Reef Doctors

As you get older you enjoy things in different ways and at different times. You either accept a show on its own terms or you don't.

I was definitely in the right frame of mind when I watched Reef Doctors - an Australian series revolving around a medical practice located on an island in the Great Barrier Reef. The plotting and characterisations are unexceptional – and the central role of Dr Sam Stewart played by Lisa McCune is an annoying little busy-body. But that aside, the location in North Queensland and the enthusiasm of the cast and the wonderful setting make Reef Doctors a pleasant but less than challenging experience.

It could be argued that the tropical location is merely a device to attract tourism to Queensland. Maybe so, but I think the emphasis on poisonous creatures would defeat that assertion. In fact, that aspect of the show is interesting and central to the lives of those connected to Dr Sam Stewart's anti-venene research and an important part of life in that area of Australia.

There's not much else to say, except that the standard dramatic situations and romantic entanglements in soaps like this are on display. That said, I enjoyed Reef Doctors but I doubt it will remain in my mind for long.