AustLit

'On March 19, 2006, Mokbel, said to be Australia’s richest gangster, became Australia’s most wanted man. What followed was an intense manhunt that lasted 18 months and dismantled a drug empire.

'A miraculous tip-off to the Australian police revealed that Mokbel was living in Athens, Greece under a false name and documents. But how do you find one man in a population of four million? Fat Tony & Co follows Mokbel from his early beginnings in Melbourne’s underworld to his eventual discovery and arrest in a cafe in Athens.' (Source: http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8703629 )

'Dr Lucien Blake, a keeper of secrets, a solver of mysteries, returns home to 1959 Ballarat after a 30-year absence to take over his deceased father's medical practice, and starts solving crimes.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 19/4/2013)

'Underbelly: Squizzy spans the years 1915 to 1927 and tells the epic story of "Squizzy" Taylor's relentless quest for power, ultimately creating a public persona that made him the first superstar gangster of the 20th Century.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 8/3/2013)

'[This] series centres on four young families with one thing in common: the men are in charge of raising the kids.

'It's the beginning of a new school year and recently retired Lewis (Gary Sweet) finds himself in the unfamiliar role of stay-at-home dad to Tilda, his daughter with nurse Gemma (Julia Morris).

'Gemma works at the hospital with her best friend Abi (Natalie Saleeba) whose husband Mark (Rhys Muldoon) is juggling a return to part-time work and looking after five-year-old Poppy.

'Mark's brother-in-law Kane (Gyton Grantley) is in a relationship with Tom (Tim Campbell), raising Tom's orphaned niece Stella.

'When dropping their daughters off on the first day of school, the three men meet Justin (Firass Dirani), a former AFL star who, thanks to his bad boy ways, has seen his career and family walk out the door. He is now facing the fight of his life to win custody of his twin boys Zac and Jacob and eight-month-old daughter Angie.

'Finding themselves severely outnumbered by all the mothers at the school drop-off zone, the four men band together and help each other along as they face the challenges of raising a young family.'

Source: Channel Nine website (http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8469113) (Sighted: 17/10/2012)

'13 episode series about a family that runs a debt collection business.

Warm, funny and moving, Tricky Business looks at the lengths people go to get themselves out of trouble - financial trouble, emotional trouble, growing up trouble, relationship trouble... things we all have to deal with at some time or other. Nine's exciting new Aussie family drama looks at the lengths people go to get themselves out of trouble.'

(Source: Channel Nine website)

'In this lavish period fantasy, Sinbad the Sailor and his shipmates confront the fabled isle of Minos.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 25/2/2014)

'The territory of Cops: L.A.C. covers the inner city, the harbourside and the eastern beaches of Sydney, from lowlifes to high society and everything in between. Their brief is to fight and control crime on their turf. From shoplifting to murder, small-time drug deals to major organised crime, these cops see it all every day.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 19/4/2013)

This British/Australian co-production comedy/adventure series spins off the character of the robotic dog K9 from the British television series Doctor Who. Because the programme is not a BBC production, it cannot make direct references to Doctor Who. Similarly, K9 was radically redesigned for this show, because although Bob Baker (creator of K9 and co-creator of the original character) owns the character rights to K9, the BBC owns the rights to the original character design.

The concept for K9 was developed by Australian writers Shane Krause and Shayne Armstrong, who also serve as primary writers for the programme. Other Australian writers involved in the show include Queensland-based writer Jim Noble and comedian Ian McFadyen.

The programme is filmed and produced in Brisbane, Australia, but set in near-future London.

'Set in the homicide squad of a large metropolitan city, this is a punchy one hour drama series about murder mystery and a group of young committed cops, focused on justice for the deceased. Jennifer Mapplethorpe, ambitious and intelligent; Simon Joyner, keen, cool, self-assured; Duncan Freeman, living high, ready to fall; and Matt Ryan, intense and driven. In Homicide, it's not always crooks and low-lives, most murders are committed by ordinary people - a moment of madness, a failure of communication, a desperate act. These Detectives follow a profession that makes blood, grief and drama just part of their normal day. Their day begins when your day ends.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive.

Crimes are being committed within fairy tales. And this means that the fairy tales in our world are losing their happy (or unhappy) endings. Two police officers (no-nonsense Christine Anderson and bumbling Johnny Legend) are sent inside fairy tales to establish the Fairy Tale Police Department and restore the happy endings.

Australian Screen says of Fairy Tale Police Department, 'Despite the title, which suggests a sweet little cartoon, this is a robust and very original series and loads of fun for all ages. Fairytale Police Department is a zany cross between Twisted Tales and the X Files for kids. Female detective Chris Anderson, like X Files cop Dana Scully ..., is strong, capable and ambitious, while her bumbling, vain metrosexual partner Johnny Legend is always getting into in trouble. Other characters are also terrific with strong characterisations and great scripts.'

Source: Australian Screen (http://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/fairytale-police-black/notes/). (Sighted: 12/9/2012)

'Oscar's sister comes home for an anti-uranium demonstration. Her mother is going to join in but Oscar and his dad want them to keep out of trouble. Sophie is keen to be part of it and when she can't get anyone to join her she goes alone. Meanwhile, Kurt makes a special appearance with his father's band — but it is a gig he doesn't want anyone to find out about.'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 18/6/2014)

'The video camera can be a tool of expression, exploration and communication. But it can also be an instrument of manipulation, secrecy and lies. SHORT CUTS depicts a group of young people facing the normal challenges of growing up, in and out of school, using a camera in all its functions to learn about their lives.'

Source: Screen Australia.

'They've each been given a $20,000 head start but there's still time for you to catch up with Loc Minh, Clare and Patrick Gormley, Basia Lem, Seth Wallace, Kyle Richter and Katherine Ingram as they take off in pursuit of their dreams. Shepherded by company representative Garret Quinn, a reformed maverick trying to redeem his reputation in the eyes of his multi-national banker bosses, seven young adults try to make their mark on the world with their own dynamic and innovative ideas. Will they accomplish their cherished objectives or go with their failed ambitions like lambs to the slaughter?'

Source: Australian Television Information Archive. (Sighted: 22/10/2012)

'Norman Lindsay's much-loved story is brought to life in this magical animated adaptation of the Australian children's classic. When his ship sinks off the South Pole Bill Barnacle (Hugo Weaving) discovers a magic pudding called Albert (John Cleese) who can talk change flavour on request and lasts forever so demands to be continuously eaten. The crew are divided over the pudding but Bill and his first mate Sam (Sam Neil) resolve to protect it. Meanwhile Bunyip Bluegum the Koala (Geoffrey Rush) sets out on an adventure to find his parents with his rough-and-ready travelling companions in tow. Their paths cross when Bunyip stumbles into the middle of an attempt by thieves to steal the everlasting pudding.'

Source: ABC Shop (Sighted 12/10/2011)

'Based on the stories of Paul Jennings, DRIVEN CRAZY follows the adventures of the Bourke family as they travel around Australia in their old Chevy wagon.'

Source: Screen Australia.

One of Australia's highest rating dramas, All Saints is a Logie Award-winning Australian medical drama set in the fictional All Saints Western General Hospital in suburban Sydney. The stories originally focused on the nursing staff of Ward 17 run by Nursing Unit Manager Terri Sullivan. It was sometimes referred to as the 'garbage ward' because it took the overflow of patients.

In 2004 Network Seven producers overhauled the series in an effort to increase the show's gradually dwindling audience. They achieved this by closing down Ward 17 and transferring some of the staff to the Emergency Department managed by Frank Campion. Several other new lead characters were also introduced. The changes also saw the storylines begin to focus more on the lives of the doctors and nurses.

Another significant change to the series came in early 2009 when the producers introduced the Medical Response Unit. Central to this development was the helicopter which took doctors to rescue situations outside the hopsital and which in turn brought patients to the All Saints Emergency Department. The show's name was also changed at this time to All Saints: Medical Response Unit. The increased production costs created by having scenes shot on location played a part, however, in the series being cancelled mid-year. The series ended with the Emergency Department and Medical Response Unit teams having a dinner to farewell the last remaining original character, Von Ryan on her final day at All Saints.

All Saints was popular in many countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Iran.