TH E DOCTOR IS BA CK
Standing in the middle of a paddock, somewhere outside Mudgee, with one bar of reception on his phone, Rodger Corser is talking to New Idea about the upcoming third season of Doctor Doctor, which is about to wrap production. When the hit Nine Network series returns, his character, bad boy surgeon Hugh Knight, has completed the period of probation that saw him banished to his small country home town of Whyhope.
So why is Hugh still hanging around in the country?
There’s a family tragedy, and then in the will, he’s given responsibility he doesn’t want and has to clean up some financial mess, so it’s a good reason for him to have to stay in town. If Hugh decides the country life is for him, we’ve sort of lost the show. He needs to be held there against his will – that’s how we started the show.
Has he been changed by his punishment?
A little bit. He’s still a lad, obviously, and still doesn’t love the idea of being responsible to anyone else bar himself and his own ambition, but he does actually come from a big family and it’s funny how those traits underlie him, even if he doesn’t want to admit to having them.
Have you shot in Mudgee in winter before?
Every season. We always joke that they want this show to be this eternal spring, throwing us into a dam and running around in these spring clothes, but it’s far from that. It’s bloody cold. Sometimes we’ve got to do little tricks to stop the steam coming out of your mouth so the scenes don’t look so cold. You’re supposed to suck a block of ice, which makes it more cold – it doesn’t work – I think it’s just a cruel trick the camera department play.
What’s in store for Hugh and Penny (Hayley Mcelhinney)?
In episode one, they get cold water thrown over them as they’re about to kiss. With Hugh, his probation is over a little earlier than the 12 months, which makes them face their feelings for each other. They kind of go: ‘What the hey,’ and treat it almost like a fling now, since Hugh has to go back and it’s never going to work. But then Hugh finds out he’s got to stay in town for a longer period of time and things get complicated.