Rush

I absolutely loathe most American shows of this broad genre (Bones and CSIs spring to mind) because the characters are often so stereotyped, plastic and generally uninteresting that I want to puke. (Most HBO shows stand excepted.) Aussie shows often get slammed for various reasons I honestly can't fathom - Rush, City Homicide, Wildside and East West 101, to name a few, are all excellent shows. They were/are all populated by real people with personality and flaws galore, so that the viewer readily becomes involved with and can easily empathise (or not) with them. In Rush, the dialog is entertaining and natural, the relationships are complex and believable.

I have taken off one star for the weapons handling as commented on elsewhere by someone who says he knows about these things. However, for me, this is a minor detail because my knowledge of procedures and weapons is superficial and what I see (99% of the time) is plausible enough for me as a general viewer. I am more than happy to suspend belief in those areas - I just want to watch a show with the right mix of drama, action, characterisation and dialog. I LOVE all those aspects of Rush. And needless to say the acting is of the usual extremely high Australian standard - Catherine McClements is a standout in a generally superb lineup of talent.

This show had everything - Politics, relationships, blood, and action. I loved every episode and can't believe it didn't continue. There are so many inferior shows that have lasted longer and it's just not right.

The first couple seasons were really good, but after that it got increasingly stupid. By season three the characters got more and more childish. None of these people would ever even be a real street cop let alone an elite unit member. That and the firearm handling were amateurish at best. I gave it five stars because of the first two seasons, if they would've kept up the quality I'd have given it much more.

I really enjoyed this series. It's interesting watching shows from other countries. It's not the greatest show ever but it was entertaining.

It is surprisingly impressive. I would expect something of this caliber from a higher budget American studio (everyone knows America has the best technically inclined staff at their disposal).

When I watched the first episode I was in awe, this show was much better then next to anything I'd expect from Australia. It has so many things you just wouldn't expect from an Aussie show, and it's on so many more levels. The technical skills and creativity are much better then most other shows on the same budget.

I went to the 24 Hour Film making festival of 2008, and I was surprised to find the lead actress of the first episode there (Aurora). The directors make the actors look great.

It is better then most other cop shows. The stories are a lot more complex and things are done more interestingly. It's not just "find the evidence, yell at the killer", it is visually entertaining and more intellectual. They characters aren't just run off the mill killers, there are large stories behind them all.

It obviously doesn't have the budget of CSI, but it is certainly more interesting (I mean, who wants to watch a monotonous guy wearing sunglasses indoors?). It's more like Law and Order, but even then, the technical skills are better and it makes it visually more entertaining.

I do have to admit, watching it for the second time around it's not as shocking as the first time around, but lightening doesn't strike in the same place twice. I am glad it has been brought back for an encore series. I'll finally get to watch the episodes I missed!