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So, in honour of the day, a few little tidbits from filming the Blake wedding back in 2017...

We filmed the whole thing at a private club in Melbourne called The Kelvin Club. Super cool location. So cool it’s where we ended up holding the wrap party!

But, as was oft the case, we needed our location to pull double duty. So the Blake / Milton Dunne confrontation was filmed that morning in the bar downstairs AND Blake questioning people at Melbourne clubs as to Catherine Lucas sightings.

They were scheduled first thing up that day, so as to give the Art Dept. as much time as possible to dress the wedding & reception (which they had to set up like ninjas, so as not to make any noise the sound recordist downstairs might pick up). 

Finally it’s time to film the wedding proper. But with Nadine and Belinda still working on their play, we only have them up until a certain time that afternoon. No pressure!

Ian, our Director, did his best to film all he could of our scripted wedding material. And we got all the ceremony - but not all of the reception. There were multiple additional mini-scenes, including a nice goodbye from Charlie to Blake & Jean (if I don’t say so myself), a lovely beat between Blake and Cec, a moment of Danny, Charlie & Rose drinking together - even one last bit of comeuppance for Rose admiring Jean’s wedding dress, and Jean zinging her about her sensible wedding suit (”You can always wear it again, you know...”).

We DID get the Lawson / Alice moment, thank God. BUT during the first few edits it was almost cut out of the movie (Ian and our editor just weren’t feeling it, thought it was silly I think). We already knew #Malice was going to be a part of the story moving forward, so luckily at George’s insistence it was re-inserted to the reception sequence!

It’s bizarre to look back now on that day, after everything that’s happened since. I distinctly remember being on-set, trying to stand as far out of the way as possible, as one of the ABC TV Fiction execs whispered to me a few times “This is going to be part of Australian TV history, mate”. I’m not entirely sure we got there. But by God, we tried...

So by now you’ve all probably heard the news. And I won’t lie - it’s pretty crushing. The last few years on Blake have been equal measures bizarre, and stressful, and exhilarating. Beyond the *ahem* well-publicised issues of the past 12 months, as a creative group we banded together through so, soooo much to hopefully make a show people that people might love.

I’m grateful for what ended up being 7 years of Blake, 6 of which I was a part of. I’m grateful for the many brilliant people I’ve worked with, many of whom have become true friends. I’m grateful for being afforded the opportunity to do what I love doing - writing - just as I’d reached the point I felt like giving up on my dreams and walking away. 

And I’m grateful for the people here, who are so wonderfully clever and free in expressing their enthusiasm for ALL of the things they love - the movies, TV shows, literature, music, history, sport, linguistics... all the ephemera that brings you joy - this community makes an effort to celebrate. 

Thank you.

I won’t tell you not to be disappointed that the show’s done, or not to grieve for something that made you happy. But know that it’ll always be there - on your shelf, or your TV or device, whenever you need it. 

Because somehow it’s always 1959 (or 1960... 1961? Stupid timeline...) Jean and Lucien, Matthew and Alice. Charlie, Mattie, Rose, Danny. Cec and Bill. Patrick, Edward, William and Frank. Mei Lin... even Ned! They’re all there. It’s another beautiful, albeit bloody freezing, day in Ballarat. There’s some dastardly (probably over-plotted) mystery right in front of you, just waiting to be solved...

... Well? What are you waiting for? xxx

We’re finally here - tx day. The Blake Mysteries, 8:30pm tonight (and god knows whatever time in the corner of the earth you all respectively call home).

I hope you like it. I hope how hard we work, how much we care, is evident in every single frame on the screen.

And if you don’t dig it? I understand.

I wanted to say thank you, as always, to the fandom and to this community in particular. You understand the show, and care about everything, even the little things we’re sure no one else notices 😉 Stumbling across the Tumblr gateway drug that was Blake fanfic a few years back was a blessing - who knew?

You’ve been so wonderfully positive and optimistic throughout this whole process. Making the last 2 telemovies has been a rollercoaster of emotions - the thing no one mentions is that for every high, you usually get 2 or 3 crushing lows. You all helped me get through the really, really low times. Your support is appreciated more than you know.

I have no idea what happens next. I’m officially out of the prediction game when it comes to our show!

But I hope we can do this again.

I hope we can tell more stories about these characters for you.

And to paraphrase/butcher the writer who made ME want to be a writer... Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best thing.

See you very soon back in Ballarat... November, 1963...

Much love,

Finally feel like I can breathe again!

Time for a Tumblr hiatus for me - for many reasons, one of which being the next ‘thing’ is about to start. Before I disappear into the internet-ether, a quick thanks from me; seeing the passion you guys have for Blake, the conversations, the many, many (seriously - there’s soooo many) gifs... it’s amazing to see this kind of enthusiasm for our little show.

As to the world’s worst kept secret - yes, I’m a writer on the show (I know, I know, @bisexualcharliedavis, ‘allegedly’). I’ve got multiple eps coming up. And I already know my delicate little heart (and my boatload of neuroses) won’t cope well with the inevitable, and necessary, critiques of the show’s writing.

Also, to be completely honest, resisting the urge to defend our work is exhausting for me, just as I’m sure my occasional snippy interventions must be annoying as hell for you.

Cue the Phillipe “You’re a coward!” memes, I guess ;)

With any luck I’ll check back in some time after the telemovie goes to air (that’s Sunday November 12th, by the way). The world should be much clearer by then, hopefully we have a few answers as to the ‘what happens next’ of it...

My two cents (because I’m an idiot who can’t help himself):

I hear everything you’re saying about Rose in Ep1 - and it’s fascinating seeing the reaction from fans to her behaviour. She DID fuck up. Big time. She DID totally cross the line. Of course Charlie has every right not to forgive her.

But... (there’s always a but)

I’ll just say that bear in mind what you’ve seen is part 1. There’s 7 to go. The series is planned, character-wise, as one long 8 hour story, even if that’s not necessarily the way it’s initially consumed by the audience (that’s a post for another day). It’s all a long game. With any luck, every main character has to grow, and change, and evolve over the course of Series 5. Rose DESPERATELY needs to take a good, hard look at herself. Work out what her priorities are. And she will - in the most Rose way possible.

Of course this be Tumblr - and here the Ship be King :) But I promise you there’s a lot in store for both Charlie and Rose individually this year. The relationship, and the ‘will they won’t they’ of it all is just one aspect of the journey they’re both on. It doesn’t define either of them. They both need to grow up (in very, very different ways) - to work out who they are, what their respective places are in Ballarat and in the Blake extended family, and where they want to be in, say, 5 years time.

That part’s especially important.

So IF Charlie chooses to forgive her, it’s worth pondering why, how he sees the two of them, and (whether he’d ever say it or not) what it is Charlie probably wants his future to be...

Once again - you’re all 100% right in your takes on Rose’s transgressions in Ep1 (like a lot of you I’d probably never speak to her again - but then I’m Blinky McGrudgeFest. And I’m also not Charlie. Who is, really...) And yes, everything’s up for interpretation. The analysis and deep dives into the show in these parts are still the most insightful I’ve read anywhere.