Crownies

Crownies - in which junior lawyers ply their trade by being attractive. Shallow characters, stupid dialogue and plots that beggar belief.

This is what happens when you let the ABC loose with an inflated budget: what should have been drama becomes comedy with all the cliche tropes we've come to expect from the bloated national propaganda machine. Naturally everyone who acted in this nonsense has gone on to a glittering career....not.

If you were unfortunate enough have the DVDs given to you for Christmas, then they could be usefully deployed as a paperweight or very small boat anchor.....or you could trade them for a used bus ticket or other equitable exchange.

Crownies was a show that really deserved a better fate. Even if it was not to have gone past a second season, there were enough open story-lines at the end of season one 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, 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 that much better. As although the show now by design is very different, it's not necessarily that much better. It's more mature and serious (less soap box).. but not as much fun.

The more recent "Janet King" miniseries featured a compelling & suspenseful storyline. "Crownies,' also called "the early episodes of Janet King' recently started on Acorn, so we expected more of the same in hour-long episodes. Wrong!

Judging by Episode 1 - and we don't care to watch anymore - this is your show if you enjoy CONSTANT, never-ending smarmy references to sex sex sex. Tiresome and juvenile. Dil**s & sex toys, oral sex, young women fondling male crotches and dressing up like sleazy hookers for a "Christmas Party," smirking young men - the writers have the mentality of precocious, horny teenagers who think all this wink-wink onslaught of crudity is terribly clever and attention-grabbing. Obviously to some people it is, but not my cup of tea. I would think Marta Dusseldorp would've been embarrassed to be involved with such silliness.

Please.......Five stars......Quality acting for all.....great story line. More....more...more!!!!!! Our Best.......Richard & Ada

I am told I do not have enough lines. So I will go on telling you how much my wife and I totally enjoyed all of you. Your TV presence was very welcome .

It's early days, but this series (which the ABC seems to have made a lengthy commitment to) has started fairly well. Whether you enjoy it or not will probably depend on how interesting you find competitive, habitually successful young people who approach almost everything in terms of words and arguments.

Standout performances come from Andrea Demetriades, Jeanette Cronin, Ella Scott Lynch and the fantastic Marta Dusseldorp. Aside from a few dodgy extras, all the cast are good. And with any luck as the series goes on, the writers will trust them (and the audience) with dialogue and character developments that are a bit more three-dimensional.