Jack Irish is an Australian television drama series first broadcast on ABC TV on 14 October 2012.[1] The series stars Guy Pearce as the title character, a former criminal lawyer turned private investigator and debt collector.[2] Much of the action is set in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy. Adapted from the crime fiction novels by author Peter Temple, the telemovies and series Jack Irish were developed by Andrew Anastasios, Matt Cameron and Andrew Knight. They began as three feature-length movies, before being adapted into three six-episode series, the final one airing from June 2021.

Jack Irish
DVD cover for the first two telemovies
GenreCrime drama
Created by
Based onJack Irish novels
by Peter Temple
Screenplay by
  • Matt Cameron
  • Andrew Knight
Directed by
Starring
Theme music composer
  • David McCormack
  • Antony Partos
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes16 (+3 telemovies) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerAndrew Knight
Producers
  • Ian Collie
  • Andrew Anastasios
CinematographyMartin McGrath
EditorGeoff Lamb
Running time
  • 100 minutes (Movies)
  • 50 minutes (TV series)
Production companyEasy Tiger Productions
Original release
NetworkABC TV
Release14 October 2012 (2012-10-14) –
4 July 2021 (2021-07-04)

All three movies were directed by Jeffrey Walker, while Kieran Darcy-Smith serves as lead director on the series.[3] Bad Debts, the first of the three feature-length movies, was watched by an average of 950,000 Australian viewers, ranking as the sixth most watched programme of the week.[4] Black Tide, the second movie, was watched by an average of 851,000 Australian viewers, ranking as the thirteenth most watched programme of the week.[5] Dead Point, the third and final movie, was watched by an average of 780,000 Australian viewers, ranking as the eleventh most watched programme of the week.[6]

The first series of six episodes broadcast from 11 February to 17 March 2016. The second series broadcast from 8 July to 12 August 2018.[7][8][9] The second series was dedicated to the memory of Peter Temple, who died in March 2018.[10] The third and final series, Jack Irish: Hell Bent, premiered on ABC TV and ABC iview on 13 June 2021.[11][12]

Cast edit

Main edit

  • Guy Pearce as Jack Irish, a criminal defense lawyer turned debt collector and troubleshooter. Jack is still troubled over the murder of his wife by a deranged ex-client. He also works as an apprentice cabinet maker.
  • Marta Dusseldorp as Linda Hillier, a determined reporter. She starts an on-off romantic relationship with Jack, becoming embroiled in many of Jack's investigations.
  • Aaron Pedersen as Cam Delray, Harry Strang's right-hand man and one of Jack's closest friends.
  • Roy Billing as Harry Strang, a racing aficionado who often enlists the aid of Jack and Cam.
  • Shane Jacobson as Barry Tregear, a cop who reluctantly helps with Jack's investigations.
  • Damien Richardson as Drew Greer, Jack's former law partner who still occasionally assists him.

Supporting edit

Bad Debts (2012) edit

Black Tide (2012) edit

Dead Point (2014) edit

Series 1: Blind Faith (2016) edit

Series 2: Last Rite (2018) edit

Series 3: Hell Bent (2021) edit

Telemovies (2012–2014) edit

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAustralian viewers
(millions)
11"Bad Debts[13]"Jeffrey WalkerAndrew Knight14 October 2012 (2012-10-14)0.95
Jack receives a call from ex-client Danny McKillop. Jack goes to help, only to discover that Danny is dead.
22"Black Tide[13]"Jeffrey WalkerMatt Cameron21 October 2012 (2012-10-21)0.85
Des Conners an old friend of the Irish family, comes to consult Jack over the disappearance of his son Gary.
33"Dead Point[14][15]"Jeffrey WalkerMatt Cameron13 April 2014 (2014-04-13)0.78
Jack is consulted by Justice Loder to recover a mysterious red book.

Series edit

Series 1: Blind Faith (2016) edit

The first season of Jack Irish takes place in both Australia and the Philippines.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAustralian viewers
(millions)
41"Episode 1"Kieren Darcy-SmithAndrew Knight11 February 2016 (2016-02-11)0.71[16]
Jack is back to debt collection and Linda takes a job in Manila. Still, Jack soon finds himself involved in some witch hunt that has to do with a massacre that happened in the Philippines years ago.
52"Episode 2"Kieren Darcy-SmithAndrew Knight18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)0.68[17]
Jack is still working with sculptor Sarah to find out who killed her sister, and bodies start to accumulate. In the meantime, Linda is trying to get her bearings in Manila and is able to help Jack.
63"Episode 3"Daniel NettheimMatt Cameron25 February 2016 (2016-02-25)0.61[18]
Jack's investigation leads him to get close to a mega-church pastor, but Linda and her team fall in a trap when they explore an island that seems to be the base for criminals.
74"Episode 4"Daniel NettheimAndrew Anastasios3 March 2016 (2016-03-03)0.58[19]
A tense night in the Filipino jungle results in a chance discovery for Linda and Orton. Jack's concerned for Sarah's well-being as she becomes consumed by manic determination following news about Tina.
85"Episode 5"Mark JoffeMatt Cameron10 March 2016 (2016-03-10)0.61[20]
Jack struggles to recuperate and his mind increasingly turns towards Rob Shand. Back in Manila, Linda is abducted. Longmore refuses to act against the church leaving Jack alone to fight for Sarah.
96"Episode 6"Mark JoffeAndrew Knight17 March 2016 (2016-03-17)0.67[21]
Jack is now on the run from both the police and members of Via Crucis. Terrified yet resolved, Linda finally comes face to face with her captor.

Series 2: Last Rite (2018) edit

The second series of Jack Irish was written by Andrew Knight, playwright Matt Cameron, Elise McCredie and Andrew Anastasios, and directed by Mark Joffe, Kriv Stenders and Fiona Banks. A foreign student studying in Australia passes away after she is fatally hit by a bus in Melbourne's CBD.[22][23] Irish, together with his partner in crime Cam Delray, must investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death, including the potential for a stalker who may have been following her.[22]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAustralian viewers
(millions)
101"The Last Post"Mark JoffeAndrew Knight7 July 2018 (2018-07-07)0.72[24]
The apparent suicide of a foreign student triggers a chain of events that sees Jack risking his life to uncover the truth.
112"Deal with the Dead"Mark JoffeMatt Cameron15 July 2018 (2018-07-15)0.68[25]
As Jack Irish investigates two deaths, he delves deeper into the murky world of international colleges.
123"From the Ashes"Kriv StendersElise McCredie22 July 2018 (2018-07-22)0.68[26]
As Jack Irish discovers more about the deaths, he isn’t sure who he can trust.
134"The A-List"Kriv StendersAndrew Anastasios29 July 2018 (2018-07-29)0.61[27]
Secrets are revealed as Jack Irish's investigation stretches to the colourful streets of Mumbai.
145"Sins of Omission"Fiona BanksMatt Cameron5 August 2018 (2018-08-05)0.73[28]
As Jack Irish gets closer to the truth, his investigation threatens to tear his world apart.
156"Returning Home"Fiona BanksMatt Cameron12 August 2018 (2018-08-12)0.72[29]
Jack Irish fights to unmask the truth, but will this fight for justice be his last?

Series 3: Hell Bent (2021) edit

The third and final series of Jack Irish went to air on ABC TV from Sunday 13 June 2021 at 8:30pm. Striking painfully close to home, Jack's obsession with unlocking the secrets of the past brings him face-to-face with an adversary more personal and destructive than any other he has known.[30]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateAustralian viewers
(millions)
161"Episode 1"Greg McLeanMatt Cameron13 June 2021 (2021-06-13)0.52[31]
172"Episode 2"Greg McLeanAndrew Anastasios & Alli Parker20 June 2021 (2021-06-20)0.43[32]
183"Episode 3"Greg McLeanMatt Cameron27 June 2021 (2021-06-27)0.39[33]
194"Episode 4"Greg McLeanAndrew Knight4 July 2021 (2021-07-04)0.42[34]

Viewership edit

Jack Irish is broadcast every Sunday on ABC TV at 8:30pm, AEST.[22]

Series 1 (2016) edit

Episode Title Original airdate Overnight viewers Nightly rank Consolidated viewers Adjusted rank
1 "Episode 1" 11 February 2016 0.711[16] 9[16] 0.836[35] 6[35]
2 "Episode 2" 18 February 2016 0.682[17] 9[17] 0.812[36] 6[36]
3 "Episode 3" 25 February 2016 0.617[18] 11[18] 0.729[37] 9[37]
4 "Episode 4" 3 March 2016 0.581[19] 10[19] 0.676[38] 10[38]
5 "Episode 5" 10 March 2016 0.617[20] 11[20] 0.759[39] 9[39]
6 "Episode 6" 17 March 2016 0.673[21] 7[21] 0.838[40] 5[40]

Awards edit

Jack Irish has been nominated for multiple awards since its initial release to audiences. Pearce was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the Sichuan TV Festival in 2015 for his portrayal of Jack Irish.[41] Dusseldorp and Mailman were nominated for Best Actress at the Logie Awards in 2017 and 2019 respectively and were both awarded Silver Logies for their performances.[41] Series writer Andrew Knight won the Awgie Award for Television Series or Miniseries of more than 4 hours duration, and was also nominated twice for the Best Television Drama Series as a part of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards in both 2016 and 2018.[41]

Production edit

Production of the Jack Irish series was primarily completed in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, in Australia's state of Victoria.[42] The series was produced by Easy Tiger Productions for ABC in association with Film Victoria and Essential Media & Entertainment. The theme song and music were composed by David McCormack, as well as Antony Partos.

The casting for all three series and telemovies were completed by Natalie Wall, Clare Chapman, Kelly Graham, Fiona McMaster and Pearl Mason-Scott.[41]

References edit

  1. ^ "Jack Irish". Thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Jack Irish Credits" (PDF). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Guy Pearce To Star As Jack Irish in Two ABC1 Tele-Movies – ABC TV Blog". Blogs.abc.net.au. 8 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  4. ^ Knox, David (15 October 2012). "Sunday 14 October 2012". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. ^ Knox, David (22 October 2012). "Sunday 21 October 2012". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  6. ^ Knox, David (14 April 2014). "Sunday 13 April 2014". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Jack Irish series world premiere".
  8. ^ "Free-to-air TV pick: Jack's back, but he'd rather just go to the pub". The Age. 7 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Jack Irish season two review – cracker cast lights up classy cloak-and-dagger stuff". The Guardian. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  10. ^ The West Australian (6 July 2018). "Guy Pearce gets gritty again in second season of Jack Irish". The West Australian. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  11. ^ "The explosive final season of Jack Irish premieres on ABC in June". ABC Help. May 2021. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  12. ^ Buckmaster, Luke (11 June 2021). "A complete guide to the twisted, crime-filled universe of Jack Irish". NME. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  13. ^ a b Knox, David (19 September 2012). "Airdate: Jack Irish". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  14. ^ Barry Humphries joins third Jack Irish telemovie. TV tonight 20 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013
  15. ^ "Airdate: Jack Irish: Dead Point | TV Tonight".
  16. ^ a b c Knox, David (12 February 2012). "Thursday 11 February 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  17. ^ a b c Knox, David (19 February 2012). "Thursday 18 February 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  18. ^ a b c Knox, David (26 February 2012). "Thursday 25 February 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  19. ^ a b c Knox, David (4 March 2012). "Thursday 3 March 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  20. ^ a b c Knox, David (11 March 2012). "Thursday 10 March 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Knox, David (18 March 2012). "Thursday 17 March 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  22. ^ a b c Buckmaster, Luke. "Jack Irish season two review – cracker cast lights up classy cloak-and-dagger stuff". The Guardian.
  23. ^ Hale, Mike (9 September 2018). "Review: Guy Pearce Is 'Jack Irish' in a Noir Down Under". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  24. ^ Knox, David (9 July 2018). "Sunday 8 July 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  25. ^ Knox, David (16 July 2018). "Sunday 15 July 2017". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  26. ^ Knox, David (23 July 2018). "Sunday 22 July 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  27. ^ Knox, David (30 July 2018). "Sunday 29 July 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  28. ^ Knox, David (6 August 2018). "Sunday 5 August 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  29. ^ Knox, David (13 August 2018). "Sunday 12 August 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  30. ^ "The explosive final season of Jack Irish premieres on ABC in June – ABC Help". help.abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021.
  31. ^ Knox, David (14 June 2021). "Sunday 13 June 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  32. ^ Knox, David (21 June 2021). "Sunday 20 June 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  33. ^ Knox, David (28 June 2021). "Sunday 27 June 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  34. ^ Knox, David (28 June 2021). "Sunday 4 July 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  35. ^ a b Knox, David (20 February 2016). "Timeshifted: Thursday 11 February 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  36. ^ a b Knox, David (1 March 2016). "Timeshifted: Thursday 18 February 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  37. ^ a b Knox, David (7 March 2016). "Timeshifted: Thursday 25 February 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  38. ^ a b Knox, David (16 March 2016). "Timeshifted: Thursday 3 March 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  39. ^ a b Knox, David (21 March 2016). "Timeshifted: Thursday 10 March 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  40. ^ a b Knox, David (30 March 2016). "Timeshifted: Thursday 17 March 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  41. ^ a b c d Jack Irish - IMDb, retrieved 28 May 2021
  42. ^ West-Sooby, John (15 April 2019), "On being translated: John West-Sooby speaks to Peter Temple", Translating National Allegories, Routledge, pp. 111–116, doi:10.4324/9781315161778-8, ISBN 978-1-315-16177-8, S2CID 240867206, retrieved 28 May 2021

External links edit