Everything you always wanted to know about The Flying Doctors. Dedicated to Lenore Smith and Christopher Stollery.
 

Melted

Source: VARA TV Magazine, Dutch TV guide, 1992

Actually, Christopher Stollery was relieved when it was announced that the series Flying Doctors wouldn’t get a sequel anymore. As has turned out now, the series will get another sequel, but he keeps to the point. ‘I have played the part of Johnno for eight months and that is enough. It was my first part for a television show and I learned a lot from it, but I really prefer the theatre. I prefer to change every time, as most actors do. That change, that variation is what I like best about this job. You never know where you are going to be in six months. I didn’t know I would come to Amsterdam a couple of months ago, let alone that I would be travelling through Europe with Lenore Smith.'

He speaks about it almost in a shy way. It is obvious he is impressed by all the attention the series draws and that he is pleased with the Silver Tulip (Dutch award). ‘It is an honour to be so popular in a country that is situated on the other side of the world. You know about it, but you can only imagine what it is like when you are really here. The series were always highly appreciated in Australia, although we always came second after Neighbours. But I think it is a bit curious the series are constantly highly appreciated here in the Netherlands. I spoke to Lenore about it the other day. Our explanation is that Flying Doctors is situated in a dry, red piece of wilderness, while here it is green and wet. We think this contrast attracts a lot of people to the series. The human relations are small-scale and recognizable, but meanwhile it is so far away. Thereby, the Flying Doctors are a unique medical organization, which provides an inexhaustible source of ideas to scriptwriters.'

‘I always had the feeling that Flying Doctors was something in between television and film. First, the series always had a good name amongst actors. Many actors, especially those in the theatrical world, who didn’t want to work for television, did want to play in the series; that goes for me too. Secondly, technically seen it was the same process as film. All the material was shoot at 35-mm film; the only difference was it all went a lot quicker than at a film production. We have had guest actors of the movie world who were astonished after some takes and who were asking what the hell happened. I got used to the tight regime: getting dressed, coming up, getting undressed, taking off and work in extreme conditions, because it can be freezing cold out there. I didn’t get used to the fact that it will take at least six weeks before you can see what you did. It is just like you have deep-freezed yourself. That is why I will always tend to the theatre, because the theatre has some kind of interaction between the reaction of the audience and the things you do on stage.'

Christopher was still at drama school when they first started with Flying Doctors. He didn’t have a television himself, but he watched it with some more fortunate fellow students. When he got the chance to audition for the show, he went for it. ‘I had seen some episodes and I especially admired Robert Grubb (Geoff Standish). I auditioned to get a chance to play with him, I really did! But once at the set I lost my interest in Robert straight away. Because there was Lenore, you know!’

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Christopher