Stingers

"Stingers" has just started being aired in Portugal, on a cable network called AXN. Right now, episodes feature Angie, Peter, Mac, Oscar and Danni. I was very sad to hear Mac and Oscar did not remain on the show, as I think the actors playing them did a wonderful job. The actress playing Mac seems really talented, and it's a pity she, Peter and Ian (in particular) aren't more well known abroad. Anyway, I want to congratulate the cast and crew from across the planet for a wonderful series that goes beyond the common cop flick into the real depth of cops lives and "real life" situations. Still, I wish certain topics could be more extended ( I remember an episode in which Ian's character becomes personally attached to a girl who is arrested as a drug "mail", because she trusted him - I think all those issues could be extended if they chose a two by two episode system). Nevertheless, I truly enjoy the show - Congratulations!!! All the best to you all and lots of success for the show. Ah, and you have made me crave visiting Melbourne! :)

Like a few people I know, I came in late on 'Stingers'; not until 2000. Three years later there is no way I'd miss an episode. The show really is that good and has, for a better word, maintained its integrity, unlike 'Blue Heelers', for example. The crime is the thing; personal lives are there but only wheeled out when affecting an investigation! When Gary Sweet was brought in, some fans seemed worried, but he's really fitted in well, which didn't surprise me. Gary could measure up to any British or US actor in a similar series. The cast changes occasionally but each change brings something new and fresh. With arguably Australia's finest crew behind the scenes, 'Stingers' will continue to remain a cutting edge drama series.

In 1998, the show concentrated more on "plot". IMHO this was every bit as good as the previous reviewer thought, although as a result there was a certain element of "sameness" after a while.

In 1999-2001 (ie, til "now"), the producers of this series changed direction slightly. Whilst still having quite creative plot lines, they now chose to interweave the lives of the characters in the storylines. Thus, for example, we saw the car bomb explosion which killed a senior policeman, the lover of one of the main characters. In another example, we see a sister of another of the main characters shown as a druggie.

One danger of this (in terms of ratings :-) ) is that there is a risk that the characters may become "unlikeable"; and again IMHO, that did indeed happen to one of them: for reasons totally beyond my understanding, one of the female blondes (Danni) is now portrayed as somewhat of an airhead.

On balance, however, this has resulted in more "three dimensional" characters, since we now see more of their personal lives, their strengths and their weaknesses.

I cannot agree with the previous reviewer that this show "competed" with "Water Rats" in any way. To my mind, these are totally different shows, aimed at different audiences, and as far as I recall, in different timeslots, so there was no "competition". I couldn't say that I preferred one to the other for any reason.

I really loved Stingers! It was one of the great Aussie crime dramas. Sure it had ups and downs in terms of the plot and character development, but it always seemed to get back on track... well until the last season. That final episode was a huge let down to the entire show.

Great to see our local Melbourne locations being used to their fullest though, i think that was a definite highlight. Theme tune also rocked, especially in the early seasons of the show.

I'd like to see one last TV-movie perhaps? Just to tie up all those loose ends at the end of the show. Or a reunion TV special highlighting all the shows "great/worst moments"?

I start seeing this series in a reprise way, as i started seeing it in 2005 the episodes of 98. all in all i can say that's a good police series. Not the American way that begins to be always the same. I only saw episodes till the beginning of 2002. If you like to see a police series with story that goes from one episode to another, with plot, characters then you shouldn't loose this series. Of course that there better and horse actors in the series, but all in all they go well against their American counterparts, and for me an European is good to see that's not only the Americans that can do good series. Sinceraly in the beginning i didn't like some characters, for instance the chief of the stingers didn't quite seemed to be comfortable in it. It take a good leap when the actress that was the second in command go up and started to be first. The plot around her and the others improved. I wait that the years that i didn't saw kept the good plot and that the new actors kept the same profile.