What’s it about?

Here at Law4u we’ve met more than a few coppers who think they walk on water - "Water Rats" makes it official! These are the police who spend their days on Sydney Harbour and get paid for it! With the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, this show started life with a silver spoon in its mouth - or is that a silver badge? This series has all the drama of a land-based police show, with the splish-splash special effects that go with the "dangers lurking beneath the waves". "Water Rats" brings to cop shows what "Flipper" brought to animal shows - an added dimension ("Skippy Goes To Sea")! Add to this the already proven formula of police rescues, and you have the ingredients for success.

What comes to mind when you think of Sydney Harbour? Lazy days on the yacht? A barbecue at Mrs Macquarie’s chair? Lobster at Doyle’s or the Rocks? Catching the ferry to Manly? Yeah, yeah, it’s all beer and skittles, right? Well, not to the boys and girls of the water squad. "If it’s wet, it’s ours", they cry, and they’re not about to be fooled by all that turquoise tranquillity. For these guys the harbour is anything but - they know it’s a whirling vortex of soggy criminality, every bit as dangerous as the backstreets of King’s Cross, and maybe more so - after all, you can’t drown on a city street, can you (you may, of course, come face to face with a shark)? So next time you climb the rigging, unfurl the canvas and uncork the bubbly, spare a thought for the 70 men and women who have made the waters secure for yet another boozy sunset.

Is there enough here to cramp the style of the glut of police shows that clog the telewaves (Get it? Tele + Waves)? Well, there’s certainly enough happening above and beneath the harbour to fill the production books for at least a few seasons. How many routes to a waterborne mystery can you think of? (tick, tick, tick…) Okay, there’s the high dive from the top of the Bridge; boating accidents; bodies dumped in gangland killings; bodies dumped in non-gangland killings; polluters spewing their evil garbage; oil spills from Panamanian tankers; drug smugglers from Colombia; drunken ferry captains; speeding speed boats; indecent sunbathers; theft from the wharves… you get the idea, thrills and spills galore (there’s even been a maniacal jet-skier intent on homicide whilst he’s on the jet ski!!). And there’s one thing that has to be said for water - the action can take place above and below, two worlds for the price of one. The boat rides the waves to the scene of the crime, the divers take us to the evidence below.

This is action adventure from start to finish, and if that’s your cup of tea, it’s certainly worth a look (or a sip).

Who's it about?

The story began by being anchored by Detective Senior Constable Frank Holloway, born in sight of the waterfront, son (and grandson) of a worker on the docks (in Australia we call them "wharfies", whose job is to load and unload shipping). Frank is no more or less than what he seems - laconic in the best Australian sense, and an enemy of authority, which goes to explain the ups and downs in a career that has seen him promoted for his mastery of the police craft, and demoted again for discipline problems. In some ways he’s the Tom Croydon ("Blue Heelers") of this series - unable to adapt to modern times, a believer in justice as a function of common sense and willing to use his discretion when enforcing the law. And of course, he’s no friend of bureaucracy.

Like ever other major character in shows reviewed at Law4u, Frank has a family that could be a series in its own right. There’s a brother who adores him and another who doesn’t - and in the best tradition of these types of shows, that brother has been to jail for possession of heroin. Yes, it’s the "good brother/bad brother" routine, which has been a dominant theme in drama since Cain met Abel. But wait for it… we’ll give you one guess who’s responsible for Bad Brother’s imprisonment (tick,tick,tick…) Frank, of course! Opposing forces seem to be the metaphor for this show - there’s the bad brother/good brother and good city/bad city link - one of the world’s most beautiful cities as a backdrop for corruption and danger. And Frank is, in some ways, the mirror of his family - where they have been wharfies for generations, he’s joined the water police, the traditional foe of all good wharfies.

So, what can we expect in the romance department for this dysfunctional character? Exactly what you’d expect - he’s been married twice, and divorced twice.

Frank was deeply affected when a dear friend suddenly died of a heart attack. They were once going to sail around the world together, so his death got Frank thinking about the choices he has made. And work had become so complicated - better to sail into the sunset while he still could. We'll miss you.

Rachel Goldstein was Frank’s boss, not that you’d know it from the way he backchats to her. Better known as "Goldie" (no, she’s not a labrador), she’s in her early thirties, built like a gym junkie, and with everything apparently under control (of course we know better, don’t we). Goldie’s first mistake was marrying a lawyer (here at Law4u we advise our readers NEVER to marry a lawyer - and even worse, a barrister - what do you have if there are three barristers buried up to their necks in cement? Not enough cement!). Her second mistake was to fight him in court for the custody of their child - well, it was all downhill from there. So her life is bounded on one side by the water police on the other side by her son. And for Goldie, not all the action has taken place on the water. She’s been the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation following an off-duty shooting. Goldie had to adjust to the arrival of Jack Christie, her superior and once lover. Things don't always go easily when office and private lives collide! And when she was killed, dying in the arms of Jack, he was left heartbroken.

The boat crew is led by Tommy Tavita, another son of the sea who grew up with salt water in his veins. His dad was a Sydney fisherman, and he taught Tommy everything there is to know about the famous harbour. Tommy is nobody’s fool, no matter what you might think on first appearances, and he’s capable of an appropriately physical response in a crisis (and watch out if you happen to get in his way).

"Water Rats" also features one of the first regular gay roles in Australian television. The ambitious Sergeant Helen Blakemore is gay, but there is nothing particularly strident in her performance – she’s a member of the crew, not an activist for gay rights. She’s the "Water Rats" intelligence officer, where she tends to see less of the action on the water.

There was a big hole left by the departure of Frank Holloway, but thankfully it has been more than adequately filled by Detective Jack Christie, a graduate of the coppers school of hard knocks who has been seen at Water Police HQ a few times in the past.

Detective Michael Reilly is an easy-going guy, but he brings a lot of energy to the job. But he knows he has big shoes to fill, following on from the formidable Frank Holloway. No doubt he is a bit of a charmer, but he's ambitious as well, keen to be the best he can be.

Alex St Clare is no Goldie. She was educated in the posh North Shore of Sydney, and though her parents wanted her to be a lawyer (oh, no!), she took a more rebellious detour and became a cop. She's not too easily scared and likes to let the sparks fly.

A new member on board is Sen. Constable Matthew Quinn, a replacement for Tommy Tavita. He's achieved his life ambition to join the water police, but watch out, he's known for his arrogance.

Senior Sergeant Lance Rorke is the diver's boss, and Senior Constable Gavin Sykes ("Sykesie") is one of the crew members on the launch "Nemesis". Gavin's a Navy boy, so he was a natural for the Water Police.

Who's who?

Steve Bisley is Detective Jack Christie
Many viewers will fondly remember Steve from a host of television and film productions, most recently and notably as the blokey (but wily) Executive Producer Prowsey in the lamented "Frontline". But long ago he was a crazed motorcycle cop in the original "Mad Max". And he's quite the character actor - who could forget his turn as the used-car salesman Gordon Farkas in "The Big Steal", for which he received a prestigious AFI Award; or Dr Henry King in "GP"; or Victor in "Silver City" (another AFI Award there); and the list goes on. Like so many other successful Australian actors, Steve is a graduate of NIDA.

Jay Laga'aia is Senior Constable Tommy Tavita.
You won’t be surprised to learn that Jay got his start in New Zealand (no jokes about sheep, please - Law4u is now showing across the Tasman). It would also be no surprise that Jay was plagued by typecasting in New Zealand, always the thug who thinks with his fists. In "Water Rats" he’s cast as a thinker who can use his fists.

Jay came to the profession by the back door - he was the liaison officer for Television New Zealand when they made a documentary about street kids. This introduced him to television executives who tested his acting skills in a local drama, "Heroes", about four young men who start a band. He had the role of Simon in the Australian touring production of "Jesus Christ Superstar", and played Judas in the New Zealand production. He wasn’t born in New Zealand, as many viewers believe, but in the beautiful island of Samoa, where he was one of a family of ten.

Aaron Pederson is Detecrtive Michael Reilly.
Aaron seems thrilled to have been chosen for the part, not the least because the character was not written as an Aboriginal. You may have seem him in "Wildside" (a brilliant production that never achieved the audience it deserved - he was the legal aid lawyer Cellini) and the film "Dead Heart" (worth a look on video). He was born in the NT and achieved a journalism cadetship with the ABC in Alice Springs.

Dee Smart is Alex St Clare.
She was raised in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, one of nine children, she studied at the Victorian College of the Arts and later Sydney's Ensemble Theatre. She has also worked in "GP", "Halifax" and "Wildside". More big shoes to fill as a replacement for the brilliant Catherine McClements.

Brett Partridge is Senior Constable Gavin Sykes ("Sykesie").
He was born in Bondi Beach, a natural water boy, he likes a good time in a typically laconic Australian way. His first TV job was in the soapie "Sons and Daughters", followed by "A Country Practice" and "Return to Eden".

Diarmid Heidenreich is Sen. Constable Matthew Quinn.
Diarmid was on his way to NIDA before the offer arrived from the producers of the show. Famous, of course, for his Dougie the Pizza Boy ads on television, this lad has also seen his fair share of headlines for some extra-curricular activities, finding himself in "weekend" jail for 6 months. He followed that stint as a construction worker and union delegate.

Colin Friels is Frank Holloway.
It was a real coup for Southern Stars Productions to secure the services of this veteran of Australian and international film and television. It's hard to believe, but this is the first time Friels has been willing to commit to a series, as opposed to one-offs on the small screen (he was brilliant in an episode of "Halifax f.p.", for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and memorable in Ben Elton's "Stark"). And talk about a pleasant commute - Friels lives right on Sydney Harbour, a kilometre or so from the production facility at Goat Island. Friels sees this part as a return to his roots, with parallels to his own working class family background.

Friels graduated from Australia's premier drama school, the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (better known as NIDA) in 1976. He has been a fixture on the Australian theatre scene, and most viewers would know his face from a batch of feature films including "Malcolm", "Dingo", "Grievous Bodily Harm", "Ground Zero", "Darkman" (a terrible movie that was no. 1 at the American box office, though he was good).

Friels left the show in November 1998, following a diagnosis of cancer and chemotherapy treatment.

Catherine McClements is Detective Senior Constable Rachel 'Goldie' Goldstein.
This is Catherine McClements big break. She auditioned for the role with a small number of past performances in her knapsack, but sheer exuberance saved the day. Like Friels, she too is a graduate of NIDA, and featured in the movie "Struck By Lightning" . She has also appeared in a number of quality theatre productions, including "Angels In America", "The Crucible", and "The Imaginary World", and on television in "GP" and "Tomorrow’s End".

Who put it together?

"Water Rats" is produced from the stable of Hal McElroy at Southern Star. This is the same production house that makes "Blue Heelers".

The head writer for "Water Rats" is the talented veteran Tony Morphett (an originator of "Blue Heelers") - he also developed the program in conjunction with John Hugginson.

The gossip

Channel Nine claims an "estimated" worldwide weekly audience of 200 million - it’s hard to know what to make of these publicity blurbs, it reminds us of the exaggerations trotted out each year for the number of viewers for the AFL Grand Final. Two hundred million? Maybe it refers to the potential audience in markets where the show has been sold.

Colin Friels was far from complimentary about the Sydney opening to "Planet Hollywood", shocked that over twenty thousand Sydneysiders were drawn to the American style glitz and glam. He sees "Water Rats" as the antithesis of the Americanisation of Australian arts.

Colin Friels is married to Australia’s finest actor, Judy Davis.

How many ways can you get the Harbour Bridge into a scene? If it's "Water Rats", more than you can imagine. Fair enough, but you have to wonder sometimes whether the show should get a grant from the NSW Tourism Commission.

Jay Laga'aia appears to have upset a few people with his comments about fellow cast members.

The facts

"Water Rats" is shot on film, and according to Channel Nine, has a budget twice that of most drama series.

"Water Rats" is shot around Sydney Harbour, and the team has its production office on Goat Island.

Catherine McClements prepared for her role by spending time with some female detectives.

There is, of course, a real life New South Water Police. It is based in Pyrmont on Sydney Harbour, with subsidiary ports in various rural areas.

The New South Wales Water Police were the first civilian police established in New South Wales. Unbelievably, this happened over two hundred years ago when Governor Phillip started the "Row Boat Guard" (we’re not kidding - and we bet you didn’t know the washing machine was first patented two hundred years ago) to keep Sydney Cove free of smugglers.

Nowadays the New South Wales Water Police have 11 boats capable of handling open seas, another 60 or so smaller boats, and more than 100 personnel.

Colin Friels won the Silver Logie for Best Actor in the 1997 awards.

Colin was forced to leave the show following a diagnosis of cancer. He was the star of the show, no doubt about it.

Two shows are often filmed concurrently, which places demands on the continuity of the actors and makes for very long days indeed.

Jay Laga'aia has filmed a movie in Queensland with Marcus Graham.

Dee Smart has previously worked with Steve Bisley on "GP".

Ex "Blue Heelers" star Tasma Walton, much missed, is back as a guest star in 2000. Look for the twist at the end of the episode. Since Heelers Tasma has been in two US telemovies.

The legal point

Yes, Frank is a bit of a lad, evidenced by the fact that he has been demoted because of discipline problems, particularly for taking the law into his own hands when it suits his purposes. We’ve been asked by a few avid watchers whether the police are really and truly held accountable for their actions (or their inactions!). And what can a member of the public do if they are subject to a bit of Frank’s personal brand of justice.

In Victoria, there are two ways to complain about the actions of the police: the Ombudsman and the police themselves. The Ombudsman has a department that deals specifically with complaints against the police. The police, however, have the ultimate responsibility to investigate themselves, which of course is the source of some criticism. There is a part of the force called the Ethical Standards Division, which will investigate all complaints, usually over a period of some months. If the complaint if found to have some merit, the officer will be disciplined.

In NSW, there have been big changes in the way complaints are handled. This is largely a result of the well publicised Royal Commission into the NSW Police. The police now have a Police Integrity Commission, and as in Victoria, a referral can also be made to the Ombudsman. If the police or the Ombudsman find that the officer has been guilty of misconduct, disciplinary action can be taken, as it was against Frank Holloway.

The best advice is to go through the Ombudsman – although the police forces in both States will probably investigate the complaint, you are at least assured that the Ombudsman’s office will oversee the process. For instance, the Ombudsman can ask the police to reassess their findings if they are perceived to be inadequate.

And by the way, while we're talking law, did you see the episode where a solicitor is taken by a shark? Funny about that, but we would have thought the shark would spare the lawyer - professional courtesy.

Our verdict

Let’s not be parochial - it’s not enough that a show is produced in Australia. But with the romance of Sydney Harbour, virtually a weekly international "advertorial" for the forthcoming Sydney Olympics, it would be difficult to get this one wrong. The best move was to hire Colin Friels. Here at Law in the Lounge we were a little surprised to see him in the original previews, but it invited the desired response - you had to think, "this must be a half reasonable show to get Colin Friels involved". And so it is.

We try to review shows according to what they set out to achieve. Hal McElroy is not attempting to create another "Hill Street Blues", but at the same time he has niftily managed to avoid the more obvious cliches that could easily have plagued a production such as this ("this week on "Water Rats" our heroes pursue a Colombian oil tanker and battle a hundred machine gun wielding commandos as they defend their cargo of death…"). There is clearly serious money being pumped into this show, and the producers just as clearly have their eyes firmly set on the international market. Thankfully we have no reason for embarrassment. It is particularly satisfying to see real Australian characters drawn without recourse to painful stereotypes. "Water Rats" establishes a sense of place, and a feeling for the particular brand of Australian that find their way to Sydney Harbour.

There is also a sense of dedication on the part of the cast and crew - superior production values and little recourse to the usual quick fix television acting (actors with three expressions - happy, sad and confused - not that you can always tell the difference). Watch it once and you may be surprised - "Water Rats" is another quality all-Australian series with a seductive mix of action-adventure and quality writing. And this is a show that has managed to combine the character mix of Jews, Aboriginals, and lesbians. And all in prime time!

It's always interesting to see how a show will go after the loss of marquee stars, and "Water Rats" has lost some its biggest attractions. Nevertheless, it has thrived, a testament to the concept and the production values, and the producers were smart enough not to look for easy replacements, rather new characters with their own intrinsic worth.

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