Crownies
2011 Australian drama TV series
title: "Crownies" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2010s-australian-drama-television-series", "2011-australian-television-series-debuts", "2011-australian-television-series-endings", "australian-broadcasting-corporation-original-programming", "australian-legal-television-series", "australian-lgbtq-related-television-shows", "australian-english-language-television-shows", "lesbian-related-television-shows", "television-series-about-prosecutors", "television-series-by-screentime", "television-shows-set-in-new-south-wales"] description: "2011 Australian drama TV series" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crownies" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 2011 Australian drama TV series ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox television"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | Crownies titlecard.jpg |
| genre | Legal drama |
| Dramedy | |
| starring | Todd Lasance |
| Hamish Michael | |
| Ella Scott Lynch | |
| Andrea Demetriades | |
| Indiana Evans | |
| Marta Dusseldorp | |
| theme_music_composer | Lanie Lane |
| opentheme | What Do I Do |
| composer | Sonar Music |
| Antony Partos | |
| country | Australia |
| language | English |
| num_seasons | 1 |
| num_episodes | 22{{Cite journal |
| issn | 0040-2788 |
| last | Rosser |
| first | Michael |
| title | Target acquires Crownies |
| journal | Broadcast |
| date | 8 March 2011 |
| accessdate | 5 March 2012 |
| url | http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/international/australia-nz/target-acquires-crownies/5024645.article |
| url-access | subscription |
| executive_producer | Carole Sklan |
| Des Monaghan | |
| Greg Haddrick | |
| David Ogilvy | |
| producer | Karl Zwicky |
| Jane Allen | |
| Lisa Scott | |
| editor | Marcus D'Arcy |
| location | Sydney |
| cinematography | Bruce Young |
| runtime | 55 mins approx |
| company | Screentime |
| channel | ABC1 |
| first_aired | |
| last_aired | |
| related | ''[[Janet King (TV series) |
| :: |
| image = Crownies titlecard.jpg | caption = | alt_name = | genre = Legal drama Dramedy | creator = | developer = | writer = | director = | creative_director = | presenter = | starring = Todd Lasance Hamish Michael Ella Scott Lynch Andrea Demetriades Indiana Evans Marta Dusseldorp | judges = | voices = | narrated = | theme_music_composer = Lanie Lane | opentheme = What Do I Do | endtheme = | composer = Sonar Music Antony Partos | country = Australia | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 22{{Cite journal |issn = 0040-2788 |last = Rosser |first = Michael |title = Target acquires Crownies |journal = Broadcast |date = 8 March 2011 |accessdate = 5 March 2012 |url = http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/international/australia-nz/target-acquires-crownies/5024645.article |url-access = subscription | executive_producer = Carole Sklan Des Monaghan Greg Haddrick David Ogilvy | producer = Karl Zwicky Jane Allen Lisa Scott | editor = Marcus D'Arcy | location = Sydney | cinematography = Bruce Young | camera = | runtime = 55 mins approx | company = Screentime | channel = ABC1 | first_aired = | last_aired = | related = ''[[Janet King (TV series)|Janet King ]]''
Crownies is an Australian television drama series which was originally broadcast on ABC1 from 14 July until 1 December 2011. The series revolves around a group of solicitors fresh from law school, working with Crown Prosecutors, who are the public prosecutors in the legal system of New South Wales, working for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Production
ABC1 ordered Crownies for a twenty-two-episode run and it was produced by Karl Zwicky. The location chosen for filming was Sydney, New South Wales. Many scenes were filmed in the business district Parramatta, more predominantly around the Parramatta Justice Precinct for the low financial cost and its accessibility. To cut costs, scenes requiring countryside settings were filmed a mere fifteen-minute drive away from Parramatta.
It is written by Greg Haddrick, Jane Allen, Kylie Needham, Tamara Asmar, Blake Ayshford, Chris Hawkshaw, Justine Gillmer, Pete McTighe, Stuart Page & Sam Miekle. It is directed by Tony Tilse, Chris Noonan, Cherie Nowlan, Grant Brown, Lynn Hegarty, Garth Maxwell and Jet Wilkinson.
On 24 January 2011, Greg Hassall from The Sydney Morning Herald announced the casting of Todd Lasance, Hamish Michael, Marta Dusseldorp and Jerome Ehlers.
Cast
Main
- Todd Lasance as Ben McMahon
- Hamish Michael as Richard Stirling
- Ella Scott Lynch as Erin O'Shaughnessy
- Andrea Demetriades as Lina Badir
- Marta Dusseldorp as Janet King
- Indiana Evans as Tatum Novak
- Peter Kowitz as Tony Gillies
- Jeanette Cronin as Tracey Samuels
- Lewis Fitz-Gerald as David Sinclair QC
- Jerome Ehlers as Rhys Kowalski
Recurring
- Aimee Pedersen as Ashleigh Larsson
- Anna Lise Phillips as Sonya
- Chantelle Jamieson as Julie Rousseau
- Christopher Morris as Andy Campbell
- Daniel Lissing as Conrad De Groot
- Elias Joukhdar as Tariq Badir
- Heather Mitchell as Judge Walker
- Marcus Graham as Danny Novak
- Paul Moxey as Harry
- Petra Yared as Paula Corvini
- Ritchie Singer as The Honourable Mr Justice Rosenberg
Guests
- Amy Mathews as Vanessa Kenay (1 episode)
- Anya Beyersdorf as Rebecca (1 episode)
- Bob Baines as Dr Wally Kos (1 episode)
- Diane Craig as Carolyn Fletcher (1 episode)
- Ian Bliss as Inspector Red Bindall (1 episode)
- Fayssal Bazzi as Mustafa Al-Tikriti (1 episode)
- Lucy Bell as Ruth Steinberg (1 episode)
- Marina Finlay as Trudie (1 episode)
- Nathaniel Buzolic as Jesse Major (1 episode)
- Sarah Chadwick as Justice Stanton (1 episode)
- Tammy MacIntosh as Dr Amelia Ward (1 episode)
Episodes
| Title = Episode 1 | DirectedBy = Cherie Nowlan | WrittenBy = Greg Haddrick | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 1 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 2 | DirectedBy = Cherie Nowlan | WrittenBy = Kylie Needham | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 2 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 3 | DirectedBy = Tony Tilse | WrittenBy = Tamara Asmar | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 3 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 4 | DirectedBy = Tony Tilse | WrittenBy = Greg Haddrick | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 4 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 5 | DirectedBy = Grant Brown | WrittenBy = Jane Allen | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 5 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 6 | DirectedBy = Grant Brown | WrittenBy = Blake Ayshford | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 6 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 7 | DirectedBy = Lynn Hegarty | WrittenBy = Justine Gillmer | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 7 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 8 | DirectedBy = Lynn Hegarty | WrittenBy = Tamara Asmar | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 8 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 9 | DirectedBy = Chris Noonan | WrittenBy = Kylie Needham | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 9 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 10 | DirectedBy = Chris Noonan | WrittenBy = Jane Allen & Blake Ayshford | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 10 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 11 | DirectedBy = Garth Maxwell | WrittenBy = Justine Gillmer | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 11 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 12 | DirectedBy = Garth Maxwell | WrittenBy = Peter McTighe | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 12 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 13 | DirectedBy = Lynn Hegarty | WrittenBy = Chris Hawkshaw | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 13 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 14 | DirectedBy = Lynn Hegarty | WrittenBy = Blake Ayshford | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 14 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 15 | DirectedBy = Jet Wilkinson | WrittenBy = Kylie Needham | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 15 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 16 | DirectedBy = Jet Wilkinson | WrittenBy = Tamara Asmar | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 16 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 17 | DirectedBy = Garth Maxwell | WrittenBy = Stuart Page | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 17 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 18 | DirectedBy = Garth Maxwell | WrittenBy = Justine Gillmer | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 18 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 19 | DirectedBy = Lynn Hegarty | WrittenBy = Sam Meikle | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 19 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | date=April 2015}} | Title = Episode 20 | DirectedBy = Lynn Hegarty | WrittenBy = Peter McTighe | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 20 |ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 |date=April 2015}} | Title = Episode 21 | DirectedBy = Jet Wilkinson | WrittenBy = Tamara Asmar | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 21 |ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000 | Title = Episode 22 | DirectedBy = Jet Wilkinson | WrittenBy = Jane Allen | OriginalAirDate = | EpisodeNumber = 22 | ShortSummary = | LineColor = 000000
Spin-off
Main article: Janet King (TV series)
Before the series finale of Crownies had broadcast, ABC1 Channel Controller Brendan Dahill revealed that he sought the creation of a spin-off and singled out Dusseldorp and Michael for their portrayals. He believed that there were many successful aspects of Crownies to build on and expressed his surprise that the show was not as popular as he had envisioned. On 20 August 2012, ABC TV confirmed that it had commissioned an "8-part legal and political thriller" titled Janet King. The spin-off went into production in early 2013 and featured various cast members from Crownies. The first episode aired on 27 February 2014.
Home media
Crownies was initially released on region 4 DVD in two separate parts. The first eleven episodes were released on 6 October 2011. The remaining episodes were released on 1 December 2011. The two box-sets were later released for region 2.
Although the series has never been shown in the UK, it is available to view on the STV Player, the video on demand service owned by STV, the ITV affiliate in North and Central Scotland.
Reception
Critical analysis
Doug Anderson from The Sydney Morning Herald liked the show for the cast, "fresh" writing and good relationship between character. He believed anyone with intelligence could relate to the show. He praised the character of Tatum Novak for being the modern girl and branded the rest as fairly conventional characters, with personal issues blended in with cases.
Awards and nominations
::data[format=table]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Awards | 29 March 2012 | Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Crownies | |
| Logie Award | 15 April 2012 | Most Outstanding New Talent | Hamish Michael | |
| Australian Directors' Guild Awards | 11 May 2012 | Best Direction in a TV Drama Series | Jet Wilkinson | |
| :: |
References
References
- Hassall, Greg. (24 January 2011). "ABC takes law into own hands". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
- Knox, David. (25 November 2011). "ABC considers Crownies spin-off". [[TV Tonight]].
- Darren. (20 August 2012). "ABC TV's Crownies Spin-off To Be A Political Thriller". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- Meade, Amanda. (20 August 2012). "Crownies spawns Dusseldorp spin-off". [[The Australian]].
- Knox, David. (22 January 2013). "Cast confirmed for ABC's Janet King". [[TV Tonight]].
- Vickery, Colin. (16 December 2013). "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries under a cloud as ABC tries to broaden audience". [[news.com.au]].
- Knox, David. "Janet King". [[TV Tonight]].
- "Crownies - Season 1: Part 1 (3 Disc Set) (DVD)". ezydvd.com.au.
- "Crownies: Season 1 - Part 2 (DVD)". ezydvd.com.au.
- "Crownies (Season 1 - Part 1) - 3-DVD Set ( Crownies - Season One Part One (Episodes 1-11) )".
- "Crownies - Season 1 - Part 2 - 3-DVD Set ( Crownies - Season One - Part Two )".
- Mathieson, Craig. (1 September 2011). "Craig Mathieson finds ABC's young prosecutors guilty of overseeing an uneven, lightweight mess". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
- "The 2012 Equity Awards". [[Equity Awards]].
- Byrnes, Holly. (18 March 2012). "Karl Stefanovic nominated to win back-to-back Gold Logies as Australian television awards announced". [[Herald Sun]].
- Knox, David. (16 April 2012). "Australian Directors Guild Awards: Nominees". [[TV Tonight]].
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