Blue Heelers: Season 13
The thirteenth and final season of the Australian police drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network on 1 April 2006 and aired on Saturday nights at 8:30 pm. The 11-episode season concluded 4 June 2006, due to its cancellation by the Seven Network as a result of its sharp decline in ratings. When, in late 2005, the time came to renew Blue Heelers, Seven commissioned eleven further episodes to be produced, but i
Season 13 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Blue Heelers Season 12.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
The thirteenth and final season of the Australian police drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network on 1 April 2006 and aired on Saturday nights at 8:30 pm. The 11-episode season concluded 4 June 2006, due to its cancellation by the Seven Network as a result of its sharp decline in ratings. When, in late 2005, the time came to renew Blue Heelers, Seven commissioned eleven further episodes to be produced, but its future after this was still undecided.
In January 2006, Seven officially announced that they had cancelled Blue Heelers, but would air a final shortened season of only 11 episodes in mid-2006—the 11 episodes which had been filmed in late 2005, before Blue Heelers had been cancelled.
This season focuses primarily on the show's main protagonist, Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon, his failing health and his personal troubles. John Wood, who portrays Croydon, is the only actor to appear in every episode of Blue Heelers and is, indisputably, the pillar of the show. The final episode of the thirteenth season aired as a 2-hour, movie-length tribute starting with an introduction from John Wood, and concluding with a compilation of Blue Heelers moments from over its 13-season run. For this thirteenth season, Blue Heelers was moved from its primetime Wednesday-night timeslot to the lower rating Saturday-night timeslot, which saw it come up against The Bill, a British police drama which has become quite popular in Australia. Ratings for this season, partially due to the series' move to its lower-rating timeslot, were relatively low; ratings were around the 1.2 million viewer mark, increasing to 1.5 million for the finale. Blue Heelers failed to even make it into the top 20 programmes at any time during its thirteenth season.
Episode Guide
Season 13 Progress Shield
Only the Lonely
Apr 1, 2006
Tom, who is not well and is trying to hide it from his colleagues, meets an old friend who has been caught shoplifting and discovers that he was trying to please his ten-year-old d
Boss
Apr 8, 2006
The Heelers are concerned about Tom's health and, despite Amy's nagging, Tom is still very reluctant to see a doctor and denies claims that he is unwell. In the midst of this, Tom
Dirt
Apr 15, 2006
Tom's health is further declining and he finally gives in to Amy's persistence and opens up to her. Jonesy and Alex become mixed up in a mysterious cult after they find a baby's re
What's Love Got to Do with It
Apr 22, 2006
Tom secretly goes to Melbourne to receive treatment for his cancer, confiding only in Amy. Kelly, becoming uneasy about Tom's disappearance, consults Amy who ensures her Tom is out
Affluenza
Apr 29, 2006
Joss comes up with yet another money-making scheme and catches the gambling bug when a pickpocket victim he and Kelly help gives him a winning tip. Jonesy looks into a string of as
Going Down Swinging
May 6, 2006
Falcon-Price is still at Mount Thomas and, after realising the extent of Tom's bad health, orders him out on the road as Divisional Patrol Supervisor, seeing a chance to get rid of
Burning Up
May 13, 2006
Joss's mother arrives in Mount Thomas and reveals she is worried about Joss's money habits. Joss reveals he has a gambling problem. While investigating a series of arsons, Kelly ge
Down to Earth
May 20, 2006
The Heelers investigate the suspicious downing of a crop dusting plane, suspecting sabotage; they just do not count of the amount of suspects. Everyone is concerned that Joss has l
Moonlighting
May 27, 2006
Joss's gambling debts peak; in an attempt to pay them off, he takes a second job as a cab driver. He is presented with a once only opportunity for easy money when a high roller off
One Day More - Part 1
Jun 4, 2006
Amy and Even are attempting an undercover operating when their cover is blown and Matt is almost shot. Tom is still battling with, and coming to terms with, his cancer and knows th
One Day More - Part 2
Jun 4, 2006
Amy and Even are attempting an undercover operating when their cover is blown and Matt is almost shot. Tom is still battling with, and coming to terms with, his cancer and knows th