At Melbourne's Russell Street Police Headquarters, Sgt. "Bluey" Hills, unable to work within the existing police squads, oversees Department B. They're assigned cases other departments could not readily solve by conventional means, with Hills applying his unconventional methods to bring about their resolution. Bluey's investigations are supported by newly assigned Gary Dawson, long-time cohort Monica Rourke, and undercover officer Reg Truscott, who spends his time ostensibly working as a small-time burglar, and supplying Bluey with information on the activities of local criminals.
Episode 1
Maverick cop Sgt. Bluey Hills is set up in the newly formed 'Department B', which has been created especially for him, largely because no-one else wants to work with him. His first day brings the tragic case of a young policeman who has been killed by a car bomb blast. Bluey is hindered by the boy's father, a retired policeman, who thinks the police aren't doing enough and decides to take on the investigation himself.
Episode 2
Bluey is out to get small time crim Tony Benson - and Benson is very much aware of it. Benson makes several attempts to discredit Bluey, including planting a fake bomb in his car and appearing to commit a 'robbery' which never occurred. Bluey is subsequently suspended from duty, and is only brought back into favour by the efforts of Det. Gary Dawson.
Episode 3
A paroled criminal’s daughter is kidnapped by two men intent on obtaining the money - proceeds from past robberies - that he has hidden away. Bluey is reluctant to get involved, especially when it appears the kidnappers know his every move even before he does.
Episode 4
Walter Curran is a petty criminal who always gets caught. Bluey's attempts to reform Curran fail, and Curran’s son follows his father’s footsteps into crime, bringing a tragic consequence for the whole family.
Episode 5
Eric Yates, a brilliant criminal, escapes custody while attending a funeral. Bluey is baffled by Yates' disappearance, and questions whether the escape was actually Yates' idea. The only clue seems to lie with Yates' wife.
Episode 6
Bluey hounded ‘Mack’ McKenna until he moved his criminal operations interstate, where he was jailed for five years. Upon his release, ‘Mack’ returns seeking revenge. Notes: A fire in a burning building scene where Bluey rescues some tied up people got out of control in the studio, causing some anxious moments - no-one was hurt.
Episode 7
Bluey investigates when a contract is put out on underworld figure Vic Nelson, and word is that a policeman will carry out the deed.
Episode 8
Bluey comes into conflict with a detective from the Federal police when Department 'B' is ordered to assist in the investigation of what seems to be a major drug smuggling racket.
Episode 9
Bluey is given a political assignment to protect James Conder, a British mercenary who was last known to be operating in a South American war. Bluey dislikes the task, and matters are complicated when Conder disappears with Jo Goldman.
Episode 10
Bluey investigates when a man's house is broken into and his family held hostage while the man himself is forced to open and empty the safe at his office.
Episode 11
Bluey investigates some truck hijackings, which develops into a personal crisis for Det. Dawson. After an undercover assignment, he returns home to find Jo gone.
Episode 12
Bluey investigates when a reporter is killed after discovering the infiltration of a respectable company by criminals using it to launder money.
Episode 13
Dawson believes Bluey's obsession with 'Muley', a criminal who won't talk, is affecting his judgement, and Bluey quickly reaches breaking point.
Episode 14
Truscott's cover is blown by a gang of criminals, and matters are complicated by Truscott's involvement with a former girlfriend of one of the gang. Truscott has to count the cost of his undercover life and the demands it makes of him not having a personal life.
Episode 15
Emma Evans claims her son is innocent of murder. Nobody, including Bluey, believes her - until she becomes a hit and run victim. Bluey starts to dig, finding twists and causing upheavals which lead to the A.C. threatening to suspend him.
Episode 16
To get Bluey out of the way, the A.C. sends him to the remote country town of Mooball to investigate a possible homicide following the discovery of some old bones.
Episode 17
Bluey investigates an alleged assassination attempt on has-been movie star Brad McGraw, who has recently returned home to Australia.
Episode 18
Bluey assists the Commonwealth authorities to help combat a flood of counterfeit notes. His task is complicated by the activities of young reporter Debbie Morley who becomes a victim of the swindle.
Episode 19
Bluey helps a stowaway boy, who can't speak English, to find his father. He discovers an illegal immigration racket, and Det. Dawson gets mixed up with a strange girl known as 'Seaboots'.
Episode 20
Det. Sgt. Blakely begins a blitz on massage parlours. Bluey suspects Blakely is corrupt when he gives favourable treatment to parlours run by Rankin. When Bluey discovers that Blakely is a drug addict, supplied by Rankin, Blakely tries to kill Bluey.
Episode 21
After the arrest of a private detective, several photo negatives which are a crucial part of the evidence go missing. Shortly afterwards, Det. Gary Dawson begins acting suspiciously, spending more money than he earns. Bluey suspects that Det. Dawson is on the 'take'.
Episode 22
The Assistant Commissioner tries to get Bluey to take some leave just when Det. Gary Dawson's investigations into a series of cat burglaries start to bear fruit. After an encounter with the cat burglar, who proves too agile for Bluey and escapes, ridiculing him in the process, the suspects are gradually narrowed down to one as Bluey becomes more and more determined to find the 'cat'.
Episode 23
Monica becomes involved with an eleven-year-old shoplifter called Cricket. Bluey warns Monica to stay clear of Cricket, as she may hamper his investigations into a car theft racket. But Monica 'does a Bluey' and goes off alone - with alarming consequences.
Episode 24
Against Bluey's advice, Det. Dawson accepts an undercover assignment to investigate a large scale drug smuggling racket. While undercover he renews an old acquaintance with Sandra Gibson, a girl he knew from his modelling days who is now involved in the drug smuggling.
Episode 25
Det. Gary Dawson works undercover with Sgt. Tracey Alexander from the NSW Police to investigate a series of armoured truck hi-jackings. They form an emotional attachment, however things go wrong on the operation - with tragic consequences.
Episode 26
Bluey re-opens an old abduction case, and lives to regret it when he uncovers the truth and causes only misery for all those involved.
Episode 27
Witnesses connect 'Birds' Avery with a murder, and all except Bluey believe he is guilty. Bluey's attempts to prove 'Birds' innocence bring him into conflict with the detective on the case.
Episode 28
Bluey investigates the macabre terrorising of a stripper and her deaf mute sister. The clues border on the supernatural, making it difficult to establish a motive, which keeps Bluey, Monica and Gary guessing.
Episode 29
Bluey and Det. Stoner investigate a series of child abductions. Stoner seems obsessed with the case, and the Assistant Commissioner suspects he has been falsifying evidence and asks Bluey to investigate.
Episode 30
Businessman Kenneth Granger attempts to flee the country, to avoid extradition to Canada to face embezzlement charges. Bluey sets up a charge against him to force him to stay in Australia, and soon after a bomb is sent to Granger.
Episode 31
Monica's life is threatened after she witnesses a robbery and murder, and Bluey and Insp. Ferris have a difficult time protecting her, especially after Debbie becomes involved.
Episode 32
Elsie Hunter appears to be a potty old woman, however Bluey takes on the case of a supposed homicide that Elsie reported took place several months ago. A night in a cemetery, a night in a funeral parlour, and an 'angel of death' all add up to an intriguing jigsaw of extortion and murder. Bluey is 'helped' by Elsie, who conducts her own investigation.
Episode 33
Steve Berry takes matters into his own hands when his girlfriend's parents object to their relationship because of his criminal father, and a siege situation develops with tragic consequences.
Episode 34
Susan Martin is raped, but Bluey and Gary don't believe she is innocent because of her dubious past. A surprising twist develops when they investigate Susan's relationship with Jack Stevens and his brother Roger.
Episode 35
An investigation into insurance fraud soon becomes a murder case when Bluey comes across prostitute Judy Browning and her 'sugar daddy' David Colson. It seems that Judy’s insurance policy is about to be ‘cashed in’ by Colson.
Episode 36
Truscott is caught by the local police after breaking into an office to obtain information for Bluey. Truscott will go to jail unless the crooked proprietors of the business whose office he broke into are themselves convicted.
Episode 37
Bluey faces one of the most difficult decisions of his career when Monica is kidnapped and held hostage by a pair of Sydney crims. They want to exchange her for a criminal in Bluey's custody who masterminded a bank robbery, of which the two Sydney heavies want the proceeds.
Episode 38
Department 'B' is threatened with closure, and their last case is to investigate faith healer Ronald Hamlin. A retired policeman friend of Bluey's is found to be one of Hamlin's clients.
Episode 39
While investigating some new evidence concerning an old case, Bluey is shot and seriously wounded by the criminals concerned. It becomes a case for the Homicide squad, and Det. Sgt. Harry White takes up the investigation. Not satisfied with progress, Det. Gary Dawson conducts his own investigation, 'Bluey' style, much to the annoyance of Sgt. White. Bluey eventually recovers from his wounds, and the Assistant Commissioner laments that 'another Bluey Hills' has sprung up in the police force - in the form of Det. Dawson.
