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Matlock Police

Season 4 1974

  • 1974-01-16T14:00:00Z on Network Ten
  • 1h
  • 1d 20h (44 episodes)
  • Australia
  • English
  • Drama
Matlock Police is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1970 and 1975. The series was the 0-10 Network's attempt to come up with a police show to rival Homicide and Division 4. Matlock Police was different from its Melbourne-based predecessors by being set in a small country town, the fictional Matlock, Victoria. Series writers had a reference manual giving full details of the town’s geography, amenities, social structure, etc., as well as that of the surrounding area - neighbouring towns included Wilga, Chinaman's Creek, Possum's Creek and Burrabri, and there was an offshoot of the Great Dividing Range called the Candowies. The town's colourful history included the local Aboriginal tribe, the town founder, a gold rush, a bushranger and a town patriarchy. About the only landmark the Matlock district lacked for dramatic purposes was a beach.

44 episodes

Season Premiere

1974-01-16T14:00:00Z

4x01 Unchained

Season Premiere

4x01 Unchained

  • 1974-01-16T14:00:00Z1h

Two vicious bashers terrorise Matlock, and the police discover they are a couple of girls, Terri Williams and Ruth Church, which brings a few problems to Sen. Det. York. Terri is a tomboy thug who bails up men and kicks the stuffing out of them, a character trait she got after being raped by her stepfather when she was 12.

1974-01-23T14:00:00Z

4x02 Whose Idea Was That?

4x02 Whose Idea Was That?

  • 1974-01-23T14:00:00Z1h

Investigating a minor assault and robbery, the Matlock police find evidence of a crime of much greater significance.

1974-01-30T14:00:00Z

4x03 The Chase

4x03 The Chase

  • 1974-01-30T14:00:00Z1h

Three teenagers on a rampage indulge in an orgy of sex, robbery and violence across the Matlock area.

4x04 Everybody Else Has Everything

  • 1974-02-06T14:00:00Z1h

The relationship between a young criminal and a middle-aged widow causes a number of problems for the Matlock police during an investigation into a car yard breaking, and an assault on Constable McKenzie.

1974-02-13T14:00:00Z

4x05 The Germ Bomb

4x05 The Germ Bomb

  • 1974-02-13T14:00:00Z1h

Two youths break into Dr. Mitchell's car and steal a metal case containing drugs. The youths believe they have a haul of saleable drugs, as most phials contain morphine, but one phial contains a deadly specimen of meningitis, which could kill within days.

1974-02-20T14:00:00Z

4x06 The Green Bull

4x06 The Green Bull

  • 1974-02-20T14:00:00Z1h

Sly grog and prostitution at an old de-licensed pub cause the Matlock police a number of unexpected headaches.

1974-02-27T14:00:00Z

4x07 The Prowler

4x07 The Prowler

  • 1974-02-27T14:00:00Z1h

A prowler terrorises women in a small district outside Matlock, and the police experience difficulty tracking him down.

1974-03-06T14:00:00Z

4x08 Time and Motion

4x08 Time and Motion

  • 1974-03-06T14:00:00Z1h

Sen. Det. York is involved in quick crime, fast cars and a faster woman as he and Det. Sgt. Maddern solve a mystery involving motor racing and a payroll robbery.

1974-03-13T14:00:00Z

4x09 Mummy

4x09 Mummy

  • 1974-03-13T14:00:00Z1h

Jenny McVernon and Doug Walmseley are babysitting for Sylvia Hammond, but when Jenny checks on the baby she finds it missing. Police can find no evidence of a baby ever having existed, and all their leads take them back to a point in time five years ago. They locate David Hammond, Sylvia's husband, who reported his wife missing in Melbourne four days previously. Meanwhile, a dead baby is discovered near Matlock, and another is reported missing.

1974-03-20T14:00:00Z

4x10 The Highwayman

4x10 The Highwayman

  • 1974-03-20T14:00:00Z1h

Tom Dawson becomes involved in truck hi-jacking to help pay debts on his struggling farm. Robbery ends in murder when Frank West's truck is targeted next.

4x11 Poppy and the Closet Junkie

  • 1974-03-27T14:00:00Z1h

A nurse stealing morphine for her addicted brother-in-law causes an elderly doctor to be suspected of negligence when his patient dies of an apparent drug overdose.

Notes: First major role for Andrew McFarlane (he previously had a one scene bit-part in Homicide). His performance in this episode led to him being cast as Const. Wilson in Division 4.

1974-04-03T14:00:00Z

4x12 Crack Shot

4x12 Crack Shot

  • 1974-04-03T14:00:00Z1h

A sniper is loose in Matlock and he has murder on his mind - or does he? After shooting holes in his neighbour's water tank, a gunman takes to the river in his canoe, pursued by Sen. Det. York and Const. Hogan.

1974-04-10T14:00:00Z

4x13 Two to One Against

4x13 Two to One Against

  • 1974-04-10T14:00:00Z1h

When two likeable rogues visit Matlock, their work takes them into some very rich homes whose owners also flaunt the law. When a Matlock businessman double crosses them, they seek a way of revenge, and they find that the businessman occasionally brings up from Melbourne a gambling set-up to entertain his business friends. The pair set out to disrupt the big night.

4x14 They'll Fix You Up No Worries

  • 1974-04-17T14:00:00Z1h

Police investigations lead to a backyard abortion racket when a woman is found unconscious in her car.

Notes: First television acting role for Adelaide television and radio personality, and Concentration quiz show host, Lionel Williams.

1974-04-24T14:00:00Z

4x15 Rhubarb

4x15 Rhubarb

  • 1974-04-24T14:00:00Z1h

Smugglers who want to cover their operations arrange for Matlock to be visited by a UFO.

1974-05-01T14:00:00Z

4x16 Powers of Arrest

4x16 Powers of Arrest

  • 1974-05-01T14:00:00Z1h

Sen. Det. York finds himself in potentially serious trouble when he shoots a young man while off duty.

4x17 Prosperity Breeds Contempt

  • 1974-05-08T14:00:00Z1h

Harry Martin is back in Matlock after six years in prison. He says he has come back for his family. The police and others have a $30,000 reason to doubt him.

1974-05-15T14:00:00Z

4x18 Pot Luck

4x18 Pot Luck

  • 1974-05-15T14:00:00Z1h

Det. Sgt. Maddern and Sen. Det. York are involved in murder, marijuana and revenge when some city criminals attempt to set up a drug supply from Matlock.

1974-05-22T14:00:00Z

4x19 The Reckoning

4x19 The Reckoning

  • 1974-05-22T14:00:00Z1h

The death of a leading property owner plunges the Matlock police into the middle of a grim dispute over land rights.

Notes: This episode features a 'teaser' before the opening titles, which were used from ep. 156 onwards. By production order, it should be numbered after ep. 155.

1974-10-20T14:00:00Z

4x20 Canungra

4x20 Canungra

  • 1974-10-20T14:00:00Z1h

Three young women fall victim to a sexual pervert and are assaulted. The prime suspect is a 17-year-old boy who has grown up in almost complete isolation in a remote area near Matlock.

Notes: Features a ‘teaser’ before the opening titles, which were used from ep. 156 onwards. This episode has number 158 on the tape leader (as does actual ep. 158 'By Gones Be By Gones'). By production order, it should be numbered 157A, and ep. 157A ‘Dancing Class’ (which has ep. 151 on the tape leader) should be numbered 151.

1974-06-05T14:00:00Z

4x21 Its Just a Job

4x21 Its Just a Job

  • 1974-06-05T14:00:00Z1h

A farm hand goes on a rampage when he acquires a gun and shoots a policeman.

1974-06-12T14:00:00Z

4x22 Thin Air

4x22 Thin Air

  • 1974-06-12T14:00:00Z1h

On a routine job, Const. Hogan apparently disappears into thin air.

1974-06-19T14:00:00Z

4x23 What are Friends For

4x23 What are Friends For

  • 1974-06-19T14:00:00Z1h

Sgt. Kennedy reaches a crisis point in his career when a dispute between an old friend and a company seeking mining rights becomes explosive.

Notes: During filming Tom Richards aggravated an old injury, and the script was re-written to incorporate Sen. Det. York spraining his ankle.

1974-06-26T14:00:00Z

4x24 Nothing Man

4x24 Nothing Man

  • 1974-06-26T14:00:00Z1h

A man with no identity and no memory wanders into Matlock and the police find themselves involved in a murder case.

1974-07-03T14:00:00Z

4x25 Country Hospitality

4x25 Country Hospitality

  • 1974-07-03T14:00:00Z1h

Matlock police are called to Arthur's Creek where the residents are worried by unusual activity in the nearby hillbilly settlement, and Const. Hogan finds himself in a precarious situation.

Notes: First episode featuring a 'teaser' before the opening titles. Earlier episodes 150 and 151 also featured teasers as they were actually made after ep. 155.

1974-07-10T14:00:00Z

4x26 Manhunter

4x26 Manhunter

  • 1974-07-10T14:00:00Z1h

An accident in rugged bushland sees Maddern and York left for dead by vicious crim Max Cooper, who is armed and dangerous.

1974-05-29T14:00:00Z

4x27 Dancing Class

4x27 Dancing Class

  • 1974-05-29T14:00:00Z1h

While investigating the mystery of disappearing girls, the Matlock police discover a white slave trading racket where young girls are spirited away to become prostitutes in the big cities. 14-year-old Jenny Perkins becomes one of their victims, but is protected by Sue Palmer, an unwilling accomplice. The situation becomes dangerous as the police tangle with the small band of slavers who make a living out of selling people.

Notes: This episode does not have a ‘teaser’ before the opening titles. By production order it should be numbered 151 as it has this number on the tape leader, and ep. 151 ‘Canungra’, which has ep. 158 on the tape leader (as does actual ep. 158 'By Gones Be By Gones'), should be numbered 157A.

1974-07-17T14:00:00Z

4x28 By Gones Be By Gones

4x28 By Gones Be By Gones

  • 1974-07-17T14:00:00Z1h

A feud between a share farmer and the land owner ends in tragedy when the land owner pushes the people around him too far.

1974-07-24T14:00:00Z

4x29 Death of a Cuckoo

4x29 Death of a Cuckoo

  • 1974-07-24T14:00:00Z1h

A misunderstood teenager receives the blame for a rash of shooting incidents in Matlock.

1974-08-07T14:00:00Z

4x30 Satisfaction

4x30 Satisfaction

  • 1974-08-07T14:00:00Z1h

For eight years the town of Ebbalong has made two men's lives a misery. One is the town's policeman, an old friend of Sgt. Kennedy.

Notes: Tom Richards and Paul Cronin do not appear in this episode.

1974-08-14T14:00:00Z

4x31 The Biggest Game of All

4x31 The Biggest Game of All

  • 1974-08-14T14:00:00Z1h

A big game hunter comes to Matlock, with a world-wide reputation and a 20 million dollar corporation to back him up. But it's not long before Det. Sgt. Maddern starts to wonder what sort of 'game' he is after.

1974-09-11T14:00:00Z

4x32 Loggerheads

4x32 Loggerheads

  • 1974-09-11T14:00:00Z1h

The Matlock police are kept busy when two rival timber mills are at loggerheads and their ideas of good clean opposition become explosive.

Notes: First colour episode.

1974-08-21T14:00:00Z

4x33 Dennis

4x33 Dennis

  • 1974-08-21T14:00:00Z1h

When a girl is raped on a lonely road late at night, alcoholic Dennis Fletcher, an old friend of Sgt. Maddern, is the most likely suspect.

1974-08-28T14:00:00Z

4x34 Past Master

4x34 Past Master

  • 1974-08-28T14:00:00Z1h

When a local is shot breaking into the Warner estate at Chinamans Creek, police investigations take them way back into the past.

1974-09-04T14:00:00Z

4x35 Cry of Vengeance

4x35 Cry of Vengeance

  • 1974-09-04T14:00:00Z1h

Dingoes are attacking the flocks of Eagle Run, a sheep station just outside Matlock. But the wild dogs aren't the only killers loose in the ranges.

1974-09-18T14:00:00Z

4x36 Cobber

4x36 Cobber

  • 1974-09-18T14:00:00Z1h

An old prospector cracks when he comes across a situation he can't handle, and the police find themselves hunting a man whose only friend is his dog.

1974-09-25T14:00:00Z

4x37 Deep Water

4x37 Deep Water

  • 1974-09-25T14:00:00Z1h

Floodwaters hit Matlock, and the police are kept busy with an escapee from a prison farm.

Notes: The script was altered (and re-titled) to allow filming of floodwaters at Echuca (in Victoria at the New South Wales border).

1974-10-09T14:00:00Z

4x38 In the Name of The Queen

4x38 In the Name of The Queen

  • 1974-10-09T14:00:00Z1h

Detectives from Scotland Yard come to Matlock in search of an international criminal they believe may be hiding in the area.

1974-10-02T14:00:00Z

4x39 A Couple of Days Away

4x39 A Couple of Days Away

  • 1974-10-02T14:00:00Z1h

A couple with marital problems take a holiday in the bush and disaster strikes.

1974-10-16T14:00:00Z

4x40 Priorities

4x40 Priorities

  • 1974-10-16T14:00:00Z1h

Sen. Det. York embarks on a personal crusade against corruption in the local council.

1974-10-29T14:00:00Z

4x41 No Place Like Home

4x41 No Place Like Home

  • 1974-10-29T14:00:00Z1h

Edgar becomes involved with an old friend's daughter and her boyfriend, a vicious car thief.

1974-11-05T14:00:00Z

4x42 Donny Brook

4x42 Donny Brook

  • 1974-11-05T14:00:00Z1h

When a slightly retarded youth is electrocuted, his father sets out to avenge his death.

1974-11-19T14:00:00Z

4x43 Squeeze, Don't Pull

4x43 Squeeze, Don't Pull

  • 1974-11-19T14:00:00Z1h

A spate of shootings occur as someone takes pot-shots at pigeons, cars and Const. Hogan, keeping the Matlock police frantically busy searching for the guilty party or parties.

1974-11-26T14:00:00Z

4x44 A Quiet Little Place

4x44 A Quiet Little Place

  • 1974-11-26T14:00:00Z1h

Lack of understanding by the townspeople of Bindi towards a commune leads to a case of arson.

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