Phoenix

This is one of the finest series I've seen. Concentrating on the main thread, each episode has different themes, which all come together at the end. Brilliant! Sadly, the second series went off the rails and, yet again, they killed off great potential. Worth anyone watching - you need to watch carefully, but it's so gripping that's no problem.

I'm over the moon. The ABC has finally released the first season of "Phoenix" as a box set and it has just arrived. I have waited for this moment for years and after watching the first episode I now recall what made this series the cop drama benchmark that it truly is.

The story, which was based on a real-life bombing, actually moved along quite slowly but each hour went by so quickly that it seemed like a few minutes. Every character was fleshed out and whole, even those with small parts. Looking back, it is astonishing that the whole series is concerned with the investigation of one major crime. It was totally absorbing and so very life like. It was the first that compelled me to watch it every week. All other TV dramas I could miss a week or two, but Phoenix was mandatory viewing as far as I was concerned.

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.

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.

Based on a true story, this Australian mini-series is one of the few police dramas I've ever seen which conveys how complicated, frustrating and slow the process of solving a murder can be... and yet manages to be a gripping drama. As an added bonus, it features one of the best depictions of real (sane!) scientists ever put on television - a husband-and-wife team of forensic experts who manage to retain their integrity as scientists despite the political demands of the job. It also boasts an excellent soundtrack, as well as strong performances from all of the cast. Catch it if you can.