The Heart Guy is an Australian series called Doctor, Doctor by its Aussie creators. When it reached Acorn TV, where I watched it, it became The Heart Guy. This is a review of season 1 only. The series has four completed seasons with a fifth on the way.
Rodger Corser (Glitch) stars as Dr. Hugh Knight, the heart doctor in the title. The show revolves around him, but has a large cast with plenty of interesting characters and subplots to keep the story moving along at a rapid pace. Season 1 had 10 episodes.
Hugh Knight is barred from operating for a year in his Sydney practice as a heart surgeon. Mostly because he’s an overgrown adolescent who can’t control his mouth or his behavior. Being a brilliant doctor doesn’t save you from everything. He’s sent to his hometown of Whyhope to work as a general practitioner for a year.
Hugh Knight’s life in Whyhope is split between his family, which you see to Rodger Corser’s right in the photo above, and his work in the Whyhope Hospital where the folks to Rodger Corser’s left in the photo work. Also to his left are some characters we don’t meet until season 2.
I may not get to everyone in the photo in this review, but let’s talk about the two women on the stools to each side of Hugh.
On his right is his sister-in-law Charlie (Nicole da Silva) who is the reason I started watching the series after seeing the trailer. I’m a big fan of hers from Wentworth and follow her anywhere. Charlie and Hugh were a thing back in high school. When he broke her heart and went off to become a heart surgeon she married his brother Matt (Ryan Johnson).
The rivalries, jealousies, and affections between the three of them are an ongoing source of story lines in the series. Both Hugh and Matt harbor bad feelings towards their parents, especially their father.
To Rodger Corser’s left is Penny (Hayley McElhinney), his boss at the Whyhope Hospital. They clash about everything but they need each other and have to learn to work together. They may also fall in love, but that isn’t spelled out completely in season 1. Hugh does have a problem committing to a relationship.
Hugh is an arrogant prick (his own description). He’s handsome and charming and SO MUCH TROUBLE. Women know better than to care about him, but they all fall in love with him anyway. I was impressed with the way Rodger Corser played Hugh. He managed to make me care about him in spite of the fact that he’s an ass toward women. No small feat.
While Hugh may be an arrogant, adolescent, prick of an man, he’s a truly caring doctor. That’s his saving grace. When we see him in action to help a patient, save a life, or offer a brilliant diagnosis we realize that he is actually a good man. Two particularly important patients Hugh serves in season 1 are his father Jim (Steve Bisley) and his best friend Joey (Dave Eastgate).
Hugh’s mother Meryl (Tina Bursill) is a force of nature. She wants to be mayor of the small town and is adept and getting her way. When the season begins Hugh thinks Ajax (Matt Castley), who was adopted by his parents, is his younger brother. Ajax has a devoutly Christian girlfriend Hayley (Chloe Bayliss) who worships at Meryl’s feet and is her campaign manager, social media manager and much more. And she’s only 16, like Ajax. The story about Ajax turns out to be more than Hugh expected and provides quite a lot of conflict as the season progresses.
The series is full of lighthearted drama and many, many laughs.
Season 1 had all male directors. The series creators Ian Collie, Alan Harris, Claudia Karvan and Tony McNamara shared the writing credits for season 1 with several women writers who did selected episodes.
I’ll definitely watch season 2 of The Heart Guy and look forward to reviewing it here. Have you seen this series? What did you think of it?
one of the best series I’ve ever seen. Love the characters, the acting, the scenery, the story lines. Really well done and FUN! I hope they bring us a 3rd season. And I really hope they don’t leave us hanging. The only TV I watch, I stream. And I’m beginning to wish that people who create episodic TV would do it with an ending in mind if they don’t know if they’re going to be renewed. I’m watching 3 other series (including Rake, A Place to call Home, 800 Words, etc.) and it’s really annoying to invest in something and be left hanging.
This is a great viewing experience. I like that, even though the doctor is a completely irresponsible, thoughtless jerk, he is an excellent, caring doctor who consistently goes the extra mile. It makes a fuller character more enjoyable to watch. Stories are interesting, well written and not filled with the uglyness, cruelty and agonizingly rejecting feelings that so many series have these days – and they do not drag. I am hoping for many more seasons although I am finding that they mostly end the good series after two seasons and keep the awful ones on forever.
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Thanks for recommending this series. I did not know about it before I read your review. Now I have seen season one and I like it. Thanks for telling me and others about it!
Glad you liked it.
Completely hooked, can’t wait for season 2 here in UK. Rodger Corser very charismatic in the
Role of Hugh, even though he is a bit of a bad boy!
Have told friends about the series and they are equally hooked, impressed, and entertained.
His bad boy does have some redeeming qualities. That’s why he’s such a charmer.
Again completely hooked. Appreciate the ‘professional’ dichotomy Hugh is placed in; how, with his personality ‘deals’ with it. Penny is a ‘treat’ at putting him in his place ( without being too smug ). Well rounded characters from both camps. The black, Irish nurse ( who’d have thought?!) in a bush Hospital. The scenery is to die for. Being a British/ Ozzie dual citizen, ICU Nurse, back in the UK, I want to BE THERE. Always a tear in my eyes @ some point. Congrats!
I hope you take in season 2 as well. It’s equally good.
Love love love it. Season 1 and 2.
Watched both all at once can’t wait for season. 3.
Has it finished?
A 3rd season is on the way.
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Thankyou Virginia for your positive review and great to see so many loving it. There is more Dr Hugh on its way – our fourth season starts production in May this year (2019). Btw the program title Doctor Doctor had a trademark protection by a Dutch Tv company so outside Australia we had to use an alternate title. Ian Collie, Producer
Good to hear from you. I’m glad you cleared up the question I’ve had since season 1 about the title. I’m looking forward to a 4th season and will be writing about it here as I have done for the first 3.
I recently started watching, and I can’t figure out for the life of me what the acoustic banjo song is that they played in the first and last episodes. I know the song, but I’m blanking on the name of it. Any ideas?
I can’t help you but maybe a reader can. How about it, readers?
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love the show, the characters, the scenery. The final season faltered a little, but still loved it.