Mercy Peak

Last updated

Mercy Peak
GenreDrama
Created by
Starring
ComposerJoel Haines
Country of originNew Zealand
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes60
Production
Executive producers
  • John Barnett
  • Rachel Lang
  • Sally Campbell
  • Steven Zanoski
Producer John Laing
CinematographyMark Olsen
Editors
  • Allanah Milne
  • Nicola Smith
  • Nigel Cope
Running time60 minutes
Production company South Pacific Pictures
Release
Original network TV One
Original release25 July 2001 (2001-07-25) 
19 March 2004 (2004-03-19)

Mercy Peak was a New Zealand television series that ran for three seasons on local network TV One, between 2001 and 2004. The series rated well in New Zealand (especially in its second series) and won multiple awards for its cast. Though an ensemble show, Mercy Peak centres on a doctor (played by Sara Wiseman) who leaves the city to work at a hospital in the small town of Bassett. She works alongside stuffy but caring doctor William Kingsley (Jeffrey Thomas from Shark in the Park ). The series was produced by Auckland company South Pacific Pictures; a number of those who worked on the show would have a big hand in South Pacific Pictures hit Outrageous Fortune , including co-creator Rachel Lang, directors Mark Beesley and Simon Bennett, and producer John Laing.

Contents

Cast

Episodes

Series 1 (2001–02)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"What She Least Expected"Geoffrey Cawthorn Rachel Lang 25 July 2001 (2001-07-25)
22"Her Secret Passion"Geoffrey CawthornRachel Lang1 August 2001 (2001-08-01)
33"Some Kind of Madness"Geoffrey CawthornGavin Strawhan8 August 2001 (2001-08-08)
44"For the Greater Good"Geoffrey CawthornGavin Strawhan15 August 2001 (2001-08-15)
55"Paternal Feeling"Mark PiperAlberta Knight22 August 2001 (2001-08-22)
66"More Things in Heaven and Earth"Mark PiperRachel Lang and Niki Caro 29 August 2001 (2001-08-29)
77"Crime, Punishment and Everything in Between"Andrew MerrifieldJames Griffin5 September 2001 (2001-09-05)
88"Bassett Confidential"Andrew MerrifieldGavin Strawhan19 September 2001 (2001-09-19)
99"All's Fair"Mark PiperRachel Lang26 September 2001 (2001-09-26)
1010"Lazy Sunday Afternoon"Mark PiperGavin Strawhan3 October 2001 (2001-10-03)
1111"The Most Deserving" Ian Mune James Griffin6 March 2002 (2002-03-06)
1212"Lost and Found"Ian MuneGavin Strawhan13 March 2002 (2002-03-13)
1313"Undue Influence"Mark BeesleyNiki Caro20 March 2002 (2002-03-20)
1414"Patience"Mark BeesleyAlberta Knight27 March 2002 (2002-03-27)
1515"Do the Right Thing"Richard SarellJames Griffin3 April 2002 (2002-04-03)
1616"The Best Laid Plans"Richard SarellJames Griffin10 April 2002 (2002-04-10)
1717"Revelations"Peter SharpJan Prettejohns17 April 2002 (2002-04-17)
1818"Chickens, Roosting"Peter SharpRachel Lang24 April 2002 (2002-04-24)
1919"Live and Let Live"Andrew MerrifieldJudith van Trigt2 May 2002 (2002-05-02)
2020"Blame"Andrew MerrifieldJames Griffin8 May 2002 (2002-05-08)

Series 2 (2002–03)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
211"Faint Heart Ne'er Won Fair Maiden"Ian MuneRachel Lang25 September 2002 (2002-09-25)
222"Stand by Your Man"Geoffrey CawthornRachel Lang2 October 2002 (2002-10-02)
233"The Making of Him"Simon BennettRachel Lang, Jan Prettejohns and Judith van Trigt9 October 2002 (2002-10-09)
244"Put Away Childish Things"Simon BennettAlberta Knight16 October 2002 (2002-10-16)
255"Death and Taxes"Geoffrey CawthornRachel Lang23 October 2002 (2002-10-23)
266"Fear and Loathing"Richard SarellRachel Lang30 October 2002 (2002-10-30)
277"Festival of Romance"Geoffrey CawthornAlberta Knight6 November 2002 (2002-11-06)
288"Desire and Its Undoing"Geoffrey Cawthorn David Geary 13 November 2002 (2002-11-13)
299"Cruel to be Kind" Norma Bailey Kirsty McKenzie20 November 2002 (2002-11-20)
3010"To Kill a Minah Bird"Norma BaileyJames Griffin20 November 2002 (2002-11-20)
3111"The Day That the Rain Came Down"Simon BennettJan Prettejohns14 February 2003 (2003-02-14)
3212"Reality Bites"Simon BennettJames Griffin21 February 2003 (2003-02-21)
3313"Pride and Prejudice"Peter SharpPeter Allison28 February 2003 (2003-02-28)
3414"Light My Fire"Peter SharpRebecca Hobbs7 March 2003 (2003-03-07)
3515"One Wedding and a Funeral"Randy BradshawRachel Lang14 March 2003 (2003-03-14)
3616"An Angel at My Wash House"Randy BradshawKate McDermott21 March 2003 (2003-03-21)
3717"Fork in the Road"Eleanore LindoJudith van Trigt28 March 2003 (2003-03-28)
3818"Saturday Night Fever"Eleanore LindoJames Griffin4 April 2003 (2003-04-04)
3919"Great Escape"Simon BennettJan Prettejohns11 April 2003 (2003-04-11)
4020"Do It for Love"Simon BennettDavid Geary and Rachel Lang18 April 2003 (2003-04-18)

Series 3 (2003–04)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
411"Oversexed, Overpaid and Over Here"Geoffrey CawthornJames Griffin1 August 2003 (2003-08-01)
422"Survival of the Fittest"Geoffrey CawthornMaxine Fleming8 August 2003 (2003-08-08)
433"For Better, For Worse"Niki CaroAlberta Knight15 August 2003 (2003-08-15)
444"Rules of the Game"Niki CaroKate McDermott and Rachel Lang22 August 2003 (2003-08-22)
455"Destiny in Motion"Geoffrey CawthornJudith van Trigt29 August 2003 (2003-08-29)
466"Something in the Water"Geoffrey CawthornRachel Lang5 September 2003 (2003-09-05)
477"When Ken Met Wendy"Simon BennettRachel Lang12 September 2003 (2003-09-12)
488"Good, Bad, Ugly"Simon BennettRebecca Hobbs and Rachel Lang19 September 2003 (2003-09-19)
499"The Uses of Pork"Vanessa AlexanderAlberta Knight26 September 2003 (2003-09-26)
5010"Suspicious Minds"Vanessa AlexanderMaxine Fleming and Rachel Lang3 October 2003 (2003-10-03)
5111"Instinct" Michael Bennett Michaela Rooney16 January 2004 (2004-01-16)
5212"The Woodpile"Michael BennettJudith van Trigt23 January 2004 (2004-01-23)
5313"Like the Nuns love Jesus"Mark BeesleyMargot McCrae and Rachel Lang30 January 2004 (2004-01-30)
5414"The Company of Pigs"Mark BeesleyAlberta Knight13 February 2004 (2004-02-13)
5515"The Book I Read"Simon BennettJames Griffin20 February 2004 (2004-02-20)
5616"History Lessons"Simon BennettLois Booton and Rachel Lang27 February 2004 (2004-02-27)
5717"The Fruit of Good Works"Geoffrey CawthornJames Griffin5 March 2004 (2004-03-05)
5818"Honour Thy Father"Geoffrey CawthornJudith van Trigt and Rachel Lang12 March 2004 (2004-03-12)
5919"May the Force Be with You"Simon BennettJames Griffin19 March 2004 (2004-03-19)
6020"Love from Bassett"Simon BennettRachel Long19 March 2004 (2004-03-19)

Reception

The show won three awards at the 2002 New Zealand Television Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Tim Balme), Best Supporting Actress (Alison Bruce), and Best Script. [1] It won a further two awards at the following year's ceremony: Best Actor (Jeffrey Thomas) and Best Supporting Actress (Alison Bruce). [2]

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References

  1. "Awards celebrate the best on the box". The New Zealand Herald . 29 June 2002. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  2. "Public chooses Campbell at NZ Television Awards". The New Zealand Herald . 22 August 2003. Retrieved 18 August 2009.