Janet King

Janet King came several years after its predecessor 'Crownies'. Crownies was a show that really deserved a better fate. It was a very good production, and even if it was determined not to have gone past a second season, there were enough open story-lines at the end of the first season that truly should have been allowed to play out in a second concluding season. As for the delayed spin-off (Janet King), it's a good show, but lacks the warmth and charm of the first series. They kept all the five young actors to start off, but quickly dropped one then another, in the hopes of distancing the new series from the concept of the old.

What remains is of good quality, but less viewer friendly. It's unfortunate they decided to go completely away from the predecessor. Had they found a better balance between the two, retaining the best of both, it could have now overall been even better. As although the show now is by design very different, it's not necessarily that much better. It's now more mature and serious (less soap).. but unfortunately not as overall enjoyable to watch.

Obviously my esteemed fellow reviewer has an axe to grind. Describing it as pushing a "leftist, lesbian" agenda is utter nonsense. If the relationship were heterosexual, I seriously doubt that any such vitriol would be forthcoming. Yes, the initial police/courtroom/trial scenes had a couple of "reality" plot holes large enough to drive a tank through, but these are easy to forgive, given the extraordinary quality of this series. Perhaps if you require an absolutely, completely, utterly perfect drama series, you could make it yourself? If for no other reason than to show the rest of us how amazingly talented & absolutely NOT homophobic you must be.

My husband & I were fans of Crownies, which sadly ran for only 1 season despite being an excellent drama.

Janet King is a 'spin off' series, incorporating a number of other characters from Crownies. We both enjoy this series which is well acted & scripted as well as being a superior Australian drama.

It showcases the complexities of prosecuting offenders, the relationship with police & the state government, as well as the weight of public expectation.

We hope this series runs into the future with its talented cast of actors.

I am absolutely astonished to see not one, but TWO, reviews cite the same- sex relationship in this program as a reason they didn't like it. That is utterly laughable in this day and age. Furthermore, to class a Lesbian relationship as "feminist" is like calling all gay relationships "misogynist". It smacks strongly of homophobia and sexism.

The gay relationship between the main character and her partner was tastefully and realistically handled, but to be quite honest I completely forgot that King was gay because that tiny fact was not important to the story beyond illustrating how much she loved her family. The fact that she was gay and in a gay relationships was intended to have as much impact as a straight woman's family life would have had, and people's reaction to it highlights a problem in them and society, not the program.

And I'm hugely disappointed that people seem so ready to decry a film representing a relationship that isn't heterosexual and a main character who isn't male. It's a very dated opinion and completely misses the point of the program. If you're hung up on the fact that King is gay, you are completely and utterly missing the point of this program and should probably watch something less challenging.

I've deducted points for the skipping over of stories. I understand that there was a snowball intent - throwing losses in the courtroom with a sex scandal and murder attempts at Janet in quick succession - but what it felt like was that there were issues that were being brushed under the carpet and being left unresolved.

That being said, Janet King is modern Australian television that teeters between "you f-ing go girl" to conspiracy theory central. They tackle the massive arc-topic of child pornography and rings of illicit activity operating within the upper echelons of public service that could actually be so close to the truth it's uncomfortable. They demonstrate the difficulties that come with working in the public service and the risk to both body and mind that comes with working on such horrible crimes.

I absolutely applaud the efforts of this show, and the cast and crew.