Blue Heelers season 7

The seventh season of the Australian police-drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network on 9 February 2000 and aired on Wednesday nights at 8:30 pm. The 41-episode season concluded 22 November 2000.

Main cast

 * Jane Allsop as Constable Jo Parrish
 * Rupert Reid as Constable Jack Lawson
 * Paul Bishop as Acting Sergeant / Senior Constable Ben Stewart
 * Julie Nihill as Chris Riley
 * Martin Sacks as Senior Detective P. J. Hasham
 * Lisa McCune as Senior Constable Maggie Doyle (episodes 1–2)
 * John Wood as Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon
 * Caroline Craig as Sergeant Tess Gallagher (episodes 16–41)

Recurring cast

 * Dennis Miller as Pat Doyle
 * Terry Serio as Mick Doyle
 * Mark Wilson as Benny Matthews
 * Marcus Eyre as Detective Paul Donald
 * Adam Palmer as Detective Doug Turnbull
 * Neil Pigot as Inspector Russell Falcon-Price
 * Peta Doodson as Inspector Monica Draper
 * Suzi Dougherty as Dr. Mel Carter

Guest cast
Notable guest actors for this season included Paul Dawber, Alan Hopgood, Olivia Hamnett, Kate Hood, Ian Rawlings, Andy Anderson, Dennis Coard, Roger Oakley, Betty Lucas, James Condon, Alex Papps, Mary Ward, Tommy Dysart, Maggie Kirkpatrick, Joy Westmore, Alyce Platt, Jeremy Angerson, Sean Scully, Zoe Bertram, Wendy Strehlow and Nicki Paull.

Plot
Maggie, aided by PJ and her brother Mick, arrived at the point of cracking the drug ring she had been pursuing for a year and realised that she would have to go into witness protection. To do so, she staged a breakup with PJ and then awaited her escort nervously. PJ, however, realised that she was being tricked and arrived just seconds too late, to see Maggie shot down by a mysterious assailant. The episodes that followed, the "Who Killed Maggie Doyle?" arc, were the most-watched episodes ever. Arrested for Maggie's murder, PJ looked desperately to prove that he was being framed. Ultimately, in episode 263 "Out of the Shadows", he discovered the truth - it was her brother Mick.

Reception
This season marked the start of the show's downfall in the public consciousness.

DVD release
Due to contractual negotiations, the release of this season, as well as any proceeding seasons, was postponed. These negotiations have concluded and the "Complete Seventh Season" DVD set (parts one and two) was released for sale in Australia (Region 4) on 31 July 2008. The seventh season was released, as its predecessors were, in two parts. However, this season was simply released in a standard DVD package, not a boxed set with slipcase packaging like its predecessors. It is expected to be released as a complete package sometime in the future.