The Flying Doctors The Complete Collection   Starring: Andrew McFarlane, Liz Burch, Lenore Smith and Robert Grubb Mediumrare Entertainment RRP: £199.99 FHED2476 Certificate: PG Available 06 September 2010

Due to the distances involved and the isolating nature of some of its communities, Australia formed The Royal Flying Doctor Service, which brought healthcare to all parts of the countries rural areas, via its own aircraft. Given then endless possibilities that this real situation afforded it was only a matter of time before it became the basis of a long running drama.

The Flying Doctors started as a mini-series (1985) based in the fictional town of Coopers Crossing and stared Andrew McFarlane as Dr Tom Callaghan. The success of this series saw an ongoing show commissioned the following year, with Chris Randall joining the show as Doctor Liz Birch. The series would contain a combination of standalone and ongoing stories. The show gained a large following and lasted until 1993, when the decline in audience numbers saw the series radically redesigned, but it was not enough to stop its eventual cancellation.

For the first time fans of the show can get their hands on the complete collection of the show's two hundred and twenty-two episodes in this forty-six disc DVD box set, lasting over one hundred and sixty-four hours. Each episode is presented in its original aspect ratio, with an additional synopsis. Given the age of the show the picture quality is eminently watchable, if a tad soft, though this may be down to its encoding.

Over the years that the show was on it had the advantage of some spectacular backdrops, but more than this its characters were well drawn and played by some of the best Australian television actors. Like the original Coronation Street, the drama was created out of the ordinary lives of its characters and certainly in the early series there was an attempt to stay away from melodrama.

The box set does come with some extras including an interview with Andrew McFarlane. There is a RFDS short film and forty-five minutes of bloopers for you to enjoy. The set is rounded out with a Production Stills Gallery and a character profile booklet.

There will be many people who have fond memories of this show who will be pleased to get their hands on the complete set, but shop around as there are some great deals which will bring the price down.

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Charles Packer