The opening episode of a television show is always a challenge, the need to establish characters, location and still have something happen - is a delicate balance. With the chance that viewers may change channels within a few minutes and new shows can be axed in within weeks, the stakes are high.
'Sea Patrol' wisely plays all it's cards within the first five minutes, we see 5 time Gold Logie Winner Lisa McLune make her return to televison, the Producers hoping that we remember how much we loved her in 'Blue Healers' and hoping we forget that 'Marshall Law' show she did afterwards. We see the beautiful blue skies and waters, we see it's high production values, and just for Grandma and Grandad, who may have been experiencing de ja vu, thinking that they had seen the show before, the words 'Patrol Boat' are dropped in before the credits.
Lisa McLune plays the XO Kate McGregor, an Officer with a bright future who has found her self assigned to serve on a small patrol boat rather than the larger ships and crews she's used to. For McGregor the posting to the small HMAS Hammersly is a stepping stone in her career, but will her usual approach work on such an intamite crew? Ian Stenlake is the CO Mike Flynn he has a prickly relationship with his new subordinate, and we get a hint that they have a confrontational past. The crew is made up an assortment of sailors and the writers have shown great restraint by making them free of quirky mannerisms or obvious character traits. Amongst the cast are a good mix of new and familiar faces including Neighbours alumni Kristian Schmid and Jay Bunyan.
The first episode sees the crew of the HMAS Hammersly deal with two situations simultaneously, they intercept an illegal fishing boat and are called to a rescue operation at the same time. While both these scenario's play out in a fairly predictable fashion they do allow us a good chance to get to know the characters, their relationships and we are given a hint of things to come. It's worth watching and worth tuning in to see where the story goes in episode two.
For the launch of this series Channel 9 has taken a lesson from shows that premiered in the USA last year, such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and allowed it to be downloaded for free from their
site in the lead up to Thursday nights launch, the site also contains internet only material, a video blog from one of the characters and behind the scenes footage.