Phoenix

Of all the TV series I have watched - which include most western productions (including American and British) - this is by far the best. Brilliant direction, acting, cinematography and editing. The storyline, while based on an actual event where two police officers are killed by a bombing, is just outstanding. It is uncontrived, honest and so real that you can just feel it. In my humble opinion there can be little doubt that this series is, to date, the zenith of television production in Australia - and the equal of anything in the world (and that says a lot coming from a New Zealander!).

The only disappointment is that this series has never got the awards and critical acclaim outside of Australia that it deserved. While this series was produced in 1992, it is only being matched in quality by series produced a decade later. Current series that come close to the quality of Phoenix include "Criminal Intent" and "Special Victims Unit".

To me this series was absolutely spell binding. It is based on actual events but cleverly disguised as a Police Drama. The story covers a bombing in a city and the subsequent investigation over several episodes. Dramatic licence is there but the program is believable and never over the top. The program used a former police officer arson expert as there technical adviser and as a former member of this police force, the jargon and officer behaviour was terribly accurate. If you are lucky enough to come across a re-run of this series, watch it. It is interesting from the start and the actual forensic science techniques used are true. One last comment, I'm not the bozo forensic chemist, just his assistant.

On my shortest list of all-time favourite TV detective series. Cracker, Prime Suspect, Foyle's War, Silent Witness and Morse are all superb, but Phoenix remains in a class of its own. A single crime is the thread of a story spanning 13 episodes, leading the viewer through every step of the investigation; the false trails, the lucky breaks, the painstaking slog, the brilliant insights - and the all-too-plausible departmental intrigues. It had me hooked completely from the start, counting the days from one episode to the next. Nothing glossed over, no paranormal visions, no leaps of faith to help point out the killers - just gritty, meticulous police work, wonderfully scripted and acted. As far as Australian police TV drama goes, there's Phoenix, Scales of Justice and Blue Murder, then Janus and Wildside, then daylight.

There are few series that I EVER became seriously addicted to, and PHOENIX tops the list! I saw in in the mid-90's when it was broadcast on public television (Knowledge Network) in British Columbia Canada. I stopped watching any American crime dramas that i had been interested in after watching Phoenix. The quality and detail were so far above the type of programming at the time. People now are all caught up in the whole 'CSI' experience and i see that these productions still pale to Phoenix. The concept of one crime and it playing out over a whole season had not been seen by myself before. The idea that you might miss an episode and REALLY miss something was so real! I totally loved the grittiness of the show. The scenes of profanity and violence, and yes nudity too... were a bit shocking compared to US television; but it was all done with context. I have tried watching other Australian series simply on the high regard I have for Phoenix and Phoenix II. I think this is listed elsewhere as 1991 and 1992?

I would love to see it again! I saw the ABC price for the series and almost cried.

I have only seen 'Phoenix' as a repeat (currently been shown @ 11pm Monday nights on ABC). I thought that the first series was brilliant, but on Monday, the second series premiered. I noticed that Paul Sonkila and Andy Anderson were among the notable absentees - obviously as officers-in-charge of the Major Crime Squad, they were held accountable for the many complaints regarding the bomb investigation. It now seems that Phoenix has lost its first series quality. Am I reading to much into the first episode, or were Sonkila, Anderson and others smart enough to get off a sinking ship?