What is the TV series Rake?
Rake is an Australian legal comedy-drama starring Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive Sydney barrister. It aired on the ABC from 2010 to 2018.
Cleaver Greene defends unusual clients while battling debt, gambling, drugs and failed relationships. Each episode mixes courtroom cases with his chaotic personal life.
The series was created by Peter Duncan, Richard Roxburgh and Charles Waterstreet, a real Sydney barrister whose life partly inspired the character.
Success
Rake ran for five seasons and won several AACTA and Logie Awards. Roxburgh's performance was widely praised.
An American remake starring Greg Kinnear aired on the Fox network in 2014 but lasted only one season.
The show satirised Sydney's legal and political worlds, poking fun at corruption, media and power. Supporting characters, including Cleaver's ex-wife Wendy, played by Caroline Brazier, his best friend Barney, played by Russell Dykstra, and his son Fitz, added warmth and humour. Rake is often listed among the best Australian dramas of its era.
Did You Know?
Later seasons saw Cleaver Greene enter politics as a senator.