Cop Shop
Cop Shop is a long running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for eight seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes.
The show
The show revolved around the everyday operations of both the uniformed police officers and the plainclothes detectives of the fictional Riverside Police Station. It also took a significant interest in the private lives of the characters.While many Crawford Productions police dramas combined videotaped interiors with location footage shot on 16mm film, Cop Shop was shot entirely on video, including external scenes.
Two one-hour episodes were broadcast each week and featured a specific police investigation and a guest cast whose stories formed a self-contained narrative block. Alongside this the ongoing narratives of the regular characters continued in longer, more open-ended soap opera-style story threads. This same soap opera-drama series hybrid format was also used in the series Skyways, A Country Practice and Carson's Law.
After a run of seven years, the show completed taping its last episode on 22 December 1983 and the final episodes were screened in the first half of 1984.
Awards
Cop Shop won many awards including Logie Awards for most popular series and most popular actors, with Peter Adams and Paula Duncan winning multiple times. The show also won a number of other industry awards.Cast
During its long run, many of Australia's new and established actors appeared in the show.- Peter Adams as Det Jeffrey "JJ" Johnson
- Tony Bonner as Det Snr Const Don McKenna
- Liz Burch as Liz Cameron
- Terence Donovan as Det Sgt Vic Cameron
- Paula Duncan as Det Const Danni Francis
- Nicholas Eadie as Const Sam Phillips
- Alan Fletcher as Const Frank Rossi
- Billie Hammerberg as Insp Joyce Stratton
- Alwyn Kurts as Sgt Reg Wallis
- John Lee as Insp Ian Timms
- Joanna Lockwood as Valerie Johnson
- John McTernan as Sgt Tom Shannon
- George Mallaby as Det Snr Sgt Glen Taylor
- Terry Norris as Sgt Eric O'Reilly
- John Orcsik as Det Mike Georgiou
- Louise Philip as Claire O'Reilly
- Gregory Ross as Const Tony Benjamin
- Bill Stalker as Det Sgt Peter Fanelli. Stalker had previously appeared as Fanelli in the Crawford series Skyways.
- Lynda Stoner as Const Amanda King
- Olga Tamara as Det Const Julie Mitchell
- Gil Tucker as Const Roy Baker
- Rowena Wallace as Pamela Taylor
- John Walton as Terry Linford Jones
- Patrick Ward as Const Peter Fleming
DVD releases
Volume 2 containing episodes 27-52 was released on 1 August 2017 and features Diane Craig, Kerry Armstrong, Shane Porteous, Penny Ramsey, Mercia Deane-Johns, Carillo Gantner, Celia de Burgh, Mary Ward, Lisa Aldenhoven, Shane Bourne, Jacqui Gordon, Christine Amor, Anne Charleston, Ross Skiffington, Paul Young, Peter Stratford, Colette Mann, Tom Richards, Jeanie Drynan, Queenie Ashton, Gerda Nicolson, Serge Lazareff, Anthony Hawkins, Leila Hayes, Maurie Fields, Sean Scully, Brian Wenzel, Kate Sheil, Carl Bleazby, Charles Tingwell, Cecily Polson, Tom Oliver, Ian Smith, Kirsty Child, Gerard Maguire, John Frawley, Simon Chilvers, Elspeth Ballantyne, Roger Oakley, Telford Jackson, Babs Wheelton, Bruce Kerr, Lulu Pinkus.
Volume 3 containing episodes 53-78 was released on 27 November 2017 and features Maggie Millar, Andrew McKaige, Don Barker, Carmen Duncan, Roger Oakley, Leila Hayes, Briony Behets, Belinda Davey, Susanne Haworth, Sheila Florance, John Diedrich, Patsy King, Gerard Maguire, Anthony Hawkins, Peter Aanensen, Adrian Wright, Esme Melville, Tommy Dysart, Elspeth Ballantyne, Monica Maughan, Kenneth Goodlet, George Spartels, Julia Blake, Rod Mullinar, Ronald Korosy, Bryon Williams, Henri Szeps, Peter Gwynne, Stefan Dennis, Peter Curtin, Carmel Millhouse, Carl Bleazby, Stuart Finch, Lulu Pinkus, Peter Ford, Stewart Faichney, Rosie Sturgess, Judith Dick, Kim Krejus, Joan Letch and Bruce Kerr.
Volume 4 containing episodes 79-104 was released on 29 January 2018 and features Peta Toppano, John Diedrich, Rebecca Gilling, Tom Oliver, Lynn Rainbow, Val Jellay, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Ernie Bourne, Joanne Samuel, Steve Bisley, Sigrid Thornton, Ian Gilmour, Julia Blake, Billie Hammerberg, Liddy Clark and Betty Bobbitt.
Volume 5 containing episodes 105-130 was released on 13 April 2018 and features Mel Gibson, Judith McGrath, John Diedrich, John Walton, Ian Gilmour, Graham Rouse, Joanne Samuel, Ken Snodgrass, Monica Maughan, Peter Ford, George Spartels, Deborah Coulls, Jacqui Gordon, Jeff Ashby, Cornelia Frances, Lulu Pinkus, Terry Gill, Sandy Gore. Maggie Millar, Gerard Maguire, Christine Amor, Alan Hopgood, Roger Oakley, Denzil Howson, Bethany Lee, John Wood, Alex Porteous, Briony Behets, Kevin Summers.
Volume 6 containing episodes 131-156 was released on 16 July 2018 and features Diane Craig, Sean Scully, Maurie Fields, Shane Porteous, Shane Bourne, Irene Inescort, Adrian Wright, Olivia Hamnett, June Salter, Stefan Dennis, Richard Moir, Kim Deacon, Fay Kelton, Gary Day, Terry Gill, Kit Taylor, Belinda Giblin, Gerard Maguire, Ian Smith, Brian Hannan, Gus Mercurio, Peter Ford, Harold Hopkins, Candy Raymond, Alan Hopgood, Jeff Ashby, Liddy Clark, Debra Lawrance, John Diedrich, Billie Hammerberg, Veronica Lang, Lulu Pinkus, Kevin Summers, Bunney Brooke, Vic Gordon, Joan Letch, Rod Mullinar.
Volume 7 containing episodes 156-182 was released on 28 September 2018 and features Judith McGrath, Diane Craig, Lulu Pinkus, Kevin Summers, Bunney Brooke, Sean Scully, Vic Gordon, Maurie Fields, Rod Mullinar, Joan Letch, Terry Gill, Denise Drysdale, Richard Moir, Terry McDermott, Peter Felmingham, Jan Friedl, Ian Gilmour, Kirsty Child, Ken Goodlet, Carl Bleazby, Debra Lawrance, Pepe Trevor, Tom Richards, Patrick Phillips, Robyn Gibbes.
| Title | Format | Episodes | Original Melbourne airdates | Discs | Region 4 | Special Features | Distributors |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 1-26 | 28/11/1977 - 30/03/1978 | 7 | 28 April 2017 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 27-52 | 03/04/1978 - 03/07/1978 | 7 | 1 August 2017 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 53-78 | 06/07/1978 - 02/10/1978 | 7 | 27 November 2017 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 79-104 | 05/10/1978 - 22/01/1979 | 7 | 29 January 2018 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 105-130 | 29/01/1979 - 07/05/1979 | 7 | 13 April 2018 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 131-156 | 10/05/1979 - 06/08/1979 | 7 | 16 July 2018 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 157-182 | 09/08/1979 - 12/11/1979 | 7 | 28 September 2018 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 183-208 | 15/11/1979 - 24/03/1980 | 7 | 14 December 2018 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 209-234 | 27/03/1980 - 23/06/1980 | 7 | 15 February 2019 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 235-260 | 26/06/1980 - 25/09/1980 | 7 | 15 April 2019 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 261-286 | 29/09/1980 - 05/02/1981 | 7 | 28 June 2019 | - | Crawford Productions |
| Cop Shop | DVD | Episodes 287-312 | 09/02/1981 - 07/05/1981 | 7 | 4 October 2019 | - | Crawford Productions |
Seasons
Cop Shop was originally screened in a twice weekly format on Monday and Thursdays at 20.30 in Sydney and Melbourne. At various stages of the series each city was either a week ahead or behind the other or at the same stage.Later the series changed nights in Sydney to Wednesdays and Thursdays and then Thursdays and Fridays. It was eventually screened as a two hour weekly block in both cities on Mondays in Melbourne and Thursdays in Sydney.
The final 36 episodes screened in a late night 23.30 slot in Sydney on weeknights from Monday 26 November 1984.
| Season / Year | Episodes | Original Melbourne airdates | Original Sydney airdates |
| 1977 | Episodes 1-10 | 28/11/1977 - 29/12/1977 | 28/11/1977 - 29/12/1977 |
| 1978 | Episodes 11-100 | 02/01/1978 - 18/12/1978 | 02/01/1978 - 28/12/1978 / 22/01/1979 |
| 1979 | Episodes 101-189 | 01/01/1979 - 10/12/1979 | 04/01/1979 / 25/01/1979 - 17/12/1979 |
| 1980 | Episodes 190-279 | 21/01/1980 - 08/12/1980 | 28/01/1980 - 11/12/1980 |
| 1981 | Episodes 280-365 | 05/01/1981 - 12/11/1981 | 08/01/1981 - 12/11/1981 |
| 1982 | Episodes 366-451 | 25/01/1982 - 18/11/1982 | 04/02/1982 - 11/11/1982 / 27/01/1983 |
| 1983 | Episodes 452-532 | 27/01/1983 - 14/11/1983 | 20/01/1983 27/01/1983 - 10/12/1983 31/12/1983 |
| 1984 | Episodes 533-582 | 16/01/1984 - 23/07/1984 | 17/12/1983 07/01/1984 - 28/12/1984 |
| 1985 | Episodes 571-582 | Completed in July 1984 | 01/01/1985 - 16/01/1985 |
Producers and directors
- Hector Crawford - Executive Producer
- Ian Crawford - Executive Producer
- Ian Crawford - Producer
- Terry Stapleton - Producer
- Marie Trevor - Producer
- Philip East - Director
- Charles "Bud" Tingwell - Director