Howzat! Kerry Packer's War 

The Ashes is the pinnacle of world cricket with two old enemies, Australia and England, going head to head. This series is the story of World Series Cricket and its creator, Australian ... See full summary »

Stars:

Lachy Hulme, Abe Forsythe, Damon Gameau

4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Lachy Hulme	...	Kerry Packer 2 episodes, 2012
Abe Forsythe	...	John Cornell 2 episodes, 2012
Damon Gameau	...	Greg Chappell 2 episodes, 2012
Brendan Cowell	...	Rodney Marsh 2 episodes, 2012
Matthew Le Nevez	...	Dennis Lillee 2 episodes, 2012
Clayton Watson	...	Ian Chappell 2 episodes, 2012
Craig Hall	...	Gavin Warner 2 episodes, 2012
Richard Davies	...	David Hookes 2 episodes, 2012
Alexander England	...	Tony Greig 2 episodes, 2012
Nicholas Cooper	...	Gary Cosier 2 episodes, 2012
Hamish Michael	...	Doug Walters 2 episodes, 2012
Tony Briggs	...	Clive Lloyd 2 episodes, 2012
Ryan O'Kane	...	Jeff Thomson 2 episodes, 2012
Peter Houghton	...	Richie Benaud 2 episodes, 2012
Mandy McElhinney	...	Rose Mitchell 2 episodes, 2012
Cariba Heine	...	Delvene Delaney 2 episodes, 2012
Nicholas Bell	...	Clive Bell 2 episodes, 2012
Paul Ireland	...	Joel Parker 2 episodes, 2012
Adam Zwar	...	Peter McFarline 2 episodes, 2012
Dave Lawson	...	Alan Shiell 2 episodes, 2012
Russell Newman	...	Harry Chester 2 episodes, 2012
Robert Grubb	...	Tagge Webster 2 episodes, 2012
Neil Melville	...	Ray Steele 2 episodes, 2012
Helmut Bakaitis	...	Bob Parish 2 episodes, 2012
Justin Smith	...	David Hill 2 episodes, 2012
Angus Sampson	...	Allan Johnson 2 episodes, 2012
Travis McMahon	...	Paul Hogan 2 episodes, 2012
Nicholas Coghlan	...	Austin Robertson 2 episodes, 2012
Ken Radley	...	Len Maddocks 2 episodes, 2012
Andrew Carbone	...	Max Walker 2 episodes, 2012
Mallory Jansen	...	Sharon 2 episodes, 2012
Debbie Zukerman	...	Kylie 2 episodes, 2012
Mike Bishop	...	Doug Insole 2 episodes, 2012
Darrel Brown	...	Andy Roberts 2 episodes, 2012
Angus Grant	...	Warren Berkery 2 episodes, 2012
Nicholas Bendall	...	Colin Stephenson 2 episodes, 2012
Paul Ashcroft	...	John Crilly 2 episodes, 2012
Richard Young	...	John Maley 2 episodes, 2012
Bruce Hughes	...	Journalist at Lords 2 episodes, 2012
Heidi Weatherald	...	Daphne Benaud 2 episodes, 2012
Daniel Worrell	...	Mick Malone 2 episodes, 2012
Matthew Bright	...	Ray Bright 2 episodes, 2012
Aiden March	...	Rick McCosker 2 episodes, 2012
Guy Walker	...	Ian Davis 2 episodes, 2012
Tristan O'Shannessy	...	Len Pascoe 2 episodes, 2012
Matthew Brown	...	Kerry O'Keefe 2 episodes, 2012
Simon Cormie	...	Ritchie Robinson 2 episodes, 2012

Storyline

The Ashes is the pinnacle of world cricket with two old enemies, Australia and England, going head to head. This series is the story of World Series Cricket and its creator, Australian media mogul Kerry Packer, who signed up the world's greatest players and set up a parallel cricket competition. The Australian cricket team, visiting England in 1977 for the Ashes series, fields a team full of legends. Cricket is undergoing a revolution and the cricket establishment will be brought to its knees.

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Plot Keywords:

cricket the sport | tv mini series | australia | based on true story | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 2012 (Australia)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nine Network Australia, Screen Australia, Southern Star

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gavin Warner and Rose Mitchell are both identified in the closing credits as fictional characters.

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Connections

Referenced in Gruen Planet: Lance Armstrong (2012)

User Reviews

Highly Entertaining Retelling of a Cataclysmic Event in World Cricket

HOWZAT! recounts the growth and development of World Series Cricket, helmed by Kerry Packer (Lachy Hulme), who signed up over fifty of the world's best players to play a series of "Super-Tests" in opposition to the established version of the game. Through his efforts the pay and conditions of most Test cricketers were radically improved; his other innovations - accepted as standard today - included colored clothing, white balls and day/night one-day matches. This is a highly entertaining, if somewhat romanticized version of events: Hulme's Packer is an obsessive, with absolutely no manners whatsoever, whose dedication to the cause remains admirable nonetheless. The Australian cricket team are portrayed as co-conspirators, while Richie Benaud (Peter Houghton) becomes Packer's willing ally, even though reduced to silence during one of the magnate's spectacular tirades. Following the BODYLINE series of the Eighties, the British are portrayed as supercilious and old- fashioned - especially the cricket administrators of the MCC, and the lawyers charged with defending Packer's cause. On the other hand England captain Tony Greig (Alexander England), becomes an enthusiastic and articulate supporter - perhaps because he is not British but South African. While the story keeps close to the historical facts, it nonetheless shows how post-colonial attitudes still pervade the Australian psyche - at least in terms of its media products.