All Saints (season 11)

The eleventh season of the long-running Australian medical drama All Saints began airing on 12 February 2008 and concluded on 25 November 2008 with a total of 40 episodes.

All Saints
Season 11
2008 Season DVD
Country of originAustralia
No. of episodes40
Release
Original networkSeven Network
Original release12 February (2008-02-12) 
25 November 2008 (2008-11-25)
Season chronology

Plot

The 2008 season opens with the majority of the team held hostage in the Emergency Department at gunpoint, the hospital's pathology lab exploding and a drug robbery underway. This is the All Saints team at its best, with patients to keep alive while their own safety is at risk. The siege unlocks a memory Von Ryan has managed to keep buried for decades and must now deal with. Despite this, Von is supportive when Bart West falls deeply in love with a woman whom he diagnoses with cancer and then later dies. Mike Vlasek donates a kidney to his son and must deal with post-op pain when he can't have morphine. A volatile triangle is formed between Steve Taylor, Gabrielle Jaeger, and Jack Quade with the men coming to blows when personal agendas spill into the professional arena. And finally Dan Goldman and Erica Templeton provide us with the first All Saints wedding since 2003.

By the end of Season 2008, when the fights have been fought and won, when newlyweds are beginning their lives together, when the ED family is settled and closer than ever, Admin has been given money to launch a full trauma unit that will introduce new characters to the mix.

Cast

Death of Mark Priestley

Actor Mark Priestley, who played Dan Goldman on the show, took his own life on 27 August 2008. As a result, the show's final two episodes had to be re-filmed. It is presumed that the nature of these episodes, in which Mark's on-screen wife goes missing, led Mark to suicide. The Seven Network paid tribute with a video clip in the following episode, along with actor John Howard in a plea to all those suffering from depression to get help.

As a result of Mark's death, the on-screen wife, played by Jolene Anderson was killed off the show as Jolene believed she could not go on playing the role. Mark's final episode was aired on 18 November.

Controversy

The Seven Network faced potential legal action after the airing of episode 432, "Never Tell" on 27 May 2008. The episode suggested that children with Down Syndrome are a result of incestuous relationships, provoking advocacy group Down Syndrome Australia to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Australian Communications and Media Authority, insisting that major advertisers in the show's timeslot boycott it and asking for a public apology from Seven. In the episode, a brother and sister are told that their unborn child is at risk of developing Down Syndrome as a result of their sexual relationship - according to Down Syndrome Australia, there is no evidence to support such a claim:[1]

All Saints has stigmatised every person with Down syndrome and their families. We already know of one instance where a child has been victimised because of this episode.

Peter Sloan, Down Syndrome Australia

Seven responded with an apology through a newspaper on 2 June.[2]

All Saints values its audience and has the greatest respect for their commitment to the program. Without reservation, to any members of the audience who have found an element of a recent story offensive, Channel Seven apologises.

Down Syndrome Australia rejected the apology on 3 June, saying that the Seven Network's response was insufficient.:[3]

We're not going to accept a wishy-washy attempt at an apology that's come second-hand through a newspaper. They must say once and for all that there is categorically no link between Down syndrome and incest. We'll give them the opportunity to make a retraction during tonight's episode before we formally pursue legal advice and write official letters of complaint to the show's advertisers.

Catherine McAlpine, Down Syndrome Victoria

Until there's a formal recognition of error, it's not enough. First they flat refused to apologise at all, and now they've apologised if they happened to offended anyone. The next step is to broadcast a message saying 'if we implied Down syndrome is a product of incestuous relationships, we were wrong. It's an easy thing to do and the only way to put this thing to bed.

Peter Sloan, Down Syndrome Australia

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAustralian viewers
(millions)
4171"Against the Wall - Part 2"Peter FiskSean Nash12 February 2008 (2008-02-12)1.155[4]
4182"The Simple Things"Geoffrey CawthornLouise Crane-Bowes19 February 2008 (2008-02-19)1.152[5]
4193"Comfort Zone"Lynn HegartyPeter Dick & Lily Taylor26 February 2008 (2008-02-26)1.152[6]
4204"Event Horizon"Lynn-Maree DanzeyJeff Truman & Linda Stainton4 March 2008 (2008-03-04)1.021[7]
4215"Caught in a Trap"Nicholas BuffaloSally Webb11 March 2008 (2008-03-11)1.172[8]
4226"Careful What You Wish For"Geoffrey CawthornTrent Atkinson18 March 2008 (2008-03-18)1.093[9]
4237"Little Decisions"Peter FiskMartin McKenna25 March 2008 (2008-03-25)1.297[10]
4248"Beginnings"Martin SacksDenise Morgan1 April 2008 (2008-04-01)1.073[11]
4259"When Tomorrow Comes"Nicholas BuffaloSam Meikle8 April 2008 (2008-04-08)1.077[12]
42610"Out of the Fire"Jessica HobbsCharlie Strachan15 April 2008 (2008-04-15)1.185[13]
42711"It Ain't Necessarily So"Jean-Pierre MignonSean Nash22 April 2008 (2008-04-22)1.184[14]
42812"The Hand You're Dealt"Ian WatsonBlake Ayshford29 April 2008 (2008-04-29)1.251[15]
42913"Stepping Up"Martin SacksRobert Haywood6 May 2008 (2008-05-06)1.202[16]
43014"The Circle of Life"Ian GilmournJeff Truman & Jo Watson13 May 2008 (2008-05-13)1.219[17]
43115"That Window in Time"Peter FiskSally Webb20 May 2008 (2008-05-20)1.268[18]
43216"Never Tell"Jean-Pierre MignonFiona Kelly27 May 2008 (2008-05-27)1.330[19]
43317"Risky Business"Andrew 'Killer' BowdenChris McCourt3 June 2008 (2008-06-03)1.339[20]
43418"Under My Skin"Jessica HobbsTrent Atkinson10 June 2008 (2008-06-10)1.296[21]
43519"Blind Faith"Ian GilmournLily Taylor17 June 2008 (2008-06-17)1.380[22]
43620"Torn Apart"Martin SacksCharlie Strachan24 June 2008 (2008-06-24)1.300[23]
43721"Justice For None"Jean-Pierre MignonSean Nash1 July 2008 (2008-07-01)1.148[24]
43822"Fearless and Searching"Daniel NettheimBlake Ayshford8 July 2008 (2008-07-08)1.274[25]
43923"Bloodlines"Jet WilkinsonDenise Morgan15 July 2008 (2008-07-15)1.356[26]
44024"Sons and Lovers"Ian GilmournJeff Truman22 July 2008 (2008-07-22)1.407[27]
44125"Horses for Courses"Marcus ColeTrent Atkinson29 July 2008 (2008-07-29)1.313[28]
44226"Wish List"Nicholas BuffaloChris McCourt5 August 2008 (2008-08-05)1.290[29]
44327"Best Laid Plans"Jean-Pierre MignonLouise Crane-Bowes26 August 2008 (2008-08-26)1.273[30]
44428"Echoes"Kate WoodsSally Webb2 September 2008 (2008-09-02)1.319[31]
44529"Solitary Confinement"Ian GilmournFiona Kelly9 September 2008 (2008-09-09)N/A
44630"Better Safe Than Sorry"Marcus ColeJenny Lewis16 September 2008 (2008-09-16)N/A
44731"Not What You'd Expect"Jean-Pierre MignonSean Nash23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)N/A
44832"Training Wheels"Jet WilkinsonTrent Atkinson30 September 2008 (2008-09-30)N/A
44933"When the Party's Over"Kay PavlouAndrew Kelly7 October 2008 (2008-10-07)N/A
45034"Out on a Limb"Cherie NowlanCharlie Strachan14 October 2008 (2008-10-14)N/A
45135"Running For Cover"Lynn-Maree DanzeyClare Atkinson21 October 2008 (2008-10-21)N/A
45236"Reality Check"Kate WoodsChris McCourt28 October 2008 (2008-10-28)N/A
45337"Secrets and Lies"Jet WilkinsonTrent Atkinson4 November 2008 (2008-11-04)N/A
45438"A Safe Place"Ian WatsonSally Webb11 November 2008 (2008-11-11)N/A
45539"Spinning Out"Kay PavlouFiona Kelly18 November 2008 (2008-11-18)N/A
45640"Time Bomb"Lynn-Maree DanzeyAlexa Wyatt25 November 2008 (2008-11-25)N/A

References

General
Specific
  1. "All Saints investigated for Down Syndrome incest claim". The Daily Telegraph. News.com.au. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
  2. Ricketson, Matthew (3 June 2008). "Seven apologises for incest episode". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  3. Cusick, Sean (3 June 2008). "Seven set deadline for incest retraction". ninemsn. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008.
  4. Knox, David. "Week 7". TV Tonight.
  5. Knox, David. "Week 8". TV Tonight.
  6. Knox, David. "Week 9". TV Tonight.
  7. Knox, David. "Week 10". TV Tonight.
  8. Knox, David. "Week 11". TV Tonight.
  9. Knox, David. "Week 12". TV Tonight.
  10. Knox, David. "Week 13". TV Tonight.
  11. Knox, David. "Week 14". TV Tonight.
  12. Knox, David. "Week 15". TV Tonight.
  13. Knox, David. "Week 16". TV Tonight.
  14. Knox, David. "Week 17". TV Tonight.
  15. Knox, David. "Week 18". TV Tonight.
  16. Knox, David. "Week 19". TV Tonight.
  17. Knox, David. "Week 20". TV Tonight.
  18. Knox, David. "Week 21". TV Tonight.
  19. Knox, David. "Week 22". TV Tonight.
  20. Knox, David. "Week 23". TV Tonight.
  21. Knox, David. "Week 24". TV Tonight.
  22. Knox, David. "Week 25". TV Tonight.
  23. Knox, David. "Week 26". TV Tonight.
  24. Knox, David. "Week 27". TV Tonight.
  25. Knox, David. "Week 28". TV Tonight.
  26. Knox, David. "Week 29". TV Tonight.
  27. Knox, David. "Week 30". TV Tonight.
  28. Knox, David. "Week 31". TV Tonight.
  29. Knox, David. "Week 32". TV Tonight.
  30. Knox, David. "Week 35". TV Tonight.
  31. Knox, David. "Week 36". TV Tonight.
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