Cop Shop is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes.

Cop Shop
Created byTerry Stapleton
StarringPeter Adams
Terry Norris
Paula Duncan
Lynda Stoner
John Orcsik
Gil Tucker
George Mallaby
Rowena Wallace
Joanna Lockwood
Country of originAustralia
No. of seasons7
No. of episodes582 (1 missing)
Production
Running timeapproximately 55 minutes
Production companyCrawford Productions
Original release
NetworkSeven Network
Release28 November 1977 (1977-11-28) –
23 July 1984 (1984-07-23)

Synopsis

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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.[1]

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.[2]

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 six years, the show completed taping its last episode on 22 December 1983 and the final episodes were screened in the first half of 1984.[2]

Awards

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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.[2]

Cast

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During its long run, many of Australia's new and established actors appeared in the show.

Main / regular

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Guests / recurring

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Actor Role Episodes
Alan Hopgood Doug Bramley / Horrie Gibbs
Amanda Muggleton Bikie's Girlfriend 2
Anthony Hawkins
Betty Lucas Mary Reynolds 2
Briony Behets Felicity Stafford / Julie Gaskin / Diana Elliot / Barbara Sauers / Janie Palmer 5
Bruce Spence Student Counsellor 1
Carmen Duncan Meredith Wade / Carla Hauser / Kim Morgan 6
Cecily Polson Barbara York 1
Christine Amor Sharon Vernon / Betty Stephens / Jan Reading / Janet Carter 6
Colin McEwan Dave Kelly / Lou Evans / Stan Dawson 3
Danny Adcock Various roles 9
David Clencie Joey Baxter 2
Debra Byrne Kerry Clements 3
Denise Drysdale Josie Brown / Rhonda Mather 3
Dina Mann Laurel Drummond / Linda Perry 3
Drew Forsythe Sid Moody / Murray Paxton 4
Elizabeth Alexander Virginia Kingston / Sue McGregor 4
Frank Gallacher Robert Harris / Stephen Morris / Vitoria Rossi / Robert Clements / Vince Reed / John Maynard 9
Fred Parslow
George Spartels
Julia Blake Catherine Maynard / Elaine Davis / Jessie Benson / Laura Hewitt / Mrs. Parker 8
Kerry McGuire Geraldine Shipton 1
Kim Krejus Sharon Hamilton / Lenice Moses / Shirley Morton 5
Kym Gyngell Oswald Prowse / Cliff Scully / George Edmunds / Lenny Wilson / Steve Ricketts 7
Lesley Baker Mother 1
Lisa Aldenhoven Kathy Curtis / Bronwyn Paton 4
Lorna Lesley Cynthia Rees / Julie Stephens 4
Maria Mercedes Judy 1
Mary Ann Severne Margot Palmer / Senator Susan Pearce 3
Michael Aitkens David Hurley / Kevin Dalton / Craig Latimer / Paul Rankin 8
Michael Long
Miles Buchanan Alan Davis 1
Nina Landis Ellen Shannon 3
Patsy King Sarah Fitzsimmons / Julie Gibbins 2
Penne Hackforth-Jones Sgt. Joan Dawson / Ann Connors / Jackie Warren / Jennifer Treloar 7
Peter Kowitz Stuart Mackenzie 2
Roger Ward Leon Turner / Bailey / Garry Dwyer 5
Rosalind Speirs Jocelyn Knowles 2
Sally McKenzie Gail 2 hour special, 500th episode
Sandy Gore Narfaret Jamieson 1
Scott McGregor Constable Stephen Waters 7
Shane Connor Gardener #1 1
Sheila Florance Muk 1
Stefan Dennis Giovanni Morelli / Steve / Booking Clerk / Francis Allen Turner / Vincent Cahill
Tom Oliver Brian Matthews / George Burton / Albert Cobb / Vinny Pratt / Peter Mitchell 10
Tracy Mann Lea Butler
Vic Gordon Mr. Bates / Cartwright / Albert Hartley / Godfrey 5
Vivienne Garrett Ruth Forrest

DVD releases

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The series has been released exclusive to DVD in 22 Volumes

Title Format Episodes Original Melbourne airdates Discs Region 4 (Australia) Special Features Distributors
Cop Shop (Volume 1) DVD Episodes 1–26 1977-11-28 – 1978-03-30 7 28 April 2017 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 2) DVD Episodes 27–52 1978-04-03 – 1978-07-03 7 1 August 2017 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 3) DVD Episodes 53–78 1978-07-06 – 1978-10-02 7 27 November 2017 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 4) DVD Episodes 79–104 1978-10-05 – 1979-01-22 7 29 January 2018 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 5) DVD Episodes 105–130 1979-01-29 – 1979-05-07 7 13 April 2018 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 6) DVD Episodes 131–156 1979-05-10 – 1979-08-06 7 16 July 2018 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 7) DVD Episodes 157–182 1979-08-09 – 1979-11-12 7 28 September 2018 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 8) DVD Episodes 183–208 1979-11-15 – 1980-03-24 7 14 December 2018 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 9) DVD Episodes 209–234 1980-03-27 – 1980-06-23 7 15 February 2019 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 10) DVD Episodes 235–260 1980-06-26 – 1980-09-25 7 15 April 2019 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 11) DVD Episodes 261–286 1980-09-29 – 1981-02-05 7 28 June 2019 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 12) DVD Episodes 287–312 1981-02-09 – 1981-05-07 7 4 October 2019 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 13) DVD Episodes 313–338 7 25 February 2021 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 14) DVD Episodes 339–364 7 23 June 2021 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 15) DVD Episodes 365–390 7 2 November 2021 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 16) DVD Episodes 391–416 7 9 December 2021 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 17) DVD Episodes 417–442 7 3 February 2022 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 18) DVD Episodes 443–470 7 1 March 2022 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 19) DVD Episodes 471–498 7 6 April 2022 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 20) DVD Episodes 499–526 7 3 May 2022 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 21) DVD Episodes 527–529, 531–554 7 18 August 2022 None Crawford Productions
Cop Shop (Volume 22) DVD Episodes 555–582 7 25 October 2022 None Crawford Productions

Broadcast

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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 (later Saturdays) in Sydney. The final 36 episodes screened in a late night 23.30 slot in Sydney on weeknights from Monday 26 November 1984.

Cop Shop aired briefly during 1989 on the UK-based, pan-European satellite TV channel, Lifestyle. It aired during the afternoon along with another Crawfords Production, Skyways.

Season Year Episodes Original Melbourne airdates Original Sydney airdates
1 1977 Episodes 1–10 1977-11-28 – 1977-12-29 1977-11-28 – 1977-12-29
1978 Episodes 11–100 (Sydney 11–95) 1978-01-02 – 1978-12-18 1978-01-02 – 1978-12-28 (episode 95) / 1979-01-22 (episode 100)
2 1979 Episodes 101–189 (Sydney 96–189) 1979-01-01 – 1979-12-10 1979-01-04 (episode 96) / 1979-01-25 (episode 101) – 1979-12-17
3 1980 Episodes 190–279 1980-01-21 – 1980-12-08 1980-01-28 – 1980-12-11
4 1981 Episodes 280–365 1981-01-05 – 1981-11-12 1981-01-08 – 1981-11-12
5 1982 Episodes 366–451 (Sydney 366–448) 1982-01-25 – 1982-11-18 1982-02-04 – 1982-11-11 (episode 448) / 1983-01-27 (episode 451)
6 1983 Episodes 452–532 (Sydney 449–538) 1983-01-27 – 1983-11-14 1983-01-20 (episode 449) 1983-01-27 (episode 452) – 1983-12-10 (episode 532) 1983-12-31 (episode 538)
7 1984 Episodes 533–582 (Sydney 539–570) 1984-01-16 – 1984-07-23 1983-12-17 (episode 533) 1984-01-07 (episode 539) – 1984-12-28 (episode 570)
1985 Episodes 571–582 (Sydney only) Completed in July 1984 1985-01-01 – 1985-01-16

Producers and directors

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  • Hector Crawford – Executive Producer
  • Ian Crawford – Executive Producer
  • Ian Crawford – Producer
  • Terry Stapleton – Producer
  • Marie Trevor – Producer
  • Philip East – Director
  • Charles "Bud" Tingwell – Director
  • Sean Nash – Director

References

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  1. ^ "Cop Shop", Australian Television Information Archive. 15 July 1999. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Cop Shop", Australian Screen. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
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