Underbelly prequel confirmed by Nine

With the finale of Underbelly now having aired, a prequel is now confirmed by the network’s own current affairs (so it must be true!). Tonight in a timely cross promotion for tonight’s final ep A Current Affair delved deeper into the ‘second series’ comments by actor Les Hill at Sunday’s Logies.

It was Eddie McGuire, who commissioned the series, giving ACA the good news.

“It would be almost criminal for us to let that team dissipate, there’s an amazing chemistry amongst these people,” said Eddie McGuire.

“Having spent many hours after the Logies, I think we came to a final conclusion about 4:00 in the morning in fact. You can go back and pick things out and then do the drama accordingly, then we’ll be able to get it to air and the stories will be just as good and just as strong and just as passionate.”

Underbelly will doubtless be his legacy as CEO, and a good one at that. In fact it was McGuire Media that divested itself of rights before he thereafter approved it as Nine’s CEO, avoiding a conflict of interest.

According to ACA, “the Underbelly series is going back in time, to see how the killers and crooks of today learned their trade before engaging in their own murderous dynasty.” There endeth the speculation, now confirmed by the network itself.

Co-author of the Leadbelly book, journalist John Silvester likened a prequel to World War I before the 2008 series depicting WWII.

“They were every bit as big as the ones today. And in those days it wasn’t fuelled so much by drugs, so that crooks actually had to be able to stand up for themselves. And in one respect not necessarily by the size of their secret Swiss bank accounts by but the size of their hearts,” he said.

Meanwhile the Daily Telegraph speculates that Nine could legally show Underbelly as early as next week in Victoria with the courtcase that was the source of Nine’s imposed broadcast ban. The order will end when a verdict is reached in a current murder trial.

However, an application to extend the ban may be made.

Concerns have already been raised that screening the program could affect the trial of underworld figure Tony Mokbel and an appeal by Carl Williams. Update: Greece has agreed to extradite Tony Mokbel to Australia by June 5, likely to further delay any screening of the drama series in Victoria.

Meanwhile a DVD titled Underbelly Uncut will go on sale outside Victoria tomorrow. Distributors have even turned the ban from a negative into a positive, branding the DVD cover with the words “not for sale, distribution or exhibition in Victoria.”

Signs warning Victorians they cannot purchase the series will be placed in DVD retail and rental stores in towns bordering Victoria.

Roadshow Entertainment marketing director Paddy Bryans confirmed representatives of the company had visited stores on the border to educate them about not actively promoting or selling the DVD to Victorian consumers.

“We are just putting the framework in place so that we are not condoning consumers from Victoria buying the DVD,” Mr Bryans said.

“Not being able to sell it in Victoria limits the potential for the DVD, but there is plenty of interest in the other states.”

Additional source: Daily Telegraph