Crownies

I just ran across this series after watching Janet King. Wish I had started here. What a charming cast of characters who draw us in to living their world! There are no real downsides, but Uncle Tony needs a haircut...

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.

Unlike the OP I found this series to be fresh, crisp and modern. having worked in a similar setting I found it to be quite realistic. The acting by quite a young cast is well executed and the story line believable. There are interesting plot lines both professional and personal an the character development is being flushed out nicely.

Admittedly some of the extras were a bit lacking but on the whole I feel that this as the show progresses it will only improve. After some of the rubbish we have been receiving from the U.S. I think this will give them a run for their money. it was a refreshing change from the all too familiar offing's from overseas and even from here in the past.

I look forward to seeing how the series pans out and hope others will at least give it a go.

'Crownies' is an Australian legal drama mainly centering on five young solicitors who juggle difficult cases alongside their love lives and friendships.

Crownies is the first introduction to the characters that later appear in 3 seasons of 'Janet King', a spin off more along the genre of legal thriller. However I did see the shows out of order, watching Janet King first, and found that watching it this way didn't effect the story too much, but it did offer a chance to reflect on how far the characters develop from the start of their careers in Crownies, compared to as they gain experience and confidence in Janet King.

Crownies flips in tone from light hearted banter, emphasis on the character's love lives and then difficult cases that tug at the heartstrings. Despite this unevenness in tone, the characters are all intriguing and viewers will likely connect with one, if not all of them. For me, I found the scenes between a hapless Richard and Judge Walker particularly entertaining, along with the bromance between Ben and Richard and the tight friendships between Lina and Erin and Tatum and Richard.

While definitely in a different realm to its successor, Crownies does start off weak, but builds in drama and sustenance over the course of the season. Don't write this show off, it sets up things nicely for Janet King.

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.