The Young Doctors

This article is about the soap opera. For the 1961 film, see The Young Doctors (film).

The Young Doctors
Created by	Reg Watson
Starring	Michael Beecher Cornelia Frances Alfred Sandor Gwen Plumb Mark Holden John Dommett Peta Toppano Chris King Tim Page Lyn James Judy McBurney Tony Alvarez Paula Duncan Lynda Stoner Bartholomew John Anne Lucas Diana McLean Rebecca Gilling Alan Dale Eric Oldfield Brian Moll
Country of origin	Australia
No. of episodes	1396
Production
Running time	25 minutes
Original release
Network	Nine Network
Release	8 November 1976 – 1983

The Young Doctors was an Australian, early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff. The series was particularly popular with women and teenage fans.

The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and screened on the Nine Network from Monday 8 November 1976 until Wednesday 30 March 1983. When it ended after 1396 thirty-minute episodes it held the record of Australia's longest running television drama series, having surpassed the previous record of 1218 thirty-minute episodes held by Number 96. This was later surpassed by A Country Practice and then Neighbours, which is the current record-holder of longest-running Australian series.

The Young Doctors holds the distinction, rare among long-running Australian dramas, of having never won any sort of television award. Alan Coleman produced the show for most of its run until being replaced by Sue Masters, shortly before the series finished production in late 1982.

The show was contemporaneous with another long-running Nine Network serial, The Sullivans, which had a budget three times higher than The Young Doctors.

Selected episodes of the serial were released on DVD in October 2006.

Umbrella Entertainment have confirmed that they are in plans to release the complete series .

Cast

Character	Actor
Dr Brian Denham	Michael Beecher
Mrs Ada Simmonds	Gwen Plumb
Dr Graham Steele	Tim Page
Helen Gordon	Lyn James
Dennis Jamieson	Chris King
Dr Raymond Shaw	Alfred Sandor
Sister / Matron Grace Scott	Cornelia Frances
Nurse / Sister Tania Livingston	Judy McBurney
Nurse Kate Rhodes	Ros Wood
Nurse JoJo Adams	Delvene Delaney
Nurse Kim Barrington	Lynda Stoner
Nurse Lisa Brooks	Paula Duncan
Nurse Jill Gordon	Joanne Samuel
Dr John Forrest	Alan Dale
Nurse / Dr Liz Kennedy	Rebecca Gilling
Sister Vivienne Jeffries	Diana McLean
Sister Suzanne Gibbs	Susanne Stuart
Sister Eve Turner	Anne Lucas
Dr Craig Rothwell	John Walton
Dr Mike Newman	Peter Bensley
Dr Tony Garcia	Tony Alvarez
Dr Ben Fielding	Eric Oldfield
Dr Gail Henderson	Peta Toppano
Dr Jim Howard	John Dommett
Dr Chris Piper	Bartholomew John
Dr Peter Holland	Peter Lochran
Dr Greg Mason	Mark Holden
Dr Robyn Porter	Joy Chambers
Dr Susan Richards	Judy Lynne
Dr Russell Edwards	Peter Cousens
Dr Lance Wilkinson	Michael Gow
Dr Matt Blake	Nick Holland
Dr David Henderson	Graham Harvey
Dr Vicki Daniels	Sally Tayler
Dr Rod Langley	Chris Orchard
Dr Nick Barrett	Adrian Van Den Bok
Dr Vincent Snape	Brian Moll
Dr Andrew Baxter	Andrew Sharp
Ian Parrish	Serge Lazareff
Nurse Maggie Gordon	Jackie Woodburne
Nurse Sherry Andrews	Karen Pini
Nurse Jody Carter	Julie Wilson
Nurse Julie Holland	Lisa Aldenhoven
Nurse Dolly Davis	Christine Harris
Nurse Linda Wilson	Julie Nihill
Nurse Zelda Baker	Genevieve Lemon
Sister Erin Cosgrove	Babs McMillan
Nurse Virginia Mason	Rosie Bailey
Nurse Genevieve Ridgeway	Susan Stenmark
Mark Holland	Robert Leys
Toni Sheffield	Tottie Goldsmith
"Flint" Stone	Robert Korosy
Hilary Templeton	Abigail
Caroline Fielding/Morgan/Jamieson	Kim Wran
Laura Denham	Joanna Moore-Smith
Ken Hansen	Joe Hasham
Heinrik Smeaton	Joseph Furst
Bunny Howard	Ugly Dave Gray
Anne-Marie Austin	Judi Connelli
Sir Clifford Langley	Mike Dorsey
Nurse Diana Trent	Julianne White
Mr Cox	Brian Wenzel
Maureen Parker/Howard	Virginia Rudeno
Rosalie Parker	Carol Raye
Erika Hoffman/Shaw	Karen Petersen
Arthur Simmonds	Willie Fennell
Dr Judith-Anne Napier	Carole Skinner
Clarrie Baker	Peter Adams

Deceased cast members

Actor	Year of death
Alfred Sandor	1983
Michael Beecher	1994
Tony Alvarez	1997
Gwen Plumb	2002
John Dommett	2004
Joseph Furst	2005

International screenings

In the United Kingdom the programme was acquired by 13 of the 14 weekday members of the ITV Network. Scottish Television never purchased the programme. Central Television pioneered the programme in their Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 slot in 1982 while all other ITV contractors were screening The Sullivans. This was then increased to a daily 15:30 screening. Central switched the programme back to the lunchtime 12:30 slot before finally reaching the end of the series in the 14:40 slot in July 1992. Most other regions initially screened the programme at their own regional pace in their 15:30 slot on Mondays and Tuesdays although Granada Television screened the programme on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays instead. Border Television followed the same format as Granada and screened their episodes via the Granada feed. Years later in 1988, Yorkshire Television had a vacant 12:30 weekday slot and filled it with The Young Doctors. Most regions eventually ended the programme at their own pace in the early 1990s. Yorkshire Television decided to skip 254 episodes of the programme at the end of 1992 to enable them to catch up to Tyne Tees Television. From January 1993 both regions screened exactly the same material. London based Carlton Television ended the programme within days of Yorkshire and Tyne Tees concluding the programme in December 1994. Shortland Street replaced the show in the Yorkshire and Tyne Tees regions.

The Young Doctors (under the title "Jeunes Docteurs") was scheduled in France, on the second national-wide channel Antenne 2, at 8.30, from March 21 1986.

The Young Doctors was also one of three Australian soap operas screened in the mid to late 1980s on Sky Channel before it became Sky One in 1989 (the others being A Country Practice and The Sullivans). During the mid-to-late 1980s, it was transmitted at 17:00. From 1989 until 1992, The Young Doctors screened at 10:00. When Sky purchased newer Australian soap E Street in 1992, they dropped The Young Doctors to accommodate an afternoon repeat of E Street.

UK ITV regional scheduling

ITV Region	Programme Schedule Pattern (all end at Episode 1396 unless otherwise stated)
	Start Date	Days Screened	End Date	Replaced With
Central Television	Tuesday 19 January 1982 12:30	Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30, then in late 1982 Mondays and Tuesdays at 15:45, then January 1983 Mondays to Fridays 15:30, then Mondays and Tuesdays from mid February 1983. Then after episode 538 on Tuesday 1 September 1987 moves to Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12.00noon from 9 September. Slot later changed to a daily 12:30 slot with a two week Olympic break in autumn 1988. Returned to the 15:25 Tuesdays to Fridays slot in January 1989.Mon- Fri at 15:30 used in July 1989 During 1991 Wednesdays to Fridays 15.25 From 1992, the transmission days remained Monday-Thursday but at 14:50.	First to complete on Tuesday August 18th 1992, 14.50	Love at First Sight American comedy series, later GP filled the slot initially at 14.50, and then 15.20.
HTV West & Wales	Tuesday 4 January 1983 15:30	Tuesdays at 15:30, then Mondays and Fridays at 17:15 then weekdays 15:30 from September 1983. Then Wednesdays to Fridays from January 1984. The series was then taken off air in July until September 1984 when it was placed in the Monday and Tuesday slot 15:30, then Wednesdays and Thursdays at 14.00 from 25 April 1990, then Tues/Wed at 13:50, then Mon-Fri before losing the Fri episode finishing in 1994.	Monday 18 April 1994 14.50	Various programmes
Thames Television up to episode 1103 & Carlton Television slowest to complete in full	Thursday 23 June 1983 17:15	Thursdays and Fridays 17:15. Later changed to Mondays and Tuesdays at 15:30 on Monday 3 September 1984 with episode 117 until 17 April 1990, then changed to weekly Wednesdays from 25 April 1990. Then Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Friday 6 July 1990. Finally Mondays to Fridays from the start until October when they reduced to Mondays to Wednesdays until the end of 1992. Thames TV even screened one episode at 18:30 during the Christmas 1983 period. Thames final episode on Wednesday 16 December 1993 episode 1103. Carlton Television replaced Thames on 1 January 1993. Carlton did not screen the programme until Monday 7 June 1993, when it aired in a daily 15:20 slot after episodes of Blockbusters had run out. Carlton seemed to despise the programme having it off air in their first five months. Then switched to Mondays to Wednesdays at 14:50 with the last episode played on a Friday. Replaced with half episodes of Blue Heelers on Tuesday 3 January 1995	Final three episodes screened as an 80minute special from 13:55 on Friday 30 December 1994.	Blue Heelers
Granada Television	Monday 5 September 1983 15:30	Each weekday, then Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 15:30 from January 1984. Series comes to a stop on Friday 1 August 1986 with episode 463. Series resumes on Wednesday 3 September. Then the Wednesday episode was dropped for Coronation Street repeats from 18 October 1989. Wednesday episode returns from 23 January 1991.	Wednesday 7 April 1993 15:20	Sons and Daughters
Border Television	As Granada	As Granada throughout. From 1988, once a month the Wednesday episode is moved to Tuesday to accommodate live regional political programming. This is aired a day before Granada screen the episodes and mean that at some points Border was the furthest ahead of all regions in the series.	As Granada	GP
Grampian Television	Monday 14 November 1983 15:30	Weekdays, then Wednesday to Friday from January 1984. The series was then taken off air in July until September 1984 when it was placed in the Monday and Tuesday slot, Then moves to Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 14.00 from 24 April 1990, Showed Episode 1156 on Tuesday 10 August 1993 15.20 at which time they were screening Tuesday to Fridays at 15.20	Friday 30 September 1994 13.55	Shortland Street
Ulster Television	Thursday 5 January 1984 15:30	Thursdays and Fridays at 15:30 until episode 24 on 30 March 1984. Series then dropped for a very long period and replaced with regionally made programmes from other ITV regions starting with Its a Vets Life and Clegg's People from Yorkshire. Still showing around episode 100 in February 1989. Then down to one a week in late 1989. Showing twice a week at 15.25 on Thursdays and Fridays in 1991 and had reached episode 165(!!!!) by 15 March 1991, then dropped. Returned in 1992 for FIVE EPISODES ONLY (!) then dropped. Returns again in mid 1993 with daily episodes at 15.00. Moves to 14.50.	Episode 360 Monday 11 April 1994 14.50	Fair City on Mondays and Tuesdays and Shortland Street on Wednesdays to Fridays
Television South (TVS) up to episode 1271 & Meridian Broadcasting fastest to complete in full	Monday 9 April 1984 15:30	Mondays and Tuesdays 15:30, then Mondays to Wednesdays 17:15 for summer 1984, then Thursdays and Fridays 15:30 from September 1984, then Mondays to Wednesdays from January 1985, until Wednesday 2 September 1987. Then Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12.00noon from 9 September starting with episode ??? Then Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays used in July 1989 15.30 then Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 25 1990??? Final episode for TVS 1271 on Friday 18 December 1992 14.50. In 1993 show screened daily at 15.20	Thursday 8 July 1993 15.20	All Together Now
Anglia Television	Monday 3 September 1984 15:30	Mondays and Tuesdays 15:30 until 17 April 1990, then changed to Wednesdays and Thursdays at 14.00 from 25 April 1990. Then back to 15.25, Thursdays and Fridays from Friday 6 July 1990. Wednesday episode returns in January 1991, Then Mondays to Fridays from January 1992, Then Thursdays and Fridays at 13.55 until the end. By 2 December 1994 they had reached episode 1346.	Last region to complete the series in full on Friday 2 June 1995 13.55	A Country Practice
Tyne Tees Television	Monday 1 October 1984 15:30	Mondays and Tuesdays 15:30 until 17 April 1990, then Tuesdays and Wednesdays 14:00 from 25 April 1990. From Thursday 3 January 1991 moves to 15.20 Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesday episode added from 23 January 1991, Mondays to Fridays 15.20 from January 1992, Then Mondays to Fridays 15:20 From Monday 4 January 1993 Tyne Tees and Yorkshire screened the programme daily at 15:20. From January 1994 until the end in December of that year, this changed to Monday - Thursday at 14.50.	As Yorkshire	Shortland Street from January 1995
Television South West (TSW) up to episode 793 & Westcountry Television episodes 794 - 1101. Slowest overall	Monday 1 April 1985 17.15	Mondays and Fridays, at 17.15 then after a short break the series resumes on the same days at 15.25, In late 1988 the series moves to 12.30 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Network programming forces the show to move to weekly on Mondays at 13.30 at the end of 1989.During 1990 the series moves to 13.50. During 1991 the series moves to 14.20. From January 1992, in the last 12 months of TSW the show was screened daily at 14.50 (with a brief return to 15.20 when Home and Away had returned to a more suitable timeslot) and reached episode 793 as TSW's final transmission on Friday 18 December 1992. During late 1994 the series was shown at 14.25 on Mondays and Tuesdays with the last episode of 1994 20 December being episode 980. Last few months aired Tuesdays to Thursdays at 13.50	Never completed and gave up with episode 1101 on Wednesday 13 December 1995 at 13.50	Various, initially Wish You Were Here...? repeats
Channel Television	Monday 1 April 1985 17.15	As TSW until 30 December 1985 (episode 52) then episodes 53 - 224 skipped to catch up to TVS from January 1986 when slot switches and increases to Mondays to Wednesdays at 15.30 from episode 225. Then as TVS & Meridian to the end.	As Meridian	As Meridian
Yorkshire Television (YTV)	Last region to start. Over six years since Central and over 3 years since the most recent, TSW Monday 6 June 1988 12:30	Mondays to Fridays at 12:30 with a two week Olympic break in autumn 1988, Then from 4 September 1989 15:30, Then Wednesday episode dropped from 18 October 1989, Then Monday and Tuesday episodes dropped from 23 April 1990. Wednesday episode reinstated from 9 January 1991, Daily episodes resumed from January 1992, then Monday and Friday episodes dropped. Then Monday episodes resume on 9 November 1992. On 17 December 1992 Yorkshire screened episode 764 and then had to abandon 215 episodes as they were showing all programmes simultaneously with Tyne Tees from 1 January 1993. On 17 Dec Tyne Tees screened ep 978 and 979 on 18 December. From 04/01/93, they resumed a daily airing at 15.20. For the first week in January, The Yorkshire region screened a 4 minute potted version of the missing episodes. The 4 minute episode began with a YTV continuity announcer informing "Things have changed since our last visit to the Albert Memorial". from January 1994 until the end in December of that year, this changed to Monday- Thursday at 14.50.	Thursday 15 December 1994 14:50	Shortland Street from January 1995
Scottish Television (STV)	Never purchased	Never screened	Never screened	Never screened

ITV Region in start date order	End of Year Episode Numbers
	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
Central Television	89	187	282	377	474	572	769	??	1132	??	1396
HTV West & Wales	Not yet purchased	125	235	330	4??	524	6??	717	??	940	1169 on 15/12 possibly another 8 eps on 16/12, 17/12, 22/12, 23/12, 24/12, 29/12, 30/12 and 31/12
Thames Television	Not yet purchased	50	1??	2??	3??	435	532	6??	7??	884 screened on Mon 06/01/92	1103
Granada Television	Not yet purchased	77	228	375	512	667	822	967	??	1207	??
Border Television	Not yet purchased	77	228	375	512	667	822	967	???	1207
Grampian Television	Not yet purchased	27	134	228	??	??	521	??	???	??	??
Ulster Television	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	24	Off air	Off air	Off air
Television South (TVS)	Not yet purchased		??	224	??	??	??	??	921	1058	1271
Anglia Television	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	30			316		509
Tyne Tees Television	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	22	1??	2??	3??	4??	4??		736	979
Television South West (TSW)	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	52	150	??	348	471	516	560	793
Channel Television	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	52					921	1058	1271
Yorkshire Television (YTV)	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	Not yet purchased	136	3??	4??	579	764
Scottish Television (STV)	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown

• During 1986, regions intending to screen episodes on 19 March (announcement of engagement of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew) and 2 April (terrorist airline bomb) at 15.30 (TVS, Channel, Border and Granada) had last minute changes to their schedule meaning that the episode intended for these dates were in fact screened on the next usual day instead.

ITV Region in start date order	End of Year Episode Numbers
	1993	1994	1995
Central Television	Completed	Completed	Completed
HTV West & Wales	1338	1396	Completed
Carlton Television formerly Thames	1233	1396	Completed
Granada Television	1396	Completed	Completed
Border Television	1396	Completed	Completed
Grampian Television	1204 on 9/12 possibly another 6 more on 14/12, 15/12, 16/12 21/12, 22/12 and 23/12	1396	Completed
Ulster Television	292	360	Incomplete
Meridian Broadcasting formerly TVS	1396	Completed	Completed
Anglia Television	1???	1354	1396
Tyne Tees Television	1???	1396	Completed
Westcountry Television formerly TSW	???	980 on 20/12/94	Incomplete on 1101
Channel Television	1396	Completed	Completed but skipped a chunk
Yorkshire Television (YTV)	1???	1396	Completed but skipped a major chunk
Scottish Television (STV)	Never shown	Never shown	Never shown

ITV Region in start date order	Air dates of significant episodes
	ep 40 Grace at the altar	ep 327 Arrival of Jeffries	ep 529 aftermath of Barrington shooting	ep 679 Liz and Ben wedding aftermath	ep 872 Julie and Russell's wedding day	episode 1000	ep 1019 John and Liz marry	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
Central Television	Tu 15/06/82 12.30	Mo 24/06/85 15.30	Tu 28/07/87 15.30
HTV West & Wales	Fr 29/07/83 17.15	Mo 16/12/85 15.30
Thames Television	Th 17/11/83 17.15	Tu 18/11/86 15.30
Granada Television	Tu 01/11/83 15.30	Fr 23/08/86 15.30
Border Television	Tu 01/11/83 15.30	Fr 23/08/86 15.30
Grampian Television	We 01/02/84 15.30
Ulster Television	1988	Mo 21/02/94 14.50	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened
Television South (TVS)	We 01/08/84 15.30
Anglia Television	Tu 05/02/85 15.30	Mo 08/02/88 15.30
Tyne Tees Television		Mo 14/03/88 15.30
Television South West (TSW)
Channel Television
Yorkshire Television (YTV)	Tu 02/08/88 12.30	Mo 05/02/90 15.30			Not screened
Scottish Television (STV)	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened	Not screened

External links

• The Young Doctors at IMDb
• Aussie Soap Archive: The Young Doctors — Overview and review
• Classic Aussie Soaps: The Young Doctors
• The Young Doctors Unofficial Fan Site
• Documentary celebrating 30 year anniversary, with cast interviews
• The Young Doctors at the National Film and Sound Archive