Based on real-life stories, the new Australian drama RFDS lands at 8.40pm Wednesday, 11 August on Channel Seven and 7plus.
Filmed on location in and around Broken Hill, RFDS captures the beauty and brutality of Australia’s vast centre, where the doctors, nurses, pilots and support staff of the RFDS negotiate the unique challenges of emergency rescues across some of the most inhospitable places in the country.
RFDS stars Logie Award-winning actor Stephen Peacocke (Home and Away, Wanted), Logie Award-winning star of stage and screen Rob Collins (Mystery Road S2, Total Control, Glitch) and acclaimed actors Emma Hamilton (Mr Selfridge, The Tudors), Justine Clarke (Tangle, Hungry Ghosts, The Time Of Our Lives) and Ash Ricardo (Offspring, Bite Club).
Determined to escape her past and start a new life, Dr Eliza Harrod (Emma Hamilton) arrives in outback Australia from the UK. Only days into her new role at the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Eliza finds herself at the forefront of a catastrophic emergency retrieval while Flight Nurse Pete Emerson (Stephen Peacocke) faces an unthinkable tragedy.
Justine Clarke (Base Manager Leonie Smith) said: “Audiences can expect beautiful scenery, deep and thoughtful storylines and a really, good honest look at how the RFDS does its vital work.”
On his role in RFDS, Stephen Peacocke (Pete Emerson) said: “It’s not lost on us that we are representing a really important organisation that means so much to Australia.”
Rob Collins (Dr Wayne Yates) added: “There’s a connection that the folks of the RFDS have with the people that they service which goes beyond doctor patient dynamics. They are a real part of the community.”
RFDS co-creator and executive producer Imogen Banks told Mediaweek: “It’s really hard to rip through the information an audience needs to understand what is happening and why. We wanted to do that as quickly, as economically and as elegantly as possible. The first sequences of the first episode were probably written about 150 times. Ian Meadows was probably tearing his hair out, but I think he found a really beautiful way of telling her story without being too oblique about it.”
Speaking about the RFDS cast, Mediaweek’s Andrew Mercado said: “The cast of RFDS is a welcome mix of new faces and recognisable names. Aussie actress Emma Hamilton fooled me into thinking she was really English as per her character, and Justine Clarke, Ash Ricardo and Kate Mulvany are superb as always. There is diversity with Rob Collins, Thomas Weatherall and Rodney Afif and Stephen Peacocke settles into yet another Aussie bloke role he was born to do.”
RFDS, Premieres 8.40pm Wednesday, 11 August on Channel Seven and 7plus