TV Week
6th July 1996
… But Lisa’s single again.
WHILE her character in Blue Heelers is finding true romance, Lisa McCune is getting used to being single again.
Lisa, 25, recently split up with boyfriend Jamie Osborne after a three-year relationship, although the two remain good friends.
“I don’t think it’s fair to Jamie to talk about the break-up,” Lisa says. “So I’d prefer not to say anything at this point.”
Meanwhile on the popular Seven Network show, Lisa’s character, Constable Maggie Doyle, is beginning a full-on love affair with her criminology tutor, Roman (Geoff Paine).
“This is the first time Maggie has seen herself with the possibility of a future with a man,” Lisa says.
“She really puts everything into it, and she sets herself up a little bit.
“He’s older and wiser than her, and she goes into it with blinkers on — which is not like Maggie. She usually never does that.
“As a result, she doesn’t listen to anyone else’s opinion. She just says, ‘I’m going for it!’”
And while Maggie glows with happiness in her new-found love, Sen-Det P.J. Hasham (Martin Sacks) glowers with jealousy.
Maggie and P.J. have had an ongoing flirtation, and have even kissed a couple of times. But the relationship has gone no further this year.
“It’s about time Maggie had a big romance,” Lisa says. “It does move her away from P.J., but their relationship hasn’t been going anywhere.
“Maggie knows how she feels about P.J., but he’s a bit more of a brick when it comes to expressing his feelings for her.”
Ironically, it is P.J. who unwittingly brings the couple together.
Maggie is having trouble with some of the work for her Criminal Justice Administration degree, and P.J. suggests she get a tutor.
“He thinks Roman will be a crusty old professorial-type, but he turns out to be young and not bad looking!” Martin says. “Before long, the relationship has gone beyond teacher-pupil boundaries.”
Lisa can identify with Maggie’s attraction to Roman.
“It’s like when you’re a young girl at school — you tend to develop crushes on certain teachers,” she says. “Maggie is blinded by a bit of lust, and wanting to be loved. But what she’s most attracted to is this man’s brain. He’s good at what he does, and that’s why she’s attracted to P.J., too.
“I can understand that. I’m really attracted to men with a great sense of humour, which is intelligence anyway.”
The possibility of a romance between P.J. and Maggie is still not over, however.
“I think it’s pretty realistic, that thing where you feel attracted to someone at work, and you really want to do it (become involved), but you know you shouldn’t,” Lisa says. “It used to happen to me all the time. Blue Heelers is the first time I’ve ever been in a show where I’m not romantically attracted to anyone!”
Martin, 36, who is also single, believes that in real life, Maggie and P.J. would have done more about their attraction.
“You’d think they’d get drunk one night and do the deed!” he says. “Then they’d either fall in love, or they’d never want to see each other again. But it adds to the dramatic tension to keep P.J. and Maggie apart, I guess.”
Story: Caron James
Picture: Rebekah Thompson
Blue Heelers’ X-Files Secret
GEOFF PAINE is a man of many has he starred in Neighbours and had roles in such shows as A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors and Halifax f.p., he has done comedy and appeared on stage in musicals as well.
But for now, Geoff is putting his talents to work in Mt Thomas playing Roman Kellerman, a criminology professor who has an affair with Maggie (Lisa McCune) in Blue Heelers.
“It was good fund working with Lisa. Great fun,” Geoff says “The whole bunch on Blue Heelers were great fun to work with.”
As with all TV romances, the path to true love is full of potholes.
P.J. (Martin Sacks) is unimpressed by the new man in Maggie’s life and does a bit of detective work, uncovering a few secrets that the professor would rather not having revealed.
“Roman is not what he seems, and it’s not smooth sailing,” Geoff says of the relationship.
“Something quite expected happens between Maggie and Roman. It’s quite an explosive ending.
“The last episode you see Roman in is an extraordinary episode, quite supernatural in many ways … very much like The X-Files.”
Kathy Campbell
Original content copyright TV Week.
Thanks to TV Week Appreciation Page.