Stingers

I have watched this Series since it was first aired and the quality hasn't waivered.

It is my fervent hope that the producers continue to realize the shows popularity and don't go by the very peculiar ratings system they seem to employ that advises them to cancel a show that is popular and replace it with rubbish.

'Stingers' is a cop show based on some true cases derived from a former undercover cop. The show's always charged with passion, mystery and excitement. So much happens in an episode and is always leaving the viewer hanging and wanting to know what'll happen next, meaning have to wait until next week's episode. I find the writers very creative and managing to keep the storyline going and grabbing viewer's attention right from the beginning to the end of the episode. This show gives out a feeling of reality and does relate to the Melbourne based police shops and how they function, etc, undercover, that is.

I start seeing this series in a reprise way, as i started seeing it in 2005 the episodes of 98. all in all i can say that's a good police series. Not the American way that begins to be always the same. I only saw episodes till the beginning of 2002. If you like to see a police series with story that goes from one episode to another, with plot, characters then you shouldn't loose this series. Of course that there better and horse actors in the series, but all in all they go well against their American counterparts, and for me an European is good to see that's not only the Americans that can do good series. Sinceraly in the beginning i didn't like some characters, for instance the chief of the stingers didn't quite seemed to be comfortable in it. It take a good leap when the actress that was the second in command go up and started to be first. The plot around her and the others improved. I wait that the years that i didn't saw kept the good plot and that the new actors kept the same profile.

What can I say? I have been a fan of "Stingers" for several years now, going back to Bernie Rocca days, I think and I can't honestly say there has been a single episode I've disliked. The life of an undercover cop, not to mention a whole unit of them is an intruiging idea and great premise and with all credit due to the wonderful writers, the idea hasn't grown stale. The introduction of Danni Mayo surprised me a few years back, but she turned out to be a great asset to the show. I can only hope that Gary Sweet, Rebecca Gibney and Jacinta Stapleton will capture their characters just as well. In the departure of Ian Stenlake and Anita Hegh I feel the show has moved on by replacing characters we've known and loved from the start with new, fresh people to meet - at the same time, I'm glad that Oscar and Mac have not been forgotten or simply 'put on the shelf', but are still very much a meaningful part of the show in the absence of the actors. Whether this replacement is a good idea or not will take time to see... but until I see otherwise, I will be watching, taking in (IMO) one of the greatest Drama series ever made in Australia. I sincerely recommend this series to anyone who can appreciate excellent photography, clever storylines and smart writing. One of my favourite series of all time, I give Stingers 9 out of 10

I really loved Stingers! It was one of the great Aussie crime dramas. Sure it had ups and downs in terms of the plot and character development, but it always seemed to get back on track... well until the last season. That final episode was a huge let down to the entire show.

Great to see our local Melbourne locations being used to their fullest though, i think that was a definite highlight. Theme tune also rocked, especially in the early seasons of the show.

I'd like to see one last TV-movie perhaps? Just to tie up all those loose ends at the end of the show. Or a reunion TV special highlighting all the shows "great/worst moments"?