SEASON 3 MEDIA KIT AMANDA POULOS CATHERINE LAVELLE NINE PUBLICIST UNIT PUBLICIST T: 02 9965 2489 T: 02 9405 2880 M: 0414 503 418 M: 0413 885 595 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Australia’s favourite bad boy doctor has returned for a third series of the hit drama series, Doctor Doctor. The clock has run out on Doctor Hugh Knight’s (Rodger Corser) probation, leaving him free to return to the big smoke. But when tragedy strikes the Knight family, he’s going to find it harder than ever to leave the family farm. An outstanding cast has returned for the new series, including Rodger Corser (Hugh), Nicole da Silva (Charlie), Steve Bisley (Jim), Ryan Johnson (Matt), Tina Bursill (Meryl), Hayley McElhinney (Penny), Matt Castley (Ajax), Chloe Bayliss (Hayley), Charles Wu (Ken), Belinda Bromilow (Betty), Brittany Clark (Mia) and Uli Latukefu (Darren). Joining the cast are Vince Colosimo, Miranda Tapsell, Andrea Demetriades, Don Hany, Matt Okine and many others. Doctor Doctor was filmed in Sydney and country NSW and was produced by Easy Tiger Productions for Nine with the assistance of Create NSW. © 2018 Easy Tiger Productions, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, Create NSW. 2 SYNOPSIS The clock has run out on Hugh’s (Rodger Corser) probation leaving him free to return to Sydney, but when tragedy strikes the Knight family, he’s going to find it harder to abandon Whyhope than ever. It’s three months on and the Knight family have been thrown a wild card – Jim (Steve Bisley) has had a heart attack and died. The hole he leaves behind is bigger than they ever could have imagined, especially as Hugh (Rodger Corser) discovers that he’s not only inherited the family farm, but an eleven million dollar debt. Adding to the chaos, Hayley (Chloe Bayliss) is now six months pregnant. It’s smooth sailing until she develops HELLP syndrome, and Hugh has to perform an emergency C-section to deliver the baby early. Meanwhile the clock on Hugh’s probation has run out, and he’s been reinstated as a surgeon in Sydney. But when Hayley’s baby is born prematurely, Hugh realises that he’s got no choice but to stay in Whyhope and hold his family together. Which is lucky because the repayments on the farm’s debt are coming thick and fast, and the family is going in different directions trying to solve their money problems. Ajax (Matt Castley) and Matt (Ryan Johnson) argue over the way to run the farm, Meryl (Tina Bursill) starts a matchmaking business and Hugh relies on the new Knight Cartwright Cardiac Clinic to bring in the cash. But his biggest problem is yet to come – as Harriet (Genevieve Hegney) reveals she is pregnant. © 2018 Easy Tiger Productions, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, Create NSW. 3 CAST HUGH Rodger Corser CHARLIE Nicole da Silva MATT Ryan Johnson MERYL Tina Bursill JIM Steve Bisley PENNY Hayley McElhinney HAYLEY Chloe Bayliss AJAX Matt Castley BETTY Belinda Bromilow MIA Brittany Clark KEN Charles Wu DARREN Uli Latukefu FLOYD Winta McGrath HARRIET Genevieve Hegney ROD Patrick Wilson IVY Annabel Wolfe LUCAS FINE Matt Okine RAPH Don Hany PARI Andrea Demetriades With Miranda Tapsell as APRIL With Vince Colosimo as CARLITO © 2018 Easy Tiger Productions, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, Create NSW. 4 CREW Producers Ian Collie Claudia Karvan Tony McNamara Writers Tony McNamara Eps 1, 2 & 10 Liz Doran Eps 3 & 8 Tamara Asmar Ep 4 Gretel Vella Eps 5 & 9 Timothy Lee Ep 6 Angela McDonald Eps 7 & 9 Directors Geoff Bennett Eps 1 & 2 Lucy Gaffy Eps 3 & 4 Ian Watson Eps 5 & 6 Jennifer Leacey Eps 7 & 8 Ben Chessell Eps 9 & 10 Line Producers Ally Henville Jonny Kennerley Eps 1 & 2 Casting Kirsty McGregor Production Designer Victoria Williams Director of Photography John Stokes Costume Designer Louise Wakefield Make Up & Hair Supervisor Wendy de Waal Editors Nicholas Holmes Eps 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 & 10 Gabe Dowrick Eps 3, 4, 7 & 8 Composers Antony Partos Dave McCormack © 2018 Easy Tiger Productions, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, Create NSW. 5 EPISODE ONE Written by Tony McNamara Directed by Geoff Bennett It’s been three months since we last saw the Knight family, and much has changed: Jim’s (Steve Bisley) had a heart attack and died … and that’s not all that’s new, as we quickly learn that Hayley (Chloe Bayliss) is pregnant. Suddenly under enormous pressure, the family struggles to keep it together while they deal with their grief. However things are only about to get harder – as Hugh (Rodger Corser) learns that he’s both inherited the farm, and along with it, millions of dollars of debt. It’s imperative that the farm starts turning a profit, but Matt (Ryan Johnson) and Ajax (Matt Castley) are at logger heads over how the property should be run. Matt thinks they need to re-invent, while a grieving Ajax is determined to keep everything exactly as Jim (Steve Bisley) wanted it. Meanwhile Meryl (Tina Bursill) is struggling with her grief in a different way – haunted by nightmares, she avoids sleep, and does everything she can to try and stay awake. Meanwhile Hugh’s probation has expired and it’s time he went back to Sydney for his interview. It goes well, and his license to practise is re-instated. But he can’t escape the chaos for long, as the trouble in his family soon calls him back to Whyhope. But his grieving family might not be the only thing calling him back, and on his return, Hugh and Penny (Hayley McElhinney) finally sleep together. EPISODE TWO Written by Tony McNamara Directed by Geoff Bennett There’s trouble for Matt (Ryan Johnson) at the Brewery as a rave breaks out at the glamping site, and Darren (Uli Latukefu) is called in to investigate. But the noise complaint is not the worst of Matt’s (Ryan Johnson) problems, as Darren (Uli Latukefu) realises that the Brewery’s liquor licence doesn’t extend to the glamping site, and so Matt’s been serving alcohol illegally. Determined to save his license, Matt realises he may have to bribe Darren, and goes to the expert for advice – Meryl (Tina Bursill). Meanwhile Penny’s (Hayley McElhinney) content with how things transpired with Hugh (Rodger Corser), they had sex and then said their goodbyes – clean and simple. But things get awkward when she realises Hugh hasn’t actually left, he’s got problems to sort out in Whyhope which means he’ll be hanging around for a while. But everything’s put on hold when Hayley (Chloe Bayliss) starts having symptoms of pre- eclampsia. She’s taken into the hospital where her condition rapidly deteriorates, and Hugh diagnoses HELLP syndrome. Hayley’s at risk for stroke, so Hugh’s forced to make a call – he needs to deliver the baby. He performs an emergency C-section and Hayley gives birth to a premature baby boy. © 2018 Easy Tiger Productions, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, Create NSW. 6 EPISODE THREE Written by Liz Doran Directed by Lucy Gaffy Hugh (Rodger Corser) and Penny (Hayley McElhinney) are still on a high – their romance is going well and the grand opening of the new Cardiac Clinic has finally dawned … but a USB with a video of a 12 week ultrasound ruins Hugh’s morning. Later that day, Harriet (Genevieve Hegney) arrives in person and confirms Hugh’s (Rodger Corser) worst fears – he is the father of her baby. She presents him with two options: she stays in Sydney and they raise the baby together, or she goes home to the US, raises the baby on her own and Hugh never has anything to do with either of them. Hugh is thrown – which guy is he, option A or option B? Eventually he’s forced to come clean to Penny (Hayley McElhinney), it doesn’t go well, and they break up. Charlie’s (Nicole da Silva) father Carlito (Vince Colosimo) finally arrives but he’s brought someone extra, a 15 year old girl called Ivy (Annabel Wolfe), the daughter of his current girlfriend who is away doing a meditation course. A confrontation is inevitable and although she promises Matt (Ryan Johnson) that she’ll send him away, Charlie can’t help but ask her dad to stay. However hopeless he is, she needs him there. Meanwhile Meryl (Tina Bursill) is still grieving Jim’s (Steve Bisley) death and she attempts to move on by giving away all his clothes. But disaster strikes when she sees a man in town wearing the clothes and she realises that the only way to deal with her grief is to acknowledge it. A ceremony by fire with Jim’s clothes and her three sons is the only answer. Still reeling from her HELLP incident, Hayley (Chloe Bayliss) is having trouble bonding with the baby, especially since they’re still not allowed to touch him. Ajax (Matt Castley) tries to be supportive but she resorts to praying, thinking that God is punishing them for their pre-marital sex. Surprisingly it is Hugh who talks her around and they not only get to finally hold their baby – they also give him a name, ‘Jimmy’. © 2018 Easy Tiger Productions, Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd, Create NSW. 7 EPISODE FOUR Written by Tamara Asmar Directed by Lucy Gaffy Already under pressure from his farm workload and in conflict with both Charlie (Nicole da Silva) and Hugh (Rodger Corser), Matt (Ryan Johnson) is incensed to witness a frisson between Meryl (Tina Bursill) and Carlito (Vince Colosimo) at a family catch up.