City Homicide

I am always quite skeptical about Australian made dramas (and comedies for that matter). In my opinion it has never really been our forte, the writing talent hasn't been there. Fly-on-the wall, variety and reality: sure we excel but not in scripted stuff. But the times are changing, well on some networks at least.

City Homicide is a beautifully executed piece of television. In every way. The writing is strong, snappy and fast paced and is peppered with subtle Aussie humour. The dialogue is excellent. The acting (lead by Noni Hazelhurst and Shane Bourne) is first-class. This can be a real rarity on Aussie TV. The cinematography, editing and music is superb. I have never been so impressed. The Seven Network has done us proud with this production. All Saints isn't bad either, though it is no CH.

Compare all this to the tripe the Nine Network dishes up (and subsequently sells overseas): Sea Patrol. SP is the WORST piece of television I have seen. They spent records amounts of money on it, and for what? Writing? Doesn't appear to be any. Good dialogue? Next. Good acting? Not when Lisa McCune is around. Cinematography? Editing? Music? Mmm the less said about the first two the better and as for the music, it sounds like Mrs Hahn's year 8 music class did it on a synth keyboard. But wait the show is filmed on a real Navy patrol boat. Well then it must be good.

I digress. CH is excellent in every way.

When I started watching this show I was very sceptical of what I was going to fine. I haven't watched virtually any Australian shows in recent years, as almost all that are touted as drama are soaps instead (e.g. All Saints, Blue Heelers).

By the end of the first episode I was in love with this show. Having grown up hearing stories about the police force from people who know, this show seems to represent the realism that is sorely lacking in most other cop shows.

The acting is terrific, the humour is spot on and the gore level is just right. The cases are interesting and the way they are presented are sometimes destined to break your heart. This show sticks to drama instead of swaying into melodrama.

This is a must watch.

Last September, Mount Gambier's WIN Television station had a bit of a shakeup: WIN had signed an affiliation agreement with Seven (which people are still whining about almost ten months later), and we'd been getting the new programming. I'd started enjoying most of the new programming.

Anyway, One night, I had come home from visiting my grandparents, and saw City Homicide (I think it was the third episode). It was a brilliant show! Shane Bourne is an excellent actor, and with another Australian acting great, Noni Hazelhurst, it was sure to be an excellent show.

It's a well written show, better than CSI or all those other ones.

Someone else compared this show to Sea Patrol: I agree fully with their remarks. Sea Patrol was a rubbish show (We'd had Channel Nine programming beforehand). The acting wasn't there, there was no plot, it was just "ugh!", to sum it up in a word. City Homicide, on the other hand, had me on the edge of my seat on every episode. The adds annoyed me badly, simply because they got in the way of a brilliant, well-written plot.

If you see this show, watch it. (Oh, and if anyone from Channel Seven is reading this, Release Season Two already! And make it much, much, longer! Please?)

I just finished watching the last show of the series. I waited to write a review until I saw the entire run. Yes, this isn't the strongest Australian show out there, but overall it was a very good show. The entire cast was used equally with no one major "star" coming to the front. For me that is a plus. everyone had an equal part to play. One complaint, when the show ended it left everything up in the air. It could have run at least another season or two. All in all a very good show , well worth your time.

I'm a big fan of Homicide life on the street and loved Detroit 187 and other shows like them. If you like those too you will live this. The first show almost lost me. It had really dorky music but a good story line so I watched a few more and fell in love.

This is a very real gritty cop drama. They only delve into the characters personal lives as proprietary. Like with Simon's intricate story line that plays out in a most impressive fashion at the end of season three through the begging of season 4.

The few Aussie shows I have watched before sucked. I thought this was British at first. This could have even done fine on USA TV. I've found it addicting.