What is Underbelly?
Underbelly is an Australian crime drama anthology series on the Nine Network that dramatises real events from the criminal underworld. Its first season, in 2008, told the story of Melbourne's gangland war.
The first series covered the violent conflict between crime families in Melbourne from 1995 to 2004, which left dozens dead. It starred Gyton Grantley as Carl Williams and Vince Colosimo as Alphonse Gangitano.
Because of court cases still under way at the time, the first series was blocked from broadcast in Victoria for some time by a court order, though many Victorians saw it in other ways.
Later seasons
Later seasons covered different eras and cities, including A Tale of Two Cities, set in Sydney and Melbourne in the 1970s and 1980s, The Golden Mile about Kings Cross in the 1990s, and Razor, about Sydney's razor gangs of the 1920s and 1930s.
Underbelly was one of the most-watched drama series in Australia and won several Logie Awards. Some critics said it glamorised criminals, while others praised its storytelling.
Spin-off telemovies, called Underbelly Files, explored other criminal stories. The series helped make actors such as Gyton Grantley, Kat Stewart and Jonathan LaPaglia household names in Australia.
Did You Know?
Razor, set in 1920s Sydney, depicted the rival crime bosses Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh.