Crownies

Crownies

Delving into the extraordinary world of the Office of the Department of Public Prosecution and its young eager lawyers, who know the law backwards, but who have a lot to learn about life, Crownies, is the new 22 x 1 hour drama, produced by Screentime Australia for ABC TV.

With shooting commencing in Sydney on Friday, Crownies follows five young solicitors fresh out of law school, as they face the pressures and endearing madness of modern single life - in a fast-paced workplace that highlights the moral dilemmas and big issues facing an apparently civilised society.

In a world that exists solely to see 'wrong-doers' brought to justice, and where the average age of the solicitors is 27, there is a big divide between these young solicitors and the barristers at the top. Yet they are the initial point of contact with the police, and it is they who do most of the liaising with the victims and the witnesses - and recommend what goes to court. They are hungry, committed, idealistic and hard-working, but their lives away from the office are riddled with aspirations, explorations, fragile relationships and partying.

The outstanding young ensemble cast includes Todd Lasance (Underbelly Files - Tell Them Lucifer Was Here, Cloudstreet, Rescue Special Ops, Home & Away) Hamish Michael (Spirited, City Homicide, Lucky Miles); Ella Scott Lynch (City Homicide, All Saints, The Falls); Andrea Demetriades (Bell Shakespeare Company, All Saints) and Indiana Evans (A Model Daughter - The Killing of Caroline Byrne, H2O Just Add Water).

They are joined by Marta Dusseldorp (Burning Man, Blackjack, Hell Has Harbour Views, After The Deluge); Lewis Fitz-Gerald (Underbelly, Stingers, A Model Daughter - The Killing of Caroline Byrne); Jerome Ehlers (Sea Patrol, Packed To The Rafters, The Starter Wife), Jeanette Cronin (Rake, Headland, All Saints); Chantelle Jamieson (Underbelly Files - The Man Who Got Away, Panic At Rock Island); Peter Kowitz (Packed To The Rafters, City Homicide, Grass Roots), Chris Morris (Crocodile Hunter, The Surgeon, Fire Flies) and Daniel Lissing (Cops LAC, Packed to the Rafters, Out Of The Blue).

Series Producer is Karl Zwicky (A Model Daughter - The Killing of Caroline Byrne, McLeods Daughters) and co-produced by Jane Allen (Script) (as writer - MDA, McLeods Daughters, The Secret Life of Us) and Lisa Scott (Production) (A Model Daughter - The Killing of Caroline Byrne, Cops LAC, The Cut) and with ABC TV's Carole Sklan and Screentime's Des Monaghan and Greg Haddrick as Executive Producers.

In making the announcement ABC TV's Head of Fiction, Carole Sklan said: "We're thrilled to be back in the business of long-run drama and to be working with such a dynamic, creative company as Screentime. They have assembled a wonderful cast and creative team for this exuberant and very contemporary show."

Screentime's Des Monaghan added: "We are delighted to be working with our friends at the ABC, and we are very excited about Crownies - which is an intelligent and entertaining insight into the extraordinarily fast and demanding world of the DPP."

The new series is being directed by some of Australia's finest including Tony Tilse, Chris Noonan, Cherie Nowlan, Grant Brown, Lynn Hegarty, Garth Maxwell, Jet Wilkinson and has been written by Greg Haddrick, Jane Allen, Kylie Needham, Tamara Asmar, Blake Ayshford and Justine Gillmer.