Ovation TV, America’s premier arts network, will begin airing the third and fourth seasons of The Doctor Blake Mysteries later this month. The original, period murder mystery series stars Craig McLachlan as the maverick town doctor Lucien Blake, an impulsive risk-taker who’s not afraid to upset the status quo. Created by George Adams and Tony Wright, the third season of The Doctor Blake Mysteries will begin airing on Ovation TV on Thursday, August 11 at 8am ET. With four episodes airing back-to-back every Thursday, season four will then begin airing on Thursday, August 25 at 8am ET.
Dr. Blake has returned to this place he once called home to take over his dead father’s medical practice. The dry, yet very human Dr. Blake undertakes his other role as Police Surgeon with precision and gusto – yet many find his unpredictable and unconventional manner unnerving. Ahead of his time, Blake looks to the science of forensics and his own understanding of the human heart and mind to help solve the mysteries that inevitably come his way. Besides Blake, helping and at times hindering, are his housekeeper Jean (Nadine Garner); her nephew Danny (Rick Donald), a young Constable; District Nurse Mattie O’Brien (Cate Wolfe); and Chief Superintendent Matthew Lawson (Joel Tobeck).
Episode descriptions below.
Episode 301 “King of the Lake” airs on Thursday, August 11 at 8am ET
A champion rower is thrown into the lake in celebration and never comes up again. Called in to investigate the cause of drowning, Dr. Lucien Blake soon suspects foul play.
Episode 302 “My Brother’s Keeper” airs on Thursday, August 11 at 9:30am ET
Blake is drawn into another murky world as he investigates the death of a local farmer. He discovers a feud between two brothers in the gambling backstreets.
Episode 303 “This Time and This Place” airs on Thursday, August 11 at 11am ET
A young woman is shot dead at a bonfire night celebration, and the police immediately arrest an Aboriginal boy she knew for her murder. However, Blake realises there’s more to the murder than meets the eye.
Episode 304 “By the Southern Cross” airs on Thursday, August 11 at 12:30pm ET
When tensions flare up between local workers and some communist students, the students’ leader is found dead the next morning on the Eureka stockade memorial. It falls to Blake to sift through the politics and intrigue and find the killer.
Episode 305 “A Night to Remember” airs on Thursday, August 18 at 8am ET
A famous actress comes to the Colonists Club and stuns everyone by dropping dead onstage. Convinced the killer is still in the room, Chief Superintendent Munro locks all the doors and gives Blake just one night to solve the murder.
Episode 306 “Women and Children” airs on Thursday, August 18 at 9:30am ET
One of Ballarat Hospital’s most prominent surgeons is found dead on his own operating table. Investigating, Blake is drawn into a web of jealousy and sexual intrigue. Meanwhile, an old ally of Blake’s returns from Melbourne.
Episode 307 “Room Without a View” airs on Thursday, August 18 at 11am ET
Blake is called to a hotel where the owner has found a body in one of the rooms. His investigation takes in a shady business deal and a young woman in Mattie’s care who has lost her memory after a car crash.
Episode 308 “Darkness Visible” airs on Thursday, August 18 at 12:30pm ET
Patrick Tyneman’s son Edward, freshly out of jail, is arrested again for the murder of a Freemason. Everyone suspects Edward, but Blake puts aside his former rivalry and tries to get inside the masonic lodge to investigate more closely.
Episode 401 “The Open Road” airs on Thursday, August 25 at 8am ET
Ballarat is hosting a stage of a prestigious cross-country motor race. When a mechanic is found dead underneath one of the cars it’s clear foul play is involved. Under pressure for the race to go ahead in a couple of days, Blake and Lawson must investigate quickly.
Episode 402 “Golden Years” airs on Thursday, August 25 at 9:30am ET
A local businessman is found drowned in the swimming baths right after the grand unveiling of his plans for a local theme park about the Ballarat gold rush. Realizing the death is suspicious, Blake begins untangling the victim’s complicated personal life.
Episode 403 “Lucky Numbers” airs on Thursday, August 25 at 11am ET
When a lottery winner is kidnapped and held to ransom, Blake uses his keen instincts and personal touch to sift through the suspects. However, there’s something else on his mind as well.
Episode 404 “Against the Odds” airs on Thursday, August 25 at 12:30pm ET
An experienced jockey dies on the track when his horse throws him during practice. It doesn’t take long to discover evidence of foul play, so Blake and Frank begin asking around Ballarat’s shady bookmakers.
Episode 405 “The Price of Love” airs on Thursday, September 1 at 8am ET
At Ballarat military base, a soldier is killed on a routine training exercise. Investigating the tragedy, Blake comes face to face with the new base commander, his old nemesis Major Derek Alderton.
Episode 406 “A Difficult Lie” airs on Thursday, September 1 at 9:30am ET
Frank is playing 18 holes on Ballarat golf course when another club member, a local newspaper reporter, turns up dead in one of the bunkers. Frank and Blake soon discover there is a lot more to local politics than meets the eye.
Episode 407 “For Whom the Bell Tolls” airs on Thursday, September 1 at 11am ET
A firefighter falls from the bell tower of the Ballarat fire station. While it initially looks like a suicide, Blake suspects foul play, but he can’t find the evidence to prove it. At home, even now Mei Lin has moved out, things remain complicated.
Episode 408 “The Visible World” airs on Thursday, September 1 at 12:30pm ET
Everyone gathers at Ballarat Observatory to view the eclipse. In the darkness there is a commotion and standing over a body as the lights are turned on is none other than Dr. Lucien Blake. The finger of suspicion falls on him – even Frank has no option but to put him in the cells.
Episodes will also be available on demand and on the Ovation NOW app.
About OVATION TV America’s Premier Arts Network
As an independent television, production, and digital media company, OVATION TV has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture, and captivating entertainment. Showcasing a lineup of critically acclaimed premium dramas, specials, documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION TV salutes innovative storytelling with popular programming that includes Inside the Actors Studio, Murdoch Mysteries, Riviera, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Arts Engines, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Fall, Midsomer Murders, The Art Of, Celebrity Conversations, and The Sound of New York. Ovation also powers JOURNY, the dedicated streaming service where art, culture, and travel intersect. The company has provided more than $15M in contributions and in-kind support to arts institutions and arts education. Its signature advocacy platform, STAND FOR THE ARTS, includes a coalition of over 130 arts organizations, cultural institutions, and arts leaders throughout the country raising awareness about art’s positive impact, protecting access for everyone, and encouraging action on behalf of the arts. OVATION TV is available on major providers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV/AT&T U-verse, SPECTRUM, Verizon FiOS, as well as on demand. You can follow OVATION TV on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, OvationTV.com, and through our App, OVATION NOW.