The twelfth and final season of the long-running Australian medical drama All Saints: Medical Response Unit began airing on 3 February 2009 with the final episode airing 27 October 2009. The season concluded after 37 episodes.
| All Saints | |
|---|---|
| Season 12 | |
 2009 Season DVD | |
| No. of episodes | 37 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Seven Network |
| Original release | 3 February – 27 October 2009 |
| Season chronology | |
Plot
editIn its 12th and final year, the newly formed Medical Response Unit (MRU) takes centre stage treating patients at the site of accidents and then bringing them to the Emergency Department for continued medical care. The MRU, led by Mike Vlasek, is on the front line of a vast range of medical disasters, including an explosion at a winery and a devastating bus crash. The year starts with the ED team dealing with the shocking aftermath of the news of Erica's death. Bart and Amy continue to be at logger-heads until Bart's wise counsel to a troubled patient results in them starting a secret love affair. Steve joins the MRU and is confronted with demons from his past. Gabrielle must deal with her father's heart attack and new paramedic Jo learns whether she has Huntington's disease. Frank continues to fiercely protect his team, and starts the new intern program. The series ends with the ED and MRU teams sharing an emotional farewell dinner in honour of long time All Saints nurse, Von Ryan.
Cast
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Mainedit
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Recurringedit
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Guestedit
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Revamp
editIn 2009, another attempt to stem the softening ratings and add a bit of excitement to the series, Seven Network executives decided to rejuvenate again, introducing a medical response unit to deal with tricky rescues which involved a helicopter going to remote locations to rescue patients who needed assistance. They would then bring those patients back to the ED and the staff there would assist in their treatment. Along with the addition of the new "department" the show was also renamed to All Saints: Medical Response Unit, the introduction of Mirrah Foulkes and the new MRU proved to lift the ratings substantially, but then levelled out at where they were prior to the revamp.[1]
Cancellation
editIn June 2009, after months of rumours that the cancellation of All Saints was imminent, a spokeswoman from the Seven Network informed The Daily Telegraph that the episode order had been trimmed. Season twelve of All Saints would screen 24 episodes instead of the usual 40 episodes and that production would cease in August instead of November.[2]
In July 2009, exactly one month later after the first announcement, Tim Worner, Seven's Director of Programming at the time announced that All Saints had been cancelled. He told Michael Idato of the Sydney Morning Herald, "All Saints is a show which Seven and viewers have loved. However, an audience shift and increased production costs are behind this tough decision." He also informed Idato that the episode order trim had been reverted and the season would complete a 37 episode order, finishing on episode 493. It was reported after the announcement that since the introduction of the MRU in 2009 it inflated the cost of each episode to $500,000. Many people still argue as to why the MRU was introduced in the first place or should have been removed instead of axing the show if the network was wanting to cut costs.[3]
In the Feb/Mar 2010 GQ magazine in 2010, Tim Worner said his one regret was "Axing All Saints. But it was the right call at the time and we have two new drama projects in development."
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 457 | 1 | "Out of the Ashes" | Ian Gilmour | Louise Crane-Bowes | 3 February 2009 | |
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A boating accident in a remote river location has left four people injured and stranded without medical help. | ||||||
| 458 | 2 | "Dreams and Nightmares" | Jet Wilkinson | Sean Nash | 10 February 2009 | |
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A brutally bashed cabbie and his assailant come face to face in the ED creating a medical mystery for Steve; a Bride arriving in the ED instead of her church inadvertently gets Bart and Amy working together, and Mike has difficulty juggling new directions in both his personal and professional lives. | ||||||
| 459 | 3 | "Day One" | Samantha Lang | Trent Atkinson | 17 February 2009 | |
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It's the first day of official operation for Mike's MRU team, and the adrenaline is pumping as they are called out to a precarious rescue in the National Park. Two paragliders have come to grief on a remote cliff-face, and a daring vertical rescue is soon in operation. | ||||||
| 460 | 4 | "Sins of the Past" | Marcus Cole | Jenny and Lesley Lewis | 24 February 2009 | |
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Steve is confronted with demons from his past when he attends a car accident involving Gabrielle's father and brother. Meanwhile, all is not what it seems with a patient and her husband, and Bart finds himself in an impossible situation. | ||||||
| 461 | 5 | "Evil Is As Evil Does" | Jean-Pierre Mignon | Denise Morgan | 3 March 2009 | |
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Time runs out for the Medical Response Unit when a simple rescue escalates into a horrific tale of despair involving children. Meanwhile, Bart and Amy once again come to loggerheads when they try to deal with a manic patient who refuses treatment. Then, Frank turns to hands-on care with a patient whose life force is being sucked out of her by the pressures of 21st-century living. | ||||||
| 462 | 6 | "Facing the Music" | Nicholas Buffalo | Michael Miller | 10 March 2009 | |
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The solidarity of the Medical Response Unit is put to the test when Mike makes a controversial call at a rescue. | ||||||
| 463 | 7 | "Awake in Fright" | Daniel Nettheim | Lily Taylor | 17 March 2009 | |
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Claire is terrified when her past finally catches up with her, while Adam helps a seriously ill woman confront her feelings of guilt - and learns some home truths about himself in the process. | ||||||
| 464 | 8 | "Behind Closed Doors" | Jet Wilkinson | Sally Webb | 24 March 2009 | |
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Steve puts himself in grave peril at the scene of a domestic siege when he ignores MRU protocol and enters the house where a young man has taken his parents hostage. Claire's past continues to menace her when Ian returns to confront Claire. | ||||||
| 465 | 9 | "Danger Zone" | Ian Gilmourn | Fiona Kelly | 31 March 2009 | |
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A psychotic patient on an Ice rage turns the ED into a danger zone. Frank goes to extreme lengths to uncover the deadly secret he's hiding. But will it be in time? | ||||||
| 466 | 10 | "Pushed Too Far" | Marcus Cole | Chris McCourt & Linda Stainton | 21 April 2009 | |
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Violence has resulted in Mike, Steve and Jo fighting desperately for the life of a man crushed in a car compactor. Claire's fear of Ian, her old boyfriend, turns into her worst nightmare. A casual affair turns a man's life upside down when the woman takes drastic action to keep him. | ||||||
| 467 | 11 | "Handle With Care" | Jean-Pierre Mignon | Andrew Kelly | 28 April 2009 | |
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When Steve calls in sick, Mike and Jo have to crew the MRU Unit alone, finding themselves in a situation that tests them to the limits. Steve and Gabrielle care for Claire after she has been sexually assaulted. | ||||||
| 468 | 12 | "The Devil Within" | Cherie Nowlan | Sean Nash | 5 May 2009 | |
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Steve's anger at being unable to help Claire in the aftermath of her rape creates tension with his workmates and patients. A female prisoner who deliberately swallowed a toothbrush for a day out of gaol opens up the past for Claire and Adam in a surprisingly similar way. | ||||||
| 469 | 13 | "Give and Take" | Ian Watson | Trent Atkinson | 12 May 2009 | |
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Bart has to think outside the square to help a well-travelled patient who is suffering from a mysterious infection. Tragedy strikes a young girl who comes in with breathing difficulties. Steve makes a connection with a woman trapped in a motor vehicle, while Claire develops a similar rapport with the victim's best friend. | ||||||
| 470 | 14 | "When the Bough Breaks" | Lynn-Maree Danzey | Jeff Truman | 19 May 2009 | |
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A devastating bus crash impacts heavily on the MRU team. Adam's past affects his treatment of a mentally ill patient. Von becomes the meat in the sandwich between Adam and his mother. | ||||||
| 471 | 15 | "Seeing The Light" | Ian Gilmourn | Alexa Wyatt | 26 May 2009 | |
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A life-threatening rescue in a grain silo appears to be the straw that finally breaks invincible Jo. Meanwhile, an elderly man presents with serious symptoms which turn out to be connected in the most unexpected way. | ||||||
| 472 | 16 | "We All Fall Down" | Geoff Bennett | Clare Atkinson | 2 June 2009 | |
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The MRU find their lives in danger, when Ian returns on a mission to win Claire back and get Steve out of the picture once and for all. Amy is far from thrilled when someone from Bart's past turns up as a patient. Frank's fear that he is losing his passion for the ED has him thinking about a possible career change. | ||||||
| 473 | 17 | "Bodies in Motion" | Jet Wilkinson | Lily Taylor | 9 June 2009 | |
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Frank is forced to make a decision about his future. Amy gets some home truths from a patient with a rare infection and a broken heart. Charlotte and Von treat a woman who's allergic to the world around her. | ||||||
| 474 | 18 | "On Second Thoughts..." | Ian Watson | Sally Webb | 16 June 2009 | |
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Frank is looking for a new direction and starts the day in a disturbingly good mood. Meanwhile, Bart is stumped by a home renovator's mysterious deterioration. Plus, Amy and Charlotte treat a woman who risked her life for a tree and the MRU team is called out to treat a man whose sexual fantasy has got him into a tight spot. | ||||||
| 475 | 19 | "Starting Over" | Marcus Cole | Fiona Kelly | 23 June 2009 | |
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Frank's intern program gets off to a shaky start with the ED's newest recruit giving Frank more than he bargained for. Meanwhile, Adam's sent into a spin when his mother turns up wanting to start over and a father and daughter's lives hang in the balance when a weekend away turns to tragedy. | ||||||
| 476 | 20 | "Curve Balls" | Lynn-Maree Danzey | Chris McCourt | 30 June 2009 | |
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When a patient's life is destroyed by alcohol, Gabrielle pushes Steve to a decision that will have a devastating result. Meanwhile, a new intern reveals her hidden skills to Frank when she intervenes to save a surfer from paralysis, and a young patient's well-laid plans are threatened by a devastating illness, causing Bart to reassess his life. | ||||||
| 477 | 21 | "Test of Faith" | Ian Gilmourn | Blake Ayshford | 7 July 2009 | |
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A pregnant cult member's rare allergic reaction puts her life, and that of her baby, in grave peril. Steve and Claire come to the end of their road, via very different paths. Frank finds doing an easy favour for a colleague much harder than he imagined. | ||||||
| 478 | 22 | "Blood is Thicker" | Jean-Pierre Mignon | Martin McKenna | 14 July 2009 | |
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Adam faces death when mindless violence spills into the All Saints ED. Meanwhile, Frank accidentally discovers the appalling secret Katerina is carrying and Von is presented with the opportunity of re-evaluating her relationship with Adam when she deals with a grief-stricken mother. | ||||||
| 479 | 23 | "Out of Control" | Jet Wilkinson | Lesley and Jenny Lewis | 21 July 2009 | |
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Jo is pulled out of her comfort zone when she falls for Declan, a stuntman at the centre of an accident involving multiple injuries. Steve comes under fire when he fails to notice a patient under his care has critical injuries. | ||||||
| 480 | 24 | "In Trust" | Di Drew | Trent Atkinson | 28 July 2009 | |
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The MRU is called out to the same location twice after a local butcher abuses his position of power. Meanwhile, Adam and Von help a pregnant schoolgirl whose situation is more complex than first thought, and a journalist proves a handful for the staff. | ||||||
| 481 | 25 | "In Duty Bound" | Marcus Cole | Denise Morgan | 4 August 2009 | |
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Frank is in danger of losing his perspective on Katerina as she deals with a punch-drunk patient. Meanwhile, Jo's boyfriend's rejection of having a medical before his next stunt leads her to confront her own fears, and sisters fighting over their mother's life have a profound effect on Von. | ||||||
| 482 | 26 | "The Waiting Game" | Lynn-Maree Danzey | Lily Taylor | 11 August 2009 | |
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Jo learns whether or not she has Huntington's disease. Meanwhile, Von realises that she must tell Adam the truth about his mother's sudden reappearance and after a night out with Frank, Katerina starts making her presence felt in the ED. | ||||||
| 483 | 27 | "A Precious Waste" | Ian Gilmourn | Clare Atkinson | 18 August 2009 | |
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Katerina goes to drastic lengths to win back Frank's approval. A tragic accident makes Jo reassess her priorities. | ||||||
| 484 | 28 | "Tell-Tale Hearts" | Jean-Pierre Mignon | Trent Atkinson | 25 August 2009 | |
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Gabrielle is forced to confront her worst fears when her father suffers another heart attack. Bart is mortified when Amy comes up with a controversial solution for a patient who looks likely to die a virgin. | ||||||
| 485 | 29 | "Moving On" | Jet Wilkinson | Fiona and Andrew Kelly | 1 September 2009 | |
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Adam joins the Medical Rescue Unit for a dangerous mine rescue with a deadly twist. | ||||||
| 486 | 30 | "Safe Haven" | Scott Hartford Davis | Chris McCourt | 8 September 2009 | |
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When Jo is affected by the abusive horror of an illegal brothel, she ends up putting her own life in danger. | ||||||
| 487 | 31 | "Win Some, Lose Some" | Marcus Cole | Andrew Kelly | 15 September 2009 | |
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The MRU is called to a horse training facility where three people are injured, and Mike must choose which patient to save. | ||||||
| 488 | 32 | "What it Takes" | Lynn-Maree Danzey | Trent Atkinson | 22 September 2009 | |
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Mike finds himself going out on a limb when the unit is called out to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped by her father. | ||||||
| 489 | 33 | "Too Close For Comfort" | Jean-Pierre Mignon | Jenny Lewis & Hamish Cameron | 29 September 2009 | |
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A multi-casualty disaster at a plastics factory tests the MRU's mettle. Mike's attempt to save a life threatens his own. | ||||||
| 490 | 34 | "Damned If You Do" | Pino Amenta | Martin McKenna | 6 October 2009 | |
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The Medical Response Unit is called to a serious accident at a remote farm where Mike braves his own injuries to help a patient. | ||||||
| 491 | 35 | "The Two of Us" | Jet Wilkinson | Kim Wilson & Luke Devenish | 13 October 2009 | |
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Steve's leadership abilities are put to the test and a father's decision forces Gabrielle to examine her own hypocrisy. | ||||||
| 492 | 36 | "Reality Check" | Di Drew | Blake Ayshford | 20 October 2009 | |
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A dying father's desire to make amends with his son deeply affects both Elliott and Steve. | ||||||
| 493 | 37 | "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" | Marcus Cole | Louise Crane-Bowes | 27 October 2009 | |
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In the final episode of All Saints, it's Vons last day and despite the unavoidable struggles to get through the day's patients, she is determined to leave with a win. | ||||||
References
edit- ^ McWhirter, Erin (20 January 2009). "MRU trio add energy injection to All Saints". The Courier Mail. Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ "All Saints alive, with a bit of surgery". The Daily Telegraph. Australian Television Information Archive. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Idato, Michael (9 July 2009). "TV casualty: All Saints axed after 11 years". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 21 March 2014.