Cirrus@Austlit

'Old School is an eight part drama series created for ABC Television. Bryan Brown will play retired crim Lennie Cahill and Sam Neill will play retired cop Ted McCabe, who get together to solve crimes, unravel scams and make some much-needed cash, while avoiding the wrath of the police and the underworld. The characters were originally depicted in the short film Lennie Cahill Shoots Through by Paul Oliver.'

Mortified follows the trevails of eleven-year-old Taylor Fry, as she copes with the general embarrassment of having parents, as well as being annoyed by her sister, jealous of her neighbour, and completely oblivious to her best friend's crush on her. The program inserts some fantasy elements into the otherwise straight comedy-drama by having Taylor speak directly to the camera, using elaborate fantasy sequences to explore her daydreams, and showing her over-active imagination as bringing seemingly inanimate objects to life.

Mortified was the last major work of television producer and screenwriter Angela Webber before her early death in 2007.

For forty years, Lilian Singer has been locked up in a mental hospital by her father. Her release is eventually secured and she walks out to a world unfamiliar to her in every way, seeking the love and affection she never got. Her story is told through a series of three flashbacks that reveal a beautiful and spirited young woman who was anything but insane. Old Lilian comes to terms with her life, quoting Shakespeare, stalking sexy bank tellers, buddying with prostitutes, and ultimately meeting her long-lost love.

'Sonny Logan seems like an honest bloke, even if his girlfriend doesn't think so. So what if he doesn't want to tell her where he's been for the last five years? Barry Donovan's broke, so when she hires him to find out, he's in no position to refuse. All he's got to do is follow Sonny around for a few days, reassure the girlfriend and leave them to live happily ever after. No harm done. But if Sonny's supposed to be a professional punter, how comes he goes to the track and doesn't place one bet? And for a man who likes a drink, how can he spend all afternoon in the RSL wihout touching a drop? And as for the company he keeps.... Something big's coming down and Sonny's right in the middle of it. And before he knows it, so is Donovan...'

Source : Austcrimefiction.org

'When Rodney Collins, spokesperson for the environmental group SLUDGE (Sea Life Under Danger of Gradual Extinction) dies in a draining accident the police call it 'Death by Misadventure'. But Barry Donovan isn't so sure. Only days before, Collins had hired him to investigate a possible infiltration of SLUDGE. Coincidences like that just didn't happen. But why would anyone want to murder the mild-mannered spokesperson of a harmless environmental group? SLUDGE's anti-pollution lobbying couldn't be winning them too many friends in a big business and government, but surely the grouop wasn't that much of a threat? As Donovan digs deeper he realises that the murder of Rodney Collins is just a drop in the ocean compared to what else is going on. And the planet isn't the only thing in danger of extinction...'

Source : Austcrimefiction.org