-born actor. After emigrating to Australia in 1973 where he was cast as Henrik Eggerman in Stephen Sondheim's 'A Little Night Music' but he later became best known for playing Dr Graham Steele in the Australian television series The Young Doctors throughout its entire run... |
| Helen Gordon | Lyn James Lyn James Lyn James is an actor and RADA graduate.She is best known for her role as Helen Gordon in the Australian television soap opera The Young Doctors. She appeared in the series from its inception in 1976, until it ended in 1983.... |
| Dennis Jamieson | Chris King Chris King (actor) Chris King is an Australian actor and entertainer.After a brief appearance in soap opera Number 96, King became best known for his six year stint as orderly Dennis Jamison in Channel Nine's long running soap opera The Young Doctors .He subsequently set up and now runs his own talent school... |
| Dr Raymond Shaw | Alfred Sandor Alfred Sandor Alfred Sandor was an American character actor .He played Sheriff George Patterson one time on an episode of Dark Shadows in 1968 and had worked as a circus performer.He became best-known for his role as the "dandy" surgeon, Raymond Shaw in the long-running Australian television soap opera... |
| Sister/Matron Grace Scott | Cornelia Frances Cornelia Frances Cornelia Frances is a British-born actress based in Australia since the early 1970s. Frances is best known for her recurring role as judge Morag Bellingham on Home and Away.-Early life and personal life:... |
| Nurse/Sister Tania Livingston | Judy McBurney Judy McBurney Judy McBurney is an Australian actress famous in several television soap opera roles.In 1974 McBurney was cast in the role of key new character Marilyn McDonald in Number 96 but before any of her scenes had gone to air and with about 30 scenes in the can she had to withdraw from the role due to... |
| Nurse Kate Rhodes/Rachel Thorpe (evil sister) | Ros Wood |
| Nurse JoJo Adams | Delvene Delaney Delvene Delaney Delvene Delaney is an Australian actress and television presenter.The beauty pageant winner found fame on Australian television in the 1970s, initially as a weather presenter on Brisbane television... |
| Nurse Kim Barrington | Lynda Stoner Lynda Stoner Lynda Stoner is an Australian actress and animal rights activist.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stoner was known for several roles on Australian television and was popularly regarded as a sex symbol... |
| Nurse Lisa Brooks | Paula Duncan Paula Duncan Paula Margaret Duncan is an Australian actress. She is prominent mainly in the genre of soap opera. Her sister is fellow soap actress Carmen Duncan.... |
| Nurse Jill Gordon | Joanne Samuel Joanne Samuel Joanne Samuel is an actress who remains best known for her role as the screen wife of Mel Gibson in the 1979 film Mad Max.... |
| Dr John Forrest | Alan Dale Alan Dale Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New... |
| Nurse/Dr Liz Kennedy | Rebecca Gilling Rebecca Gilling Rebecca Gilling is an Australian actress. Her first acting role was in Stone but who came to prominence as the "bad girl" flight attendant Diana Moore in the feature film version of soap opera Number 96 , in which she had several nude scenes... |
| Sister Vivienne Jeffries | Diana McLean Diana McLean Diana McLean is an Australian actress.She is best known for her role as Sister Vivienne Jeffries in the television soap opera The Young Doctors from 1978 until 1982.... |
| Sister Suzanne Gibbs | Susanne Stuart |
| Sister Eve Turner | Anne Lucas Anne Lucas Anne Lucas is an Australian actress, best known for her roles on television as Eve Turner in The Young Doctors and Faye Quin in Prisoner.... |
| Dr Craig Rothwell | John Walton John Walton (actor) John Walton is an Australian actor.He is best known for his role as Doctor Craig Rothwell in the television soap opera The Young Doctors during 1976 and 1977.He also appeared in the miniseries Bodyline.... |
| Dr Mike Newman | Peter Bensley Peter Bensley Peter Bensley was an Australian "pin-up" actor of the 1980s.One of Bensley's earliest roles was as Dennis Braithwaite on the Seven Network drama series Class Of '74... |
| Dr Tony Garcia | Tony Alvarez Tony Alvarez (actor) Tony Alvarez was a Spanish born actor resident in Australia.He is probably best remembered for his on-going role as Dr Tony Garcia in the long running Australian soap opera The Young Doctors. He appeared in the role from 1977 until 1979... |
| Dr Ben Fielding | Eric Oldfield Eric Oldfield Eric Oldfield is an Australian actor, who remains best known for his role in the soap opera The Young Doctors as Dr. Ben Fielding.... |
| Dr Gail Henderson | Peta Toppano Peta Toppano Peta Toppano is an actress who found success in Australian television. She is best known for her roles in popular television series such as The Young Doctors, Prisoner, and Home & Away, as well as Return to Eden in which she played a "superbitch".-Early life:Toppano was born in Finsbury Park,... |
| Dr Jim Howard | John Dommett John Dommett John Dommett was an Australian actor, writer and director in regular demand on stage and television.He is probably best known to international audiences for his portrayal, between 1976 and 1979, of Dr... |
| Dr Chris Piper | Bartholomew John Bartholomew John Bartholomew John is an actor best known for his roles on television.He played Dr. Chris Piper in the Australian soap opera The Young Doctors from 1977 to 1979 followed by appearances in Skyways and Waterloo Station. More recent credits include: Murder Call, All Saints and Always Greener... |
| Dr Peter Holland | Peter Lochran Peter Lochran Peter Lochran is an actor, who remains best known for his role as Dr. Peter Holland in the television soap opera The Young Doctors... |
| Dr Greg Mason | Mark Holden Mark Holden Mark Holden is an Australian singer, television personality and barrister. He was one of a panel of three judges on the television series Australian Idol.-Acting career:... |
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Dr Robyn Porter | Joy Chambers Joy Chambers Joy Chambers is an Australian actress and author. She is best known for such television soap opera roles as Rita Merrick in The Restless Years, Dr Robyn Porter in The Young Doctors, and Rosemary Daniels in Neighbours. Chambers has played Rosemary since 1986. Rosemary is the only character who has... |
| Dr Susan Richards | Judy Lynne Judy Lynne Judy Lynne is an American actress who spent many years working in Australia.She is best known for her role as Doctor Susan Richards in the television soap opera The Young Doctors.... |
| Dr Russell Edwards | Peter Cousens Peter Cousens Peter Cousens is an Australian actor, born in Tamworth NSW.He attended The Armidale School in Armidale and then Gordonstoun School, Scotland. He then spent a year reading Arts at St Paul's College, Sydney University before studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art , graduating in... |
| Dr Lance Wilkinson | Michael Gow Michael Gow Michael Gow is an Australian playwright and director most famed for his 1986 work Away.As a student at Sydney University, Gow acted and directed with the Dramatic Society from 1973-1976. After graduation, Gow went on to act with Nimrod, Thalia and Sydney theatre companies.He has been the Artist... |
| Dr Matt Blake | Nick Holland |
| Dr David Henderson | Graham Harvey Graham Harvey Graham Harvey is an Australian actor, best known for his roles in television soap operas.His credits include: The Sullivans , The Young Doctors , Return to Eden , E Street and Neighbours .-External links:... |
| Dr Vicki Daniels | Sally Tayler Sally Tayler Sally Tayler is an Australian actress known for several ongoing roles in Australian soap operas.She played the key role of Dr. Vicki Daniels in The Young Doctors in 1982–1983. After that series ended she starred in the ill-fated soap opera Waterloo Station... |
| Dr Rod Langley | Chris Orchard |
| Dr Nick Barrett | Adrian Van Den Bok |
| Dr Vincent Snape | Brian Moll Brian Moll Brian Moll is a British born character actor born in East London active on Australian television from the late 1950s. He has had many guest roles on many a television series, such as Matlock Police, Division 4, Homicide, and in the 1970s became famous playing the role of Dr Vincent Snape, in the... |
| Dr Andrew Baxter | Andrew Sharp |
| Ian Parrish | Serge Lazareff Serge Lazareff -Acting:Lazareff performed in many Australian television series from the late 1960s to the late 1980s and made numerous appearances in Crawford Productions police shows including Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Chopper Squad. He had a featured part in the 1970 ABC-TV drama series Dynasty... |
| Nurse Maggie Gordon | Jackie Woodburne Jackie Woodburne Jackie Woodburne is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress.-Personal life:Woodburne was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her father was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. She has two older siblings: John and Stephen. At age three she emigrated with her family to... |
| Nurse Sherry Andrews | Karen Pini |
| Nurse Jody Carter | Julie Wilson Julie Wilson Julie Wilson is an American singer and actress.Born in Omaha, Nebraska and first finding a musical outlet with local musical group Hank's Hepcats, Wilson headed to New York City during World War II and found work in two of Manhattan's leading nightclubs, the Latin Quarter and the Copacabana... |
| Nurse Julie Holland | Lisa Aldenhoven Lisa Aldenhoven Lisa Aldenhoven is an Australian actress.She remains best known for her role in the television soap opera The Young Doctors as Nurse Julie Holland. She appeared in the series from 1978 to 1981.... |
| Nurse Dolly Davis | Christine Harris Christine Harris Christine Harris is an Australian actress, born and raised in South Australia.After portraying a young version of popular Australian singer Julie Anthony in a television special, she moved to Sydney at the end of 1979 to star as paraplegic Tina Marshall in the short-lived Network Ten soap opera... |
| Nurse Linda Wilson | Julie Nihill Julie Nihill Julie Nihill is an Australian actress.-Biography:After early roles in 1980s soap operas such as The Young Doctors, Prisoner and Sons and Daughters and the miniseries Bodyline .Nihill was cast in the role for which she became a household face: as bartender and local councilor Chris... |
| Nurse Zelda Baker | Genevieve Lemon Genevieve Lemon Genevieve Lemon is an Australian actress who has appeared in a number of soap operas – as Zelda Baker in The Young Doctors, Marlene "Rabbit" Warren in Prisoner and Brenda Riley in Neighbours... |
| Sister Erin Cosgrove | Babs McMillan Babs McMillan Babs McMillan is an Australian actress, best known for her roles in two popular TV series during the 1980s.She played the acerbic Sister Erin Cosgrove during the final year of The Young Doctors and dimwitted country bumpkin Cass Parker in Prisoner.... |
| Nurse Virginia Mason | Rosie Bailey |
| Nurse Genevieve Ridgeway | Susan Stenmark |
| Mark Holland | Robert Leys |
| Toni Sheffield | Tottie Goldsmith Tottie Goldsmith Tottie Goldsmith is an Australian actress and singer.-Biography:Goldsmith is the daughter of Melbourne restaurateur and nightclub owner Brian Goldsmith and British-born actress Rona Newton-John. Her great grandfather was German physicist and Nobel Prize winner Max Born... |
| "Flint" Stone | Robert Korosy |
| Hilary Templeton | Abigail Abigail (actress) Abigail is an actress who emigrated to Australia in 1968 and via the media of television became one of that country's significant sex symbols of the mid-1970s. Although born in England, she was educated in France. Her mother was a Ceylonese of Dutch Burgher/Eurasian ethnicity... |
| Caroline Fielding/Morgan/Jamieson | Kim Wran |
| Laura Denham | Joanna Moore-Smith |
| Ken Hansen | Joe Hasham Joe Hasham Joseph Christopher "Joe" Hasham OAM is a Lebanese Australian actor who became famous in Australia in the 1970s through his long running role of dependable and decent gay lawyer Don Finlayson in soap opera Number 96.- Early life and education :Hasham graduated from the National Institute of... |
| Heinrik Smeaton | Joseph Furst Joseph Furst Joseph Fürst was an Austrian international film and television actor known for his English language roles.... |
| Bunny Howard | Ugly Dave Gray Ugly Dave Gray Ugly Dave Gray is an Australian television personality.-Career:Gray was a regular panellist on Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks in 1977-1978. He had earlier taken a straight dramatic role as publican Bunny Howard in the early episodes of soap opera The Young Doctors in 1976... |
| Anne-Marie Austin | Judi Connelli Judi Connelli Judi Connelli AM is an award-winning singer and actress.She is best known for her career in opera and stage musicals... |
| Sir Clifford Langley | Mike Dorsey Mike Dorsey Mike Dorsey was an English theatre and television actor. He rose to fame in Australia and is best known for his long-running role of Reginald "Daddy " MacDonald in the 1970s television soap opera Number 96.... |
| Nigel Gilbert | Jeremy Kewley Jeremy Kewley Jeremy Leo Kewley is an Australian actor, based in Melbourne, who made his professional acting debut at the age of 14 in the feature film The Devil's Playground .-Early life:... |
| Nurse Diana Trent | Julianne White |
| Mr Cox | Brian Wenzel Brian Wenzel Brian Wenzel is an Australian character actor, most famous for his long run as Police Sergeant Frank Gilroy on television program A Country Practice. He was an original cast member and remained along with Shane Porteous through the entire series, winning a Silver Logie for the role... |
| Maureen Parker/Howard | Virginia Rudeno |
| Rosalie Parker | Carol Raye Carol Raye Carol Raye is an Australian-based theatre and television actress and comedienne.Trained as a ballet dancer, Raye was discovered by choreographer Freddie Carpenter at age 16. She played lead roles in many musicals and television programs in the UK... |
| Erika Hoffman/Shaw | Karen Petersen |
| Arthur Simmonds | Willie Fennell Willie Fennell William "Willie" Fennell , also known as "Phooey" Fennell, was an Australian radio, television, stage and film actor and comedian.... |
| Dr Judith-Anne Napier | Carole Skinner Carole Skinner Carole Skinner is an Australian actress who works mainly in the theatre and is well known to armchair viewers for her roles in many long running soap operas.Skinner played top dog Nola McKenzie in Prisoner... |
| Andrew Jackson | Alan Cinis Alan Cinis Alan Cinis , an Australian politician and actor, is a Councillor on Leichhardt Council, Sydney, New South Wales representing the NSW Greens since 2008. As an actor, Cinis has starred in television, musical drama and film.-Acting career:Cinis commenced his acting career in October 1969, aged nine... |
| Clarrie Baker | Peter Adams Peter Adams (actor) Peter John Adams was a New Zealand-born actor, best remembered for his performances in Australian television.-Early life:Born in Karanarunui, New Zealand, Adams later emigrated to Australia... |
International screenings
The programme was acquired by 13 of the 14 weekday members of the ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Network. Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
never purchased the series. Central Television pioneered the programme in their Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 slot in October 1982 while all other ITV contractors were screening The Sullivans
The Sullivans
The Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
. This was then increased to a daily 15:30 slot until Sons and Daughters
Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series)
Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
launched in February 1983 and The Young Doctors shared the slot airing on Mondays and Tuesdays. This continued until 1988 when Central then returned the programme to 12:30. By 1989, it was invariably back to a daily 15:30 slot until Families began in April 1990, airing Mondays and Tuesdays. It was then moved to 14:50, Monday to Thursday, and finished 15 August 1992. Central was the first region to complete the series.
- Most of the ITV regions initially screened The Young Doctors like Central at their own regional pace in their 15:30 slot on Mondays and Tuesdays with Sons and DaughtersSons and Daughters (Australian TV series)Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Granada TelevisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
switched this broadcast pattern around, however, and screened The Young Doctors on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays instead. - Border TelevisionBorder TelevisionBorder Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
followed the same format as Granada and screened their episodes via the Granada feed. - Years after most of the other regions had started the series, in October 1988, Yorkshire TelevisionYorkshire TelevisionYorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
had a vacant 12:30 weekday slot and filled it with The Young Doctors. Yorkshire Television's later start meant it had to skip 215 episodes at the end of 1992 to enable them to catch up to Tyne Tees TelevisionTyne Tees TelevisionTyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
as from January 1993 both regions screened exactly the same material. - London based Carlton TelevisionCarlton TelevisionCarlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
(formerly Thames TelevisionThames TelevisionThames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, on which the London region's run began) ended the programme within days of Yorkshire and Tyne Tees concluding the programme in December 1994. - The Young Doctors was also one of three Australian soap operas screened in the mid to late 1980s on Sky ChannelSky ChannelSky Channel can refer to any of the following.* In Europe, Sky Channel was a satellite television channel that was broadcast in the 1980s, it went on to become Sky1....
before it became Sky1 in 1989 (the others being A Country PracticeA Country PracticeA Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
and The SullivansThe SullivansThe Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
). During the mid-to-late 1980s, it was transmitted at 17:00. From 1989 until 1992, The Young Doctors aired regularly at 10:00. When Sky purchased the newer Australian soap E StreetE StreetE Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...
in April 1992, they eventually dropped The Young Doctors in July to accommodate an afternoon repeat of the American medical series St Elsewhere.
, it was named Los Jovenes Doctores which had brief stint on TVE1 shortly after the launch of Morning television in Spain. The series aired for a short while in a 9.30am weekday slot.
it was named Jeunes Docteurs) which was scheduled on France, second national-wide channel Antenne 2, at 8.30, from 21 March 1986.
Remake
In November 2007, the Nine NetworkNine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
announced plans to remake the series in conjunction with FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
. Originally, it was set to be broadcast in 2008 but due to script delays, the premiere date had been pushed back to 2009. The remake was set to be named Young Doctors (minus "The"). However, at the end of 2008, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
officially passed on the idea. The network decided against the remake, instead confirming a second series of the popular Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n drama Underbelly
Underbelly (TV series)
Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
. FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
is currently searching for another television station to contract the program.