Satisfaction

I was very disappointed and surprised to hear "Satisfaction" had been canceled after only 3 seasons. I have to be honest, till recent years I have not been a fan of Australian TV series. However, shows like this and "Love My Way" and "Spirited" have changed my mind and made me take a second look at Australia drama.

"Satisfaction" could have continued for at least another 2 seasons. Stories were left untold. The writing was good and it had an excellent ensemble. I found myself very involved with the various characters and as another reviewer stated --- at last a show in which sex workers are not presented as one dimensional.

It's good to see series like "Satisfaction" and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" and others showing sex workers in a much more realistic light. Sex workers are usually wrongly portrayed as down and out, amoral junkies. This is a complete myth and is also born from misogyny. Personally I have a number of friends who are sex workers and they are some of the most caring, open-minded and non-judgmental people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. They've shared many stories about their lives and their experiences and a great deal of their work involves compassion, kindness and acceptance. I hope at least in this short run of "Satisfaction" it will help change the public's mind about the negative stereotypes portrayed until now.

As someone who has worked in a similar type establishment, I was really curious to see how this portrayal of sex workers and their client in a legal Melbourne brothel would pan out. There is a long history of sex workers being portrayed in film and television as victims. I know that there are women in the industry who have had horrible experiences, but there are a lot of women in every day life who have also had these kind of experiences, but prostitutes are usually disproportionately portrayed as having being sexually abused, being drug dependent or being abused by men.

I was so pleased with Satisfaction. Although it is a television drama, (and it does look like one) with gorgeous characters in gorgeous clothes living in gorgeous homes, what it succeeds so well at is its portrayal of the workers as complex women from different backgrounds, working in a well run industry for their own reasons. It is interesting that there is a focus on sexual fantasy type bookings, which is not the general brothel experience, but I guess it is the most interesting for television! The sex scenes are realistic, and not tacky, and the clients are also more than the usual one dimensional 'john'. This is really great Australian television! And for those Australian women (and few men) who have never set foot in an Australian brothel, this is about as close as television/film gets to portraying something close to the real thing. 10/10.

How wonderful that Australian drama takes a few risks. Certainly since the U.S influence of HBO series such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood and Oz, Australians are demanding richer experiences from the small screen. In Satisfaction they surely get just that. With the advent of pay TV production houses, in this case Showtime, we get to experience the lives of people in the work place. This time the work place is unconventional. Its a brothel and while many would envisage sleaze as an undertow, sleaze it definitely isn't.

The acting pool in this country is indeed deep and the performances of these particular professionals as they deal with topics and scenes that mere mortals would find very uncomfortable is captivating. With few exceptions every scene in this series is convincing and we believe in the view we get of this slice of Australian life.

For those still not convinced they could take this home to either their wife or husband; my experience may be of interest. On placing the series on the kitchen bench in front of my wife she did comment on my choice being a little male orientated,that she wasn't surprised and that it really didn't appeal to her. I suggested she give it 15 minutes; if there was no interest then so be it. We finished the series in a week. I've not heard a word about typical male behaviors since.

The first two episodes are directed by Ken Cameron. This Australian director has, in my opinion, always been underrated. His work on this series is compelling and forms the platform by which this series builds the momentum which allows it to succeed. Don't be shy. Ask your DVD shop to get it in. Tell them it will rent like crazy. I did and it does.

I really LOVE this show! It's 2025 and this is a series that really ages well. The characters have multiple layers and are far from the one-dimensional prostitute type characters that are usually shown on TV, e.g. None of them are being beaten or have drug habits they are feeding by doing sex work, etc...

Satisfaction is a great show, with a terrific blend of high drama and comedic moments.

This series is NOT to be confused with the Netflix show of the same name. Australia's version was years earlier (2007-2010) and FAR better!

Also, Dustin Clare is amazing in this btw. His acting skills and charisma are undeniable...which came across loud & clear when he stole the show in the STARZ series Spartacus where he played Gannicus.

Great story lines. Great acting. The women are easy on the eyes. I'm binge watching it on this rainy day. It held my attention throughout the first season and I'm glad there's a second and third to come. It's about time there was a Sex Worker story that wasn't just street pimps driving tricked out Bentlys or limos and their "Hoes" (a la Deuces on HBO).