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Screentime promise nudity, sex, swearing in Underbelly 2

THE writers of Underbelly promise there will be more nudity in the second series of Channel 9's award-winning and controversial crime drama.

Peter Gawler and Greg Haddrick, who head up drama development at the production company Screentime, revealed they are currently writing series two, and aren't planning on toning down the sex and nudity despite a request from Nine's inhouse censor.

"I got an email that just said 'omit pubic hair'," Gawler said.

"I sent a one-word email back. 'No'."

Speaking at the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) conference on the Gold Coast, Gawler said they have also had discussions about the rules regarding sex scenes, and whether they are allowed to show "bum crack" during sexual intercourse.

When asked by a female fan in the audience whether there would be more male nudity in particular in the new series, Gawler replied: "Are you asking for it? There is more."

"There will be male nudity and female nudity," Haddrick added.

"We are listening to these comments."

Despite all the swearing, sex and violence in Underbelly, Haddrick said Nine actually received very few complaints from the public.

"All the f&%#ing language through f&%#ing Underbelly and there were only four complaints," Haddrick said.

"It actually had (virtually) no complaints from all the millions of viewers."

Nine has revealed Underbelly 2 will follow the booming illegal heroin and marijuana trade of the 70s and 80s in Sydney and Melbourne.

Titled Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, it will be based around the lives of two late infamous druglords - "Aussie Bob" Trimbole and Terry "Mr Asia" Clark.

Gawler said there could be three or four Underbelly series made, each telling a different story but in the same tone and style.

"It's about the changing nature of crime in Australia in the last three decades of the 20th century," he said.

He said an actual sequel to Underbelly, following the same characters, was pretty difficult considering most of the characters are dead by the end.

"The one glaring omission is Tony Mokbel, and there is a very good story to tell about Tony Mokbel," Gawler said.

But he said considering Mokbel still has matters to be brought to court, that story couldn't be told yet.

"Who knows when the actual sequel of Underbelly can be told," he said.

By Alyssa Braithwaite
November 13, 2008
The Daily Telegraph