Phoenix
Phoenix is an Australian police drama television series. Phoenix screened as two thirteen-part series on Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1992 and 1993. The first series of Phoenix in 1992 recounted the investigation of the bombing of the Victorian state police headquarters, loosely based on a real case in the mid-1980s, the Russell Street Bombing. It was aided by extensive research into police techniques and was lauded as one of the most realistic depictions of police investigation techniques, including both surveillance and forensics, as well as having an involving storyline. The series was notable for its dark visual tone and for its no-holds-barred attitude to violence and language. It spawned a second thirteen-part series, Phoenix II, in 1993 as well as a spin-off series, Janus, in 1994 devoted to the machinations of court cases. The series was created and produced by Tony McDonald and Alison Nisselle and screened by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The ABC have released Series 1 and 2 on DVD as a 4 DVD box set.
The Major Crime Squad's investigation of a series of aggravated burglaries leads to an unexpected discovery. The Major Crime Squad is understaffed and leaderless. Sergeant Peter Faithful and his crew struggle to deal with existing investigations when the fourth in a series of aggravated burglaries on 'soft targets', the elderly well-to-do, takes place. The victims of this latest outrage, Betty and James Arthur, have been viciously beaten and terrorised in their own home. The thieves know their targets and take only select valuable items. Tension in the Squad rises as newly appointed Senior Sergeant Adrian Moon follows orders to pull the Majors into line. His manner does nothing to endear him to Faithful and the crew when he turns a key investigation over to the Armed Robbery Squad.
The paths of the Major Crime Squad and the Dealers Squad meet when the Dealers come across a stolen watch linked to the aggravated burglaries. Resources stretched to the limit, the Majors also take over the interrogation of Joanna, a young offender pinched by the Dealers. In Forensic, Ian and Carol begin the difficult task of identifying unusual dirt samples found at the scene of the last aggravated burglary. Inspector Lew Murdoch, an ex toe-cutter, arrives to head up the Majors and appears to be a nine to five man with an 'attitude' problem. Squad morale goes into decline. A raid planned behind Murdoch's back turns into a fiasco. Complaints roll in and the Inspector's wrath descends on the squad and particularly on Snr.Sgt.Moon.
Chris Faithfull (Peter's wife), a drug squad undercover cop, survives the harrowing experience of a hostile gun to her head.
Russell Howie, from the Fraud Squad, is recruited by Murdoch to join Major Crime. Shock waves roll through the Major Crime Squad when a second aggravated burglary takes place on the same elderly victims; Betty Arthur is viciously raped and her husband James beaten for six valuable stamps.
After a tip-off, Murdoch authorises the Majors to raid a warehouse where they score a huge cache of stolen goods. Following the warehouse raid, Howie is the target of complaints of sexual assault by Lindy. Meanwhile Faithful is overheard by internal affairs, making a deal with a criminal and the Majors suffer a staggering blow when crime victim James Arthur is found dead in his home. What appears to be murder is proven by the forensic team to be Arthur's macabre and tragic attempt for revenge.
The Majors and the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence lock horns over an informant.
Conflict spreads through police headquarters when the Majors and Drug Squad investigations begin to cross-over.
The Majors investigate a con-man linked to the aggravated burglaries by forensic evidence discovered by Carol and Ian. The violent thieves have been melting down the stolen gold jewellery into bricks for easier handling. The Internal Investigations Department focuses on Peter Faithful because of a mysterious $20,000 which passed through his bank account.
Pressure mounts on the Majors when they are forced to run their own surveillance on Flannagan, a prime suspect. Peter Faithful confirms the importation of drugs via Nipper, his informant on the docks.
Frustration mounts for the Majors when another aggravated burglary occurs.
Peter Faithful is taken hostage by a suspect. A terrified girl jumps from a second-story window when the Majors raid the flat of a prime suspect for the aggravated burglaries.
To Peter's annoyance, the Federal Police blow the cover of one of his informants.
Jock Brennan announces that the Major Crime Squad is to be disbanded. As the bitterly disappointed detectives plan to track down the last crook, Ian uncovers the mystery that has plagued forensic from the first burglary.
Jock Brennan, Inspector of the Major Crime Squad, is pursuing a vicious armed robber who has stolen police service pistols. Ian Cochrane, public servant and scientist, is in charge of collecting the forensic evidence. These two men argue heatedly at the crime scene. Forensic is not Jock's priority. His attempt to dismiss Ian from the scene results in a stand up fight. In court, Ian is cross examined relentlessly. He's stunned at the attack on his personal integrity. Jock is stunned when they actually win the case. The two men's antagonism comes to an abrupt halt when the Police Club's annual party is bombed.
In the chaotic remains after the Police Club bombing, over the grim task of sorting through the pieces, Ian and Jock are forced to work together. With the death toll mounting, the only leads come from within the police force itself. One is the shell shocked young constable who is Jock's only eye witness. The other is a disgruntled policeman who may well have set off the bomb. The police find themselves doing what they dread most, investigating one of their own.
Megan, an analyst, is the first woman to join the all male world of the Major Crime Squad. She has a hard time of it, initially being shut out by their prejudice. It's not until she starts making headway with the thousands of pieces of information flooding in to the bombing investigation team that she gains some grudging acceptance. It is Megan who helps save Jock from making a disastrous error with a likely suspect.
Laz is an undercover cop coming in the from the cold. He's a social outcast and a rebel who has been on the streets too long. His return to the traditional police force - and to the bombing investigation team - has explosive results. Laz doesn't rejoin the human race easily. But he proves his value beyond question when he provides the hard-pressed team with their first solid lead - a stolen car garage that worked on the bomb car. But concealing the truth of who you are is a hard habit to break.
In a raid on the stolen car garage, Nick - one of the bombers - is caught in their net. A relentless round of interrogations go on into the night. Nick keeps a very low profile. He manages to wriggle free, unsuspected. There's not a shred of evidence to connect him. He walks into the night, laughing at the police.
The last vestiges of Laz's undercover persona are blown when Jock orders him to start acting like a detective. He can no longer work the streets without risking his life from the criminals he once lived amongst. It's a terrible loss of identity which leads to a violent outburst. Defending his Senior Sergeant, he assaults a member of the public. This brings him under the cold hard scrutiny of the Internal Investigations. Before it's over, Laz could be charged with a criminal offence.
With the bombing investigation stalled for lack of hard evidence, Jock seeks out an old trusted informant. Tiny, a professional safebreaker, is Jock's direct link to criminals who handle explosives. But Tiny, needing cash, double crosses Jock and decides to blow a safe. Things go wrong when the car he steals to transport his gear has a sleeping baby in the back seat. Jock gets a frantic call for help from the panicked Tiny. His much needed informant is about to go to jail for a long time.
Megan, the analyst, takes off on a tangent of her own. She decides to pursue the bombers by assuming they require large amounts of money to finance the bomb and their continuing silence. She uncovers a possible suspect whose very distinctive description leads her to the world of sexual offences. She discovers Kelly, an angry rape victim who is disillusioned with the police force's inability to convict offenders. Megan has to batter her way through Kelly's defences to get a photo-fit of her vicious attacker .. and a possible lead to the identity of one of the bombers.
Pursuing another line in the bombing investigation, the team raid known drug dealers with the hope of shaking out much needed information. One raid goes wrong when Lochie, the Senior Sergeant, is nearly shot by a terrified dealer. During questioning, it's discovered the frightened man was robbed - and his young sister assaulted - by some very dangerous men. It all points to the bombers but the dealer will not talk - no matter what. He's scared to death of the men. It's a frustrating dead end for the team.
Knowing that they are facing very heavy villains, Jock allows a member of the crack Special Operations Group to be assigned to the bombing investigation team. Although Blazo is the epitome of a black suited 'headkicker', it soon becomes clear that Blazo is not a thug but a thinking policeman. The small boy in Ian falls 'helplessly in love' with the Special Operations cowboys. Bags of high explosives are recovered from a river - a sure indication that bombers maybe getting ready to do a runner - getting rid of the evidenc. Time may be running out for the investigation if the bombers decide to head out of the state.
With the forensic evidence largely tagged and ready, Carol becomes increasingly cut off from Ian and the lab. Now that she has returned to work - abandoning her maternity leave - her entry into the team rearranges alliances at a critical moment. Other crimes are drawing much needed resources from the investigation. Jock takes too long to discover his team is close to disintegrating.
For the first time we close in on the bombers and confirm how dangerous and renegade are their personalities. We see why the bombing investigation has battled for every slim lead. Even the criminal underworld is afraid of them. But, under increasing pressure from the police, they are beginning to make their first real mistakes.
The final curtain. The investigation team know they are dealing with mad dogs who are unlikely to come in quietly. The raid, then the interrogations have to come off with lightning precision as they race against time to charge the bombers.
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Release | 1992-02-13 |
| Producer | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |