Underbelly

Channel Nine's popular and controversial drama Underbelly has been renewed for a second season. The season will be a prequel and will focus on Alphonse Gangitano's life.

Wednesday, April 16 at 8.30pm

Carl orders a drug dealer named Michael Marshall murdered but the Purana Task Force are on hand to arrest his paid hit men.
King Carl is confident he can get away with anything, so when a mate of an associate is murdered he offers to avenge him by murdering the man his associate believes responsible, small-time dealer Michael
Marshall. Once again Mr T and his driver Mr L are wheeled into action. However, the newly enlarged and resourced Task Force Purana install blanket surveillance on the gang and manage to arrest the gunmen – but only after the hit has gone down and the “horse” has been “scratched”.

Wednesday, April 9 at 8.30pm

Despite the protests of both the Purana Task Force and his family, JASON MORAN returns to Australia. The pull of kithand kin is greater than the fear of a violent death that may be waiting for him in Melbourne.
Despite inadequate resources and funding Purana manages to turn up the heat on hit man BENJI VENIAMIN, the major suspect in a series of killings. STEVE and JACQUI are determined to prevent him adding JASON to his list of victims.
So when Carl asks BENJI to take out JASON he has to reluctantly say no – under 24/7 police surveillance his hands are tied. CARL turns instead to the psychotic MR T who welcomes the task.
Meanwhile JASON busies himself collecting cash to finance a hit on CARL. Of course Purana know what he’s up to and they set about trying to disrupt his cash flow. To this end they arrest LEWIS MORAN in a drug raid.

Wednesday, April 2 at 8.30pm

A major internal police investigation reveals corruption is rife in the Drug Squad. With officers up on charges, CARL WILLIAMS has his sentence quashed pending a review. Now a free man, he sets about trying to make up for lost time in the drug making game. CARL makes the decision to ramp up his profits by cutting inferior product into his drugs, selling twice the drugs for half the cost. But only CARL seems happy with the situation.

Ironically, JASON MORAN is released from prison about the same time as CARL, having completed his two-year sentence for the nightclub attack. Angered to see how big a player CARL has become, and suspicious about his role in brother MARK’S murder, JASON approaches BENJI VENIAMIN. How much to kill that fat boy CARL WILLIAMS?

Based on events in Melbourne from 1995 to 2004

A Taxi pulls up and Alphonse Gangitano (Vince Colosimo) - also known as the Black Prince of Lygon Street - and Jason Moran (Les Hill), with cigarette in hand, step out. They walk into an apartment. Alphonse is packing a gun which he reaches for. He pulls it out as they enter a room where a group of people are having a party and Jason yells "Alright everybody, this is a raid. Everybody down on the floor."

It's all a prank as a blonde girl sitting at the table, Taylor, jumps up and embraces Jason and introduces him to everyone as him being all hers. She tells Jason off for being late.

Alphonse puts on some Opera and asks for a show of hands as to who likes it. He greets Ella and takes her glass of wine but doesn't like it and says she was ripped off.

UNDERBELLY COMMENCES PRODUCTION

Underbelly, the most anticipated drama series of recent times, commenced production in Melbourne today for the Nine Network.

The 13-part blockbuster, based on the book Leadbelly by John Silvester and Andrew Rule, is the compelling dramatisation of Melbourne’s infamous gangland killings that started in 1998 with the murder of Alphonse Gangitano. Underbelly will also follow the rise and fall ofnotorious career criminal Carl Williams, who sought to be king of Melbourne’s underworld and now languishes in prison.

Underbelly is the latest drama from production company Screentime whose recent slate includes The Society Murders and Mary Bryant. “This has to be one of the most exciting and challenging drama projects ever shot in this country,” Des Monaghan, executive producer for Screentime, said.

In keeping with the scope of this fascinating chapter of crime history, Underbelly boasts one of the most exciting ensemble casts ever assembled for Australian television. Rodger Corser (Last Man Standing) and Caroline Craig (Blue Heelers) star as Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Owen and Detective Constable Jacqui James, who embody the police officers who strove to stem the bloodshed of Melbourne’s internal crime wars.