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Underbelly producers: ‘Creative license’ conveys essential truth

Underbelly exec producer Des Monaghan responds to criticism the prequel has bent the truth.

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Des Monaghan from Screentime has responded to criticism of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities which said the show has “rewritten history.”

WIN Television withdrew some promos for the series after Paul McKay, the son of anti-drugs campaigner Donald McKay, complained about the authenticity of certain scenes, particularly one in which McKay spoke at a rally attended by Robert Trimbole.

While admitting writers took some “creative licence”, Monaghan has told Griffith newspaper, The Area News, “Paul was right, no such scene occurred, but the Mackay story covered so many years we had to find ways of simplifying it.

“The story still gets the essential truth across and that is that Mr Mackay was a good guy who was instrumental in bringing down the bad guys.

“We had to create a sense that here was someone fighting against the drug-growers of the time, and the rally was a good way to do that.

“But in the end we had to boil the story down to its essential truths and present it in a manner the audience could follow.”

Monaghan said the Griffith connection would only feature in the first episode, a double episode set to screen mid-February.

“But this episode is very much a tribute to Don.”

Paul Mackay said he was appreciative of Mr Monaghan’s call, but his concerns about the series remain.

“He did explain the situation but to say it was being done for dramatic reasons doesn’t hide the fact that it contains errors in it,” he said.

Still, a little bit of controversy never hurt any new show looking to embed itself in our minds, right?

Source: Area News

14 Responses

  1. Well, folks being part of the real Underbelly in Brisbane & Melbourne late 60s to mid 78 (Including the multiple murders at Whiskey -a go go in Brisbane ) & then appearing at the Fitzgeral Inquiry. (I was a private investigator / bodyguard ) I would suggest the TV shows gloss over some really Bad things that are still ‘hushed up’ . I am still involved as a Trainer in Oz & worldwide & I think the show is great.

    The Truth is though that without the Corrupt Officials , particularly in Brisabane , & their Australian wide ‘Joke” the Gangsters never could have got as far as they have.

  3. AllI have to say is that i was there and can see heaps into this series that maybe true. I think that is all so much exagerated. I did not know till now how important the drug culture was in the 70’s. I could write a book about all the drugs that were sold then. Certainly at certain pubs in Carlton. That meant lots of tabs. I was being stupid gave them away not knowing how crappy they were. I was a pretty much stupid I suppose then. People did die then that were young I wonder watching his show wherther they died naturaly because my friend was only 25 and really rich. He seemed to want to sell this still I did not realise how much I was involved. II

  4. oh i definitely agree with lee123 and tommyk, regardless of what happened throughout history. 9 have copied the other networks so much in recent times, and 2009 looks like it will be the most busy for their carbon copier.

    i know there were few 100% accurate scenarios on record that showcase would have access to but their is a legally accepted chain of events. the reason they would chose to do otherwise and still call it a true story is beyond me. i fully support these complaints and the public should know that this is not what actually happened.

  6. @FJ, you sure do have balls calling 7 the copycat channel, do i need to pull out the “9’s copied list for 2009” again (which may i add, has been getting quite a workout lately).

    anyway underbelly and GOO (lol i like its abbreviation) look like completely different shows.

  7. FJ, lol @calling 7 the copycat channel we all know who the copycat channel really is.

    anyway the screaming difference between underbelly and Gangs is that one is a drama and other is a doco series. anyway a gangs doco has been planned by 7 for years (before underbelly atleast) but kept being put off for various reasons.

    now explain the screaming difference between find my family and missing pieces (which yes, was announced after FMF scored 1.8mil). or weekend today and weekend sunrise, or RSPCA animal rescue and animal emergency, or deadly surf and bondi rescue, or undercover angels and random acts of kindness, or triple zero heroes and everyday heroes, or rescue squad and rush, the list goes on.

  8. Interesting that 7 are doing Gangs of Oz. I often wonder if anyone at 7 csn come up with an original idea. No wonder Roy and HG used to call them channel copycat.

  9. Craig: Underbelly 2 will be shown in Victoria because the stories happened in the 1970s, occurred mainly in NSW, and did not concern any current court case.

  10. Wow, I didnt know Des Monaghan was involved in this pile of bird droppings, I’m more than a little surprised and shocked, still I s’pose a bloke has to earn a quid somewhere.

  11. Slightly off topic but we need a poll as to when Nine will actually launch Underbelly 2. The fact Seven have now come out with their schedule is very interesting.

  12. Will ch9 be allowed to show this in VIC?

    Maybe the reason they are using Creative license to change it just enough to prevent the courts from blocking it?

    I’m not sure if this will be as good as the original, it will be interesting how it compares to the “Gangs of OZ” on ch7.

  13. there is a simple solution, just don’t call it a true story. i’m sure just as many people would watch it if it was “based on true events”. and everyone would be happy.

    the “true story” aspect has already put them in enough poo with bans and advertising restrictions. showcase are really causing themselves unnecessary issues.

  14. So much talk about this new series.. I’m still hanging to see the original series! When will that ever properly air in Victoria, or has Channel 9 moved on from it and won’t be screening it anymore?

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