An attractive, intelligent young woman turns to prostitution. Some of her main clients are from the police force. She has always wanted to work in law enforcement, but her predicament keeps her at a great distance from a career as a police officer. She gets caught up in an entanglement of politics and secrets, her life is threatened. This is only one of the stories.
How is it possible not to get hooked on a television series that depicts the complete elements of drama through crime? The Nine network’s program, Underbelly, has successfully captured a devoted audience using old school tools – attractive people, sex, violence, bad guys and action. This is not a secret recipe for entertainment. This formula has been used time and time again through the likes of Tarantino block busters.
There is always, however, a downside to any kind of success. Concern was voiced by chairman of the NSW Law Reform Commission, James Wood, particularly for the young audience, saying that “There is nothing honourable or admirable in relation to the people who are depicted in these programs.” He spoke strongly against the glamorisation of crime and the way it was portrayed in Underbelly. “For the impressionable kids out there watching these programs, they think it’s a lot of fun. It’s bloody well not a lot of fun. It’s harming a lot of people and carries huge risks. You’ve got a high chance of ending up in a prison for 20 or 30 years. These shows don’t show that.” In a show that depicts the criminals as the main characters, it is a concern shared by viewers as well.
Contrary to the idea that a show like Underbelly would be giving the “wrong impression” about the conduct of the characters, Channel Nine’s censor Richard Lyle was of the opinion that the series told a “very responsible tale”. Is there an actual lesson to be learnt here, when true stories are re-enacted? That if you go down the wrong path you could end up in jail, or even dead?
Portraying the unspeakable, the mysterious and the daring is the ultimate bait for an audience. A key attraction by the Underbelly viewership is the fact that the stories are based on real life events and real people. There needs to be an understanding between what entertainment value is and a responsibility to air a show that points to a particular reality based on past events in local cities. A documentary that will screen in May on the ABC, will aim to bring this balance of views. At the end of the day, the audience will always decide how to accept the drama that they see on television.
