Killing Time

I have just seen the fourth episode of Killing Time and am enjoying this immensely. It is interesting that a series of this type has its premier and probably exclusive screening on Cable TV rather than Commercial TV. Perhaps the content is too violent and confronting for Commercial TV. The Cable TV screening actually works very well with a series like this. There are multiple screenings of each episode so there is no excuse to miss anything and only small interruptions from commercial breaks.

David Wenham is superb as Andrew Fraser, a lawyer who chooses the wrong clients. His family and friends know this and look on his successes with an almost condescending bewilderment as to why he seems drawn to representing criminals and exploiting loopholes in the law to set them free. Although he is successful he makes enemies with the police and has a tenuous relationship with the people he defends.

Killing Time is told as two parallel stories - the past, with Fraser's rise to fame and success in making the police look like fools and the present, where he is incarcerated and trying to cope with life in prison. At the moment we are not sure exactly what precipitated his sentence to a term in prison but there are plenty of clues.

With each week we learn more about the man. It seems inevitable that things will eventually turn pear shaped for him. His strange penchant for defending criminals who are obviously guilty is a road to self destruction. Each time he wins in court and humiliates the police, he creates more enemies. He tries to justify his actions to his family but they clearly cannot accept that he uses legal arguments and technical points to defend vicious criminals.

The cast is impressive. Diana Glenn is a very promising actress and plays the role of his wife very effectively. Richard Cawthorne and Malcolm Kennard are both brilliant as the manic criminals that Andrew Fraser chooses to defend.

Colin Friels is at his best as Lewis Moran. He plays one standout scene in a bar with classic understatement that will linger in the memories of anyone who sees the series.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series - great Australian drama and highly recommended.