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Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities is a 13-part Australian television mini-series based on the real events of the drug trade in the New South Wales town of Griffith between 1976-1987. The series depicts the key players in the Griffith drug trade, including Robert Trimbole, Terry Clark, George Freeman, and politician Donald Mackay. The mini-series is a prequel to the 2008 mini-series Underbelly, which was about the Melbourne gangland killings. The series premiered on the Nine Network on 9 February at 8.30pm, with the double episodes attracting an average of 2,501,500 viewers nationally, in the mainland capitals.

Synopsis

The prequel revolves around the organised crime groups that stemmed from the Griffith-based marijuana trade between 1976 and 1987 and led by "Aussie Bob" Trimbole (Roy Billing) and Terry "Mr Asia" Clark (Matthew Newton). The first episode of the series introduced Clark and Trimbole along with associates such as George Freeman, as they establish their empire and detailed their involvement in the murder of Donald Mackay (Andrew McFarlane), connection with the Great Bookie Robbery and police corruption in New South Wales.

Cast

Andrew McFarlane plays Liberal politician and anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay, and Peter O'Brien portrays the late Sydney underworld figure and racing identity George Freeman. Kate Ritchie has been cast as Judi Kane, wife of slain standover man Les Kane and step-mother of Trisha Kane who was married to Jason Moran.[4] New Zealand actress Anna Hutchinson has been cast as a character based on the life of Allison Dine.

Production

Filming is taking place in both Sydney and Melbourne until March 2009. Sydney locations Richmond, Bondi Beach and Warwick Farm have been used to portray Griffith in the 1970s. Writers Peter Gawler and Greg Haddrick have admitted that there is more nudity and sex than the original.

Ratings

The series debuted with double episodes attracting an average of 2,501,500 viewers nationally, in the mainland capitals. The first episode with 2,584,000 viewers was the biggest audience for a non-sporting program since the introduction of people meters in Australia in 2001. As of episode 3, the series has attracted an average of 2.489 million viewers per episode. This is very high judging that last years highest rating regular broadcast was Seven's Packed to the Rafters with 1.938 million. (Credit: Wikipedia).

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