TV review – “Underbelly” (2008) *****

Just as Summer Heights High and the Chaser brought the must-see water cooler factor back to Australian comedy in 2007, so too did Underbelly in 2008. It’s a Channel Nine show you could imagine old Kerry Packer liking – lots of crims and tits. In the great tradition of Blue Murder, it seems at times that every Australian actor is in it – well, every Melbourne actor at least (and unlike Blue Murder, the girls have more of a role to play here). The all star casting makes the story a lot easier to follow, as you always remember who is who. Marcus Graham and Alex Dimitrates are back (totally different styles and characters to the ones they played in Blue Murder) and there are some newcomers, too – Gyton Grantley is terrific as the seemingly dopey Carl Williams – and some revelations from old hands: I was blown away by Damien Walshe-Howling as the confident likeable psychopath (confident voice, which makes such a difference when playing a crim). Lots of tits, which gets perhaps too gratuitous at times (Kesti Morassi apparently has a “no tits” clause but they show a lot of her arse as if in compensation). Episode seven, which is from the girl’s point of view, drags a bit, too many montages (actually that’s a criticism you could say about a few of the eps). But much of is so superb. Indeed, the scene where Jason Moran is killed in front of the kids is a classic – I never thought the Roger Rogerson-killing-Warren-Lanfranchi scene in Blue Murder would be topped but this one does. There’s also plenty of classic moments, such as gangsters talking about killing someone at a venue and pointing out “parking there’s really bad”.