australian television information archive

Ihaka: Blunt Instrument

Debut: November 05, 2000 (Ten)
Executive Producer: Des Monaghan
Producer: Ian Bradley
Writer: Paul Thomas
Director: Peter Fisk

Maori detective Tito Ihaka (Temuera Morrison), is sent to a police training conference in Sydney following complaints about his rough tactics when arresting a cop-killer in his native Auckland. To keep him out of trouble, he is teamed with police media officer Kirsty Finn (Rebecca Gibney), and together they are assigned to review the three-year-old unsolved murder of supermodel, Julia Renton. The investigation at the time of the murder concluded that it was a random sex-killing, but with the unique combination of Finn's PR skills and Ihaka's direct approach of frightening people, the two not only find themselves in political hot water, but they uncover the sinister truth behind the killing.

Starring: Temuera Morrison, Rebecca Gibney, Linal Haft, Olivia Pigeot, Steve Jacobs, Carmen Duncan, Rachel Carpani, Noel Hodda, Bryan Marshall, John Seru, Janine Burchett, Barry Quin, Jaime Passier-Armstrong, Geoff Barker, Ron Wilson

The Love of Lionel's Life (aka Open Cut)

Debut: July 9, 2000 (Ten)
Executive Producers: Mikael Borglund and John Sexton
Producers: Simone North, Tony Cavanaugh, Des Power
Writers: Tony Cavanaugh and Des Power
Director: John Ruane

Gundeena, in the middle of the Queensland outback, lives Lionel Burke (Matt Day)—along with two hundred blokes and seven women. Lionel and his best mate, Steve (Alex Dimitriades), have shared everything together since childhood, that is, until Lionel meets Lena (Nadine Garner). Suspicious of her motives, Steve's world is suddenly turned upside down as Lionel and Lena become more entrenched as a couple. Steve's jealousy and anger at his abandonment leads to a series of tragic events that will never leave Gundeena the same again. (95 min)

Cast: Matt Day, Alex Dimitriades, Nadine Garner, Steven Vidler, Graeme Blundell, Carol Burns, Heather Mitchell, Chris Betts, Paul Denny, Catherine Miller, Chris Anderson, Jean-Marc Russ

Marriage Acts

Debut: Sunday, October 22, 2000 (ABC)
Executive Producer: Sue Masters
Producer: Gary Reilly
Director: Robert Marchand
Writer: Anne Brooksbank

A bomb placed in Judge David McKinnon's (Colin Friels) letterbox kills a neighbour's dog and injures the neighbour. In some guilt, David, a man of working class origins goes back through his case files in search of a potential bomber. His jurisdiction is Family Law and among those whose divorces he has arbitrated, giving and denying custody of children, are a number of possibilities.

David ignores his family's pleas that he go away for a while, and returns to work at the court, where he sees his long term lover and colleague, Judge Miriam Hawkins (Linden Wilkinson). A second bomb explodes at the court killing another judge, and David begins to revisit his cases and re-evoke the angry, sad, frustrated people whose lives, for better or worse, he may have distorted.

At the same time his own family relationships have begun to disintegrate. His wife Jean (Sonia Todd) leaves to stay with her sister away from the city. When David goes there to try to talk to her, she tells him she wants a divorce, and also reveals that their married daughter Anna (Annalise Phillips) is contemplating an abortion. Very troubled, David attempts to talk to Anna. She resists his arguments, but admits that she may yet change her mind.

Miriam's son Dan (Mark Priestly), a heroin addict, is found dead, floating in the harbour. It is possible his death is unrelated, but Miriam firmly believes Dan too is a victim of the bomber. She warns David to look to the safety of his own son Michael (Laurence Breuls). As a result David brings Michael home from university and further disquieting revelations about David's own family follow.

While David is absent from the house, the bomber gains entry through the dense trees and bushes at the back of the house, and overpowers the constable on duty there. Anna arrives alone at the house and surprises the bomber. He holds her captive and proceeds to wire up the house with explosives. He tells her to dial 000 and have her father brought there. Police surround the house. David arrives at the scene and begs for his daughter's life, offering his own in exchange. He enters the house and at last confronts his nemesis face to face.

Starring: Colin Friels, Sonia Todd, David Whitney, Linden Wilkinson, Annalise Phillips, Laurence Breuls, Dean Atkinson, Philip Holder, Odile Le Clezio, Adam Hedditch, Mark Priestly, John Batchelor, Monette Lee, Gary Baxter

Waiting at the Royal

Australian debut: Sunday, August 13, 2000 (Nine)
Canadian premiere: Monday, March 18, 2002 (wtn)
Executive Producers: Peter Beilby, Kris Noble
Producers: Andrew Wiseman, Richard Keddie
Director: Glenda Hambly
Writer: Glenda Hambly

Forced to spend their days and nights together in one room, four total strangers initially believe the only thing they share are problem pregnancies. As the time passes there are explosive arguments, terrible frustrations and unexpected tragedy. For the four women "waiting at the Royal" changes their lives forever. None of these women could ever have known that sharing a public ward would turn into such a journey of self-discovery.

Starring: Catherine McClements, Noni Hazelhurst, Josephine Byrnes, Jo Kennedy, Ramon Tikaram, Glynis Angell, Luke Elliott and Robert Grubb.