Patrick Joseph 'P.J.' Hasham

Patrick Joseph "P. J." Hasham is a fictional character in the long-running Australian police drama Blue Heelers, portrayed by Martin Sacks. An experienced detective, P. J. served on major task forces and crime squads in Melbourne before the gaming squad he was attached to was disbanded due to corruption and he was transferred to the small country town of Mount Thomas as the only criminal investigator at the local station. Despite his stated preference for staying out of "uniformed matters", he worked far closer with his uniformed colleagues than many visiting detectives, and also preferred to dress down compared to the business dress usually favoured by other detectives. He was the last member of the original cast to leave the show, doing so midway through the twelfth season, and was the third-longest serving character, appearing in 483 of the 510 episodes to air. Development and casting The character, then named Nick Schultz, was created by Hal McElroy and Tony Morphett to be the only detective posted to the Mount Thomas Police Station. The character's name was swapped with that of the show's traffic cop, P. J. Hasham, because the producers felt that those names better suited the physicality of the actor chosen. His early characterisation is that of a cowboy detective who has spent most of his career in city postings before being transferred to the bush. Martin Sacks came to the role as an experienced actor, having first appeared in a bit part in The Love Boat and then in the cast of Australian soap opera The Restless Years. Sacks also had experience acting in Hollywood, but returned to Australia after a few years. After announcing his departure from the show, Sacks admitted that he wasn't keen on the part at first as he didn't think the show would last. In later years, the death of both of his fiancées, the departure of many of his friends, and the changing attitude of his highly respected boss combine to make Mount Thomas feel like less of a home for P. J., and the character chooses to depart the town for pastures new. His exit storyline, which sees him leave for Melbourne to join the Cold Case Squad, was intended to allow the character to return for future guest roles, but the show ended before this could eventuate.