Underbelly is back - This Time: "The Golden Mile" - (Australia Pace)

Biggins

Now in its new third series "Underbelly" (The Golden Mile) is back.
Just wondering am I the only one around that watches these great based on true-life crime shows?

For those that never heard of it, pop over to here to read about it: http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1004571
Each series concentrates on one area of crime in Australia.
Really great shows from start to finish.

eringobragh

Biggins wrote: »

Now in its new third series "Underbelly" (The Golden Mile) is back.
Just wondering am I the only one around that watches these great based on true-life crime shows?

For those that never heard of it, pop over to here to read about it: http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1004571
Each series concentrates on one area of crime in Australia.
Really great shows from start to finish.

I've never seen any of the other ones, but saw this last night over here, excellent stuff plus I'm currently living in the next suburb to Kings Cross.:pac:

Who's showing this (and when) back in Ireland? Would like to give a few people heads up on it

Biggins

I haven't come across the first or second series on Irish TV yet sadly (BIG shame) but been lucky myself to have seen the first two series - it might have been shown on Irish TV however that I'm unaware of.
They are great TV shows made by Australian tv. Have sold the world over and are now in their third series, such is the demand for more.

A note of caution. The shows contain explicit sex, nakedness (strip clubs, etc) and violence.

Sadly, the people and episodes the show portray, actually happened - as in the case in a previous series where a hit-man walks up to a vehicle in a street and kills a father in front of his two kids also in vehicle.

You can read more about the shows here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underbelly_%28TV_series%29

If your into true crime and/or have an interest about how crooks rise to the top - and often fall by great detective work (or in spite of corrupt cops), your in for a treat if you can get your hands on these shows.

The first episode of the (first) series was screened privately to media on 17 January 2008, prior the media had been treated with extracts and trailers promoting the series. On 3 January 2008, The Sydney Morning Herald's critic Michael Idato declared the series "The Blue Murder of its time", referring to the critically acclaimed 1995 ABC TV drama Blue Murder, considered by many to be the finest crime drama ever produced in Australia. In a review on his blog on 17 January 2008, David Knox, stated that Underbelly "is our own Sopranos", and awarded it 4.5 out of 5. He also commented "If there are any criticisms to be found with Underbelly, they are few.

old_aussie

Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series, retelling the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne. The series is based on the book Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld, by The Age journalists John Silvester and Andrew Rule.
Underbelly began screening on 13 February 2008 on the Nine Network in all states and territories except Victoria, due to a court injunction. An edited version of the series premiered in Victoria on 14 September 2008 after the injunction was partially lifted, although only the first five episodes were shown. The series depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival, Carl Williams. Underbelly is produced by the Australian Film Finance Corporation, in association with Film Victoria. The executive producers are Des Monaghan and Jo Horsburgh.
The lead-up to Underbelly involved a heavy marketing campaign which covered radio, print, billboards and an increased online presence, including the use of social networking tools. At a reported cost of $500,000, both this marketing investment and potentially millions of dollars in advertising revenue were claimed to be put at risk by the Victorian Supreme Court's injunction, as the series was expected to attract 800,000 to 1 million viewers in Victoria alone. The injunction was put in place to ensure that upcoming criminal trials were not unfair to the accused, because the series contained fictionalised re-enactments of several disputed events. Underbelly was a critical and ratings success when ultimately aired, being described as "Australia's best ever crime drama". The opening double episodes, which aired on 13 February, attracted an average of 1,320,000 viewers nationally, minus Victoria.
Every episode of the 13-part series was soon made available for download on a range of sites, with the Nine Network saying it was considering legal action. The legal DVD of Underbelly was released on 8 May 2008, a day after the final episode was aired on television. Due to the legal suppression, the release was not able to be distributed through any retail or rental outlets in Victoria or on the internet. The Nine Network then aired a second season, prequel to the series, entitled Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and recently commissioned a third season, Underbelly: The Golden Mile which is expected to begin airing April 11th 2010.

eringobragh

What channel is it on in Ireland Biggins?

Biggins

eringobragh wrote: »

What channel is it on in Ireland Biggins?

Its not - not that I know of. Sorry.

eringobragh

Biggins wrote: »

Its not - not that I know of. Sorry.

Ah ok thought it was over there as well, the first episode was a 2 hour special, very well put together, I'll certainly be following it to the end.

Biggins

eringobragh wrote: »

Ah ok thought it was over there as well, the first episode was a 2 hour special, very well put together, I'll certainly be following it to the end.

Aye, and from what I have read from actual details in the crime accounts, will take a number of twists and turns.
Especially for one female we have just met in the first two parts.
Her "job" for her first client made me laugh! LOL

Skerries

i'm currently watching and nearly finished the first series and have the second one lined up to watch
i'm watching it on the train into work so i have to keep it close to me because i don't know when a naughty bit is coming up

Biggins

Skerries wrote: »

...i'm watching it on the train into work so i have to keep it close to me because i don't know when a naughty bit is coming up

...And they certainly come at times.
One minute they are blowing heads off, the next minute folk are just blowing other things! LOL

eringobragh

Biggins wrote: »

Especially for one female we have just met in the first two parts.
Her "job" for her first client made me laugh! LOL

Haha I was thinking that part was a bit dramatised especially considering she had a fella!

Funny thing : I was in a club in Kings Cross a few months ago and one of the Ibrahims was there with a couple of heavies (not sure which one)

...the cross is some sh1t hole

Jip

I was only talking about Underbelly over the weekend, fantastic series.

Biggins

eringobragh wrote: »

Haha I was thinking that part was a bit dramatised especially considering she had a fella!
Funny thing : I was in a club in Kings Cross a few months ago and one of the Ibrahims was there with a couple of heavies (not sure which one)

...the cross is some sh1t hole

Some things never change. They are still around and still operating.
I bet they are not impressed their family is getting air time. They know it will put pressure on the police there to do something more about their activities.

Jip wrote: »

I was only talking about Underbelly over the weekend, fantastic series.

Yes, damn shame its' not shown yet on Irish TV.
Puts most TV shows involving crooks and cops to shame. Makes "The Bill" look like trip to the playground. :pac:

Jip

Biggins wrote: »

Puts most TV shows involving crooks and cops to shame. Makes "The Bill" look like trip to the playground. :pac:

All the more impressive when you recognise most of the actors from the likes of Home and Away, such as the guy who played Jack from way back in the early 90s.

Biggins wrote: »

Yes, damn shame its' not shown yet on Irish TV.

I caught in on FX UK, surprisingly they haven't repeated it since as they tend to repeat alot of things during the very early hours of the morning.

eringobragh

Biggins wrote: »

Some things never change. They are still around and still operating.
I bet they are not impressed their family is getting air time. They know it will put pressure on the police there to do something more about their activities.

They are very well known over in Oz, I heard about them before the latest underbelly stuff came on the box, one of them got riddled with bullets sitting in his Lamborgini some time ago and survived.

Our man in Havana

It would probably need heavy editing to allow transmission here.

eringobragh

Bond-007 wrote: »

It would probably need heavy editing to allow transmission here.

Judging by the first episode I doubt it would need anything once it was on past the watershed

nightmareinnz

Based loosley on real life!

It is good story and good TV but it is a mix of part fact, part fiction and there is a lot of 'advisors' with hidden and not so hidden agendas and the writers of the show have used spades of artistic licence.

Facts are the events surround the Wood Royal Commission in which it exposed some corruption based in the Detectives Ranks of the NSW Police Force. What this show doesn't demonstrate is the amount of good work of the uniformed members.

It seeks to paint a picture that Kim Hollingswood was an innocent party ending up in prostitution. Yes she was a stripper first, yes she then was a prostitute and then she tried her hand as a police officer but they kicked her out. Her version is that she was hard done by, but facts are would you like a mole taking a victim statement or giving evidence before the courts. There is a lot more to it! But it's good tv, so I will be watching it for a good laugh!

Our man in Havana

They got into a spot of trouble at home with the classification of the show. The AMCA did give them a slap on the wrist for not transmitting it after 9.30 PM.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/tv/hit-ordered-on-tv-underbelly/story-e6frexlr-1111116080220
http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/acma_investigating_underbelly/

Dempsey

I was living in Australia when the first season was aired. I was expecting it to be ****e tbh because of some of the advertising done for it but I was plesantly surprised.

Currently getting the first episodes of season 3, cant wait

Biggins

nightmareinnz wrote: »

Based loosley on real life!

It is good story and good TV but it is a mix of part fact, part fiction and there is a lot of 'advisors' with hidden and not so hidden agendas and the writers of the show have used spades of artistic licence.

Facts are the events surround the Wood Royal Commission in which it exposed some corruption based in the Detectives Ranks of the NSW Police Force. What this show doesn't demonstrate is the amount of good work of the uniformed members.

It seeks to paint a picture that Kim Hollingswood was an innocent party ending up in prostitution. Yes she was a stripper first, yes she then was a prostitute and then she tried her hand as a police officer but they kicked her out. Her version is that she was hard done by, but facts are would you like a mole taking a victim statement or giving evidence before the courts. There is a lot more to it! But it's good tv,

so I will be watching it for a good laugh!

For those that have NOT seen it, do the decent thing and out the above in spoiler tags!!!

Edit: Thanks. Good to see you did. A lot of folk wouldn't want their viewing ruined.

littlesthobo

Jip wrote: »

I caught in on FX UK, surprisingly they haven't repeated it since as they tend to repeat alot of things during the very early hours of the morning.

Yeah they showed the first series on FX and i thought it was excellent. Am suprised as well that they didn't repeat it. For those of you who seen it you would be familiar with the name Carl Williams in it

Link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8631585.stm

The Pontiac

I loved series 1 and 2. Hope to watch the first episode or two of season 3 tonight. Blue Murder, a two part Australian mini series made in 1995 is also worth checking out. It also based on true events...

Blue Murder is a docudrama based on the real life story surrounding Roger Rogerson (Richard Roxburgh), one of his associates Neddy Smith (Tony Martin), and an honest cop, Michael Drury (Steve Baston). This two part series was produced in 1995, but could not be seen in NSW because Neddy Smith was still awaiting trial. This is a brutal and disturbing story - the characters portrayed are sadistic and cold-blooded murderers. The screenplay and acting are very good and draw you into a world that you really don't want to be a part of. We follow the activities of the corrupt police as they exchange money and favours for protection from prosecutions. They basically have unlimited power, and the result is as you would expect, corruption. Smith flourishes under this protection, basically operating outside the law without any fear of reprisals. The story builds towards a climax where they cross paths with an honest police officer, Drury. Drury gets in their way, and so they decide to kill him. This was the trigger that led to their downfall and the attempted clean-up of the NSW police force. If this was a movie, there would be moments when you would think that they had gone too far in their portrayal of the brutality. When you remember that most of this is based on reality, it leaves you with a feeling of cold dread.