australian television information archive

TV bosses want more Underbelly as viewers lap up violent past

AUSTRALIA'S love of crime has convinced TV bosses to make two more series of the hit show Underbelly.

With the first episode of the third series, The Golden Mile, watched by 2.2 million people on Sunday night, producers are pushing ahead with plans for another peak at Sydney's darkside.

Underbelly 4 is expected to be based on the work of Strike Force Tuno, which investigated 12 alleged violent crimes in Sydney, seven alleged murders, three suspected murders and two attempted killings.

"It's a very sexy Underbelly story," a source close to the series said.

At the centre of the crime spree is former army commando and hitman Sean Waygood, who has pleaded guilty to a string of offences including attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and other charges.

Channel Nine was yesterday basking in the success of the latest Underbelly.

Although the audience dropped off by 200,000 by the second hour of the telemovie-style episode, Nine said it was happy with the numbers.

"It was a great result for Underbelly, we are very happy and appreciative of everyone who was involved in the series," Nine Network boss David Gyngell said.

The first season of Underbelly, based on the Melbourne gangland killings, debuted with 1.7 million viewers and Underbelly 2 drew an opening audience of 2.5 million.

Underbelly: The Golden Mile picks up where the second instalment, A Tale of Two Cities, left off focusing on Kings Cross between 1988 and 1999.

Star of the show is king of the Cross John Ibrahim, with the telemovie focusing on his shift from schoolboy to nightclub owner.

The portrayal of Ibrahim as a likeable larrikin has reignited speculation about how much influence the nightclub boss had on the Underbelly script.

Both the show's producers and Ibrahim have downplayed his involvement but the show was laced with very personal and positive anecdotes from his teenage years.

His appearance at his end-of-year school disco in a koala suit and his good deeds for an elderly neighbour helped shaped viewers' opinion of the cocky teenager.

The actor who plays Ibrahim, Firass Dirani, said he was overwhelmed by the response to the show.

"The fan base is incredible . . . I think we've created a top show," he said.

Ibrahim's lawyer Stephen Alexander said he spoke to Ibrahim yesterday but Underbelly didn't come up.

"John and I have other things to talk about, you know," Mr Alexander said.

Underbelly 5, also on the drawing board, will focus on Queensland in the 1980s

April 13, 2010
The Daily Telegraph