'Underbelly'
Crime drama "Underbelly" was meant to be a controversial look at a very real gangland war, but when it was banned in Melbourne, it spelled a headache for Nine Network.
Suppressed by a Melbourne magistrate for fear it would influence the upcoming trial of one of the underworld figures featured in the skein, the move cost Nine ad revs and exposure. However, the gritty skein went on to be a huge hit, regularly scoring in excess of 1 million viewers, even without the Southern capital onboard.
By being banned, the series became an instant must-see in Melbourne as viewers downloaded the skein from file-sharing sites, repositioned satellites and turned to bootlegged DVDs.
Still, Nine hopes to soon get the series beamed into the state that inspired it.
"I am still hopeful that it will get to Melbourne this year," says Nine's drama topper Jo Horsburgh.
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