Rake (Australian TV series) explained

Genre:	Comedy drama
Creator:	Peter Duncan Richard Roxburgh Charles Waterstreet
Starring:	Richard Roxburgh Adrienne Pickering Matt Day Russell Dykstra Danielle Cormack Caroline Brazier Keegan Joyce Kate Box Damien Garvey
Theme Music Composer:	Johann Strauss II / David McCormack
Opentheme:	The Blue Danube
Composer:	Michael Lira David McCormack Antony Partos
Country:	Australia
Language:	English
Num Series:	5
Num Episodes:	40
List Episodes:	Episodes
Executive Producer:	Miranda Dear
Producer:	Peter Duncan Richard Roxburgh Ian Collie
Location:	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Runtime:	60 minutes
Company:	Blow by Blow Productions Essential Media and Entertainment
Channel:	ABC TV

Rake is an Australian television program, produced by Essential Media and Entertainment, that first aired on the ABC TV in 2010.It stars Richard Roxburgh as the rakish Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive Sydney barrister,^{[1] [2] [3]} defending a usually guilty client. The fifth and final series went into production in October 2017^[4] and premiered on 19 August 2018.^[5]

Cast

Main cast

• Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive criminal defence barrister. The character is loosely based on colourful Sydney barristers Mervyn Ward and Charles Waterstreet,^[6] and was named after Cleaver Bunton.^[7] At the end of the fourth series, he is elected to a seat as an independent senator. At the end of the fifth series, he is appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.
• Russell Dykstra as Barney "Barnyard" Meagher, one of Cleaver's instructing solicitors and his best friend. After Cleaver sleeps with his wife Scarlet, Barney feels betrayed and his relationships with both Cleaver and Scarlet are disrupted. In the second series, Barney begins an affair with Cleaver's secretary, Nicole. At the start of the third series, it is revealed that Barney and Nicole are having a child together, and that Barney is receiving treatment for testicular cancer.
• Danielle Cormack as Scarlet "Red" Engles SC, Barney's wife, a criminal prosecutions barrister. In the second series, she works part-time for Cal McGregor, the Attorney General, before returning to the bar as a criminal defence barrister in the third series. In addition to this, during the third series she has a short-lived affair with David Potter, another barrister with political ambitions, who is prosecuting Cleaver for non-payment of taxes. Scarlet succeeds in being promoted to Senior Counsel.
• Matt Day as David "Harry-Sorry, David" Potter, a tax lawyer prosecuting Cleaver Greene and attempting to get into politics with the help of Attorney General Joe Sandilands. In series 2, Potter is a member of the Parliament of New South Wales and of the Australian Labor Party and is Shadow Attorney General. In the third series, he has become the Leader of the NSW Australian Labor Party, and is having a secret affair with Scarlet. In the fourth series, he runs as a Senator for the Australian Greens. David is nicknamed "Harry-Sorry, David" as a joke on the fact that he wears Harry Potter-styled glasses and his last name is Potter.
• Adrienne Pickering as Melissa "Missy" Partridge, a former prostitute turned law student, caught between being Potter's girlfriend and helping Greene, a former client for whom she has developed feelings. By the end of the first series, she reveals her true identity as Jane Tanner (Turner) to Cleaver and David, and leave to travel around Europe. In series 2, she has written a book based on her life in prostitution under the name of "J.M. Doolan". In series 3, the book based on her life is made into a film. In series 4, she returns to Australia after a hiatus in America; she is addicted to a multitude of drugs and has to go through the process of removing the addiction of ice. In the end of series 4 she is pregnant with Finnegan Greene's child.
• Caroline Brazier as Wendy Greene, Cleaver's ex-wife, who is a psychologist in a hospital psychiatric ward. At the end of the second series, she starts dating Roger, an osteopath, and at the beginning of the third series she and Roger are engaged.
• Keegan Joyce as Finnegan "Fuzz" Greene, Cleaver and Wendy's teenage son, who often has sexual relationships with older women. By the end of the second series, he has started dating Tara, an evangelical Christian, and during the third series is planning on doing aid work in the Congo.
• Kate Box as Nicole Vargas, Cleaver's long-suffering secretary, who has a drunken one-night stand with Barney, days before her marriage. In the third series, she and Barney have a child out of wedlock.
• Damien Garvey as Cal McGregor, the successor of Joe Sandilands as Attorney General of New South Wales. He is corrupt and is sent to jail. He hates Cleaver because of an affair Cleaver had with Cal's ex-wife and former NSW Premier, Claudia McGregor, played by Toni Collette. Cal is released on parole at the start of the third series, and becomes a current affairs journalist and popular bombastic TV pundit.
• Geoff Morrell as Joe Sandilands, Labor Party Attorney General of New South Wales. After reports of himself being a regular customer of the brothel in which Missy worked, he commits suicide, and is replaced by corrupt Liberal politician Cal McGregor.
• Robyn Malcolm plays Kirsty Corella, wife of imprisoned crime boss Mick Corella, whom Cleaver defended. Cleaver owes huge gambling debts to Mick and then to Kirsty, who takes over as boss while Mick is in prison. During the second series, she briefly dates Cleaver, before falling in love with Col, her "enforcer," who frequently pays Cleaver visits to "persuade" him to pay his gambling debts.
• Steve Le Marquand as Col Mancusi, Mick and Kirsty's henchman. He is in love with Kirsty and eventually enters a relationship with her, thanks to Cleaver's encouragement.
• Rhys Muldoon as Lincoln Lincoln, an incompetent solicitor who occasionally instructs on matters for Cleaver and Scarlet.

Guest cast

Episode	Actor, role
1.1	Hugo Weaving as Professor Graham Murray Sacha Horler as Murray's wife
1.2	Lisa McCune as Lucy Marx Ryan Johnson as Marty
1.3	Lech Mackiewicz as George Dana Roy Billing as Judge Jordan
1.4	David Field as Denny Lorton Noah Taylor as Stanley Shrimpton
1.5	Heather Mitchell as Jan Chandler Sam Neill as Dr Bruce Chandler
1.6	Rachel Griffiths as Eddie Langhorn Jonathan Biggins as Martin Barry Crocker as Errol Greene, Cleaver's father
1.7	Victoria Thaine as Fiona McReady
1.8	Damon Herriman as Detective Maraco Richard Carter as Mick Corella Robyn Malcolm as Kirsty Corella Paul Gleeson as Nigel Steve Le Marquand as Col
2.1	Toni Collette as Premier Claudia Marshall
2.2	Don Hany as Damien Tengrove Garry McDonald as Lawrence Fenton Jacinta John as Agatha Jack Thompson as Justice Beesdon
2.3	Marshall Napier as Prosecution
2.4	Angie Milliken as Therese Faulkner Martin Henderson as Joshua Floyd Rhys Muldoon as Lincoln Lincoln Ben Oxenbould as Alistair Emery
2.5	Mary Coustas as Judge Ben Chris Haywood as Prosecution
2.6	Jacqueline McKenzie as Alannah Alford Martin Sacks as Roger Evans Stephen Curry as Alex Alford
2.7	Bille Brown as Dominic Sonia Todd as Jane
2.8	Maeve Dermody as Polly Nesbitt
3.1	Dan Wyllie as Malcolm Finnane Bruce Spence as George Corella Emil Wolk as Justice Kieran Webster
3.2	John Noble as Clayton Post Genevieve Lemon as Tikki Wendon Simon Westaway as Gordon Martin Marta Kaczmarek as Maria Vargas Gary Waddell as Harley
3.3	Jane Allsop as Felicity Finnane Aden Young as Joshua (in film) Elizabeth Debicki as Missy (in film) Cate Blanchett as Cleaver (in film) Magda Szubanski as Helen Jerome Ehlers as Maitre d'
3.4	Lex Marinos as Spiro Ben Lawson as Craig John Flaus as Vernon
3.5	Paul Sonkkila as Father Bobby
3.7	Sibylla Budd as Ms. Guilfoyle QC
4.1	John Waters as Edgar Thompson Rachael Blake as Ruth Rogers Sara Wiseman as Caitlin
4.2	Justine Clarke as Alli Franklin Ryan Johnson as Raymond
4.3	Miriam Margolyes as Huntley-Brown QC Ryan Johnson as Raymond
4.5	Kym Gyngell as Reggie Ewen Leslie as Bevan Leigh Harriet Dyer as Star Mannix Alex Cubis as Kyle Mannix Huw Higginson as Malcolm Hammill Nick Tate as Julian Tallow
4.6	Tasma Walton as Jack Michael Denkha as Roy
4.7	Barry Otto as Judge Cowper Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Mandel
5.1	Jacek Koman as Jakub Helen Thomson as PM Angela Way Tony Briggs as Greg Peters Mark Mitchinson as Joe McGregor William McInnes as Gareth Morrow Jane Turner as Penny Evans Anthony LaPaglia as Linus Jim Daly as Frank O'Brien
5.4	Tasneem Roc as Li-Ming Wu

Series overview

Episodes

Season 4 (2016)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Director	Writer	Original air date

Season 5 (2018)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Director	Writer	Original air date

Ratings

Season 5 (2018)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2011	Equity Awards	Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Cast		^[8]
	AWGIE Awards	Television – Series	Series 1, episode 5 'R v. Chandler' – Peter Duncan		^[9]
	ASSG Awards	Best Achievement in Sound for a Tele-Feature or Short Run Series	Series 1 – Chris Alderton, Todd Kirkness, Sue Kerr, Peter Hall, Trevor Harrison, Olivia Monteith, Ian Donato, Natalie Choo and Michol Marsh		^[10]
2012	AACTA Awards	Best Television Drama Series	Rake		^[11]
2013	AACTA Awards	Best Television Drama Series	Season 2 – Ian Collie, Peter Duncan and Richard Roxburgh		^[12]
		Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama	Richard Roxburgh
	Australian Screen Music Awards	Best Music for a Television Series or Serial	Season 2, episode 8 'Greene' – Michael Lira, David McCormack and Antony Partos		^[13]
	AWGIE Awards	Television – Series	Series 2: "R v. Floyd" – Andrew Knight		^[14]
2014	AWGIE Awards	Television – Series	Series 3 "Their Lordships v. Finnane" – Peter Duncan
	Australian Directors Guild Awards	Best Direction in a TV Drama Series	Series 2, episode 2 – Peter Duncan		^[15]
	Australian Screen Music Awards	Best Music for a Television Series or Serial	Series 3, episode 1 – David McCormack, Antony Partos and Michael Lira		^[16]
	ASSG Awards	Best Sound for a Television Drama Series	Series 3 – Guntis Sics, Gerry Nucifora, Aron Dyer, Peter Hall, Leon Horrocks, Evan Horton and Michol Marsh		^[17]
2015	AACTA Awards	Best Television Drama Series	Season 3 – Ian Collie, Peter Duncan and Richard Roxburgh		^[18]
		Best Screenplay in Television	Series 3, episode 1 – Peter Duncan
		Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama	Richard Roxburgh
		Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama	Dan Wyllie
		Best Editing in Television	Series 3, episode 1 – Henry Dangar ASE
	Logie Awards	Most Outstanding Drama Series	Rake		^[19]
		Most Outstanding Actor	Richard Roxburgh
	Australian Directors Guild Awards	Best Direction in a TV Drama Series	Series 3, episode 1 – Jessica Hobbs		^[20]
			Series 3, episode 5 – Rowan Woods
2017	Logie Awards	Most Outstanding Drama Series	Rake		^[21]
		Most Outstanding Actor	Richard Roxburgh
		Logie Award for Best Actor	Richard Roxburgh

American remake

The Fox Network in the US commissioned an American version, starring Greg Kinnear as the lead character, renamed Keegan Deane for American audiences. It aired between January and April 2014.^[22] Richard Roxburgh was a producer on the American version alongside Kinnear.

DVD rating

In Australia Rake was rated MA 15+. In New Zealand the first two series received a rating of R16 for sex scenes, violence, drug use and offensive language; series three was given a rating of R18 for violence, offensive language, drug use and sex scenes.

Soundtrack

Original music for the show is composed and performed by David McCormack (of Custard), Antony Partos and Michael Lira, at Sonar Music in Sydney.^[23] A soundtrack album Rake: Music from the TV Series was released through ABC Music in July 2016.^[24]

External links

• Rake homepage, ABC TV
  • Rake at the Australian Television Information Archive

Notes and References

1. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/a-rakes-progress/story-e6frg8n6-1225943769988 "A Rake's progress"
2. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/rakes-excess-20101101-179m8.html "Rake's excess"
3. Web site: Knox. David. Rake. TV Tonight. 1 November 2010.
4. Web site: Knox. David. Renewed: Rake series 5. TV Tonight. 21 August 2017. 26 August 2017.
5. Web site: From Sharp Objects to Wellington Paranormal: What's streaming in Australia in August. TheGuardian.com. 3 August 2018.
6. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/charles-waterstreet/5395700 "Charles Waterstreet on Rake"
7. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/09/06/3584566.htm "Roxburgh revels in Rake"
8. Web site: Equity Awards 2011: Winners announced. 29 April 2011. 16 April 2012. Equity Foundation. Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).
9. Web site: AWGIE Award Winners 1968–2012. 12 November 2012. 25 November 2012. Australian Writers' Guild.
10. Web site: ASSG 2011 Awards Winners. ASSG. 2016-04-21.
11. Web site: AACTA – Nominees. Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). 11 December 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120527053831/http://aacta.org/media/161534/awards%20docs_all_network.pdf. 27 May 2012.
12. Web site: AFI AACTA Winners & Nominees 2nd AACTA Awards. aacta.org. 2016-04-21.
13. Web site: Best Music for a Television Series or Serial APRA AMCOS Australia. AMCOS. APRA. apraamcos.com.au. 2016-04-21.
14. Web site: AWGIE Award Winners 1968–2014. Australian Writers' Guild. 2016-04-21.
15. Web site: Australian Directors Guild. adg.org.au. 2016-04-21.
16. Web site: Best Music for a Television Series or Serial APRA AMCOS Australia. AMCOS. APRA. apraamcos.com.au. 2016-04-21.
17. Web site: Nominations Announced for 2014 ASSG Awards – Sound & Picture. Sound & Picture. 12 November 2014. en-US. 2016-04-21.
18. Web site: AFI AACTA Winners & Nominees 4th AACTA Awards. aacta.org. 2016-04-21.
19. News: Willis. Charlotte. Here's the full List of 2015 Logies nominations. News.com.au. 22 March 2015. 2 April 2015.
20. Web site: Australian Directors Guild. adg.org.au. 2016-04-21.
21. News: Knox. David. Logie Awards 2017: nominees. tvtonight.com.au. 26 March 2017. 10 August 2017.
22. News: Ellis. Scott. Charm wins over as Rake remake secures slot at Fox. 10 May 2013. The Age. 10 May 2013.
23. Web site: Rake Series 1 Soundtrack. Sonar Music.
24. Web site: ABC Shop.