Underbelly Sex Controversy

The opening scenes of the Underbelly prequel viral campaign show a naked Matthew Newton, as 1970s drug kingpin Terry "Mr Asia" Clark, peacefully painting before launching into a tirade of explicit sex and painfully violent scenes. "So you’re an artist," a woman asks Clark to which he responds with a made-for-criminal smirk, "When I’ve got time", before orchestra music begins. The leaked 37 second Internet video campaign is shocking and crude, cut together to showcase the most violent and sex-charged scenes of the new series Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities.

The clip has already sparked outrage from Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Fred Nile, who labelled the video “pornographic” and will concern family groups. “I think it’s disgusting and shocking,” Reverend Nile said. “Even for a viral campaign there are standards and this would come into the category of pornography. The worst part about it is that it’s making the criminals heroes when that’s a black page on the history of Sydney. There is nothing proud about it.”


Reverend Nile said the Christian Democratic Party would hold protests, the same held when the original Underbelly screened early last year and call for advertisers to boycott the program, when the show premieres on Channel 9 in February.

“TV is a family medium, it’s in family homes and needs to meet a tougher set of standards,” he said. “I know this is the most elicit parts all cut together, but this shouldn’t be shown on television. We will be lobbying for a screening to be held before it goes to air, authorities need to intervene over this.”

Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities, which began filming on October 17 and features a stellar cast including Matthew Newton, Asher Keddie, Peter Phelps, Roy Billing and Peter O’Brien, revolves around the two biggest crooks of the late 1970s and early 1980s era - Robert Trimbole (Billing) and Terry “Mr Asia” Clark (Newton). The tale follows their drug and gambling-filled lives.

In the lead up to the official ratings period beginning on February 8, Nine are feeling the pressure to produce a gripping drama to trump the exceptional ratings of the first season, which attracted an average of 1.26 million viewers during the 13-part series. This excluded Victoria where the show was banned due to a court injunction.

Series writer Peter Gawler admitted last year that despite an email from Channel 9’s in-house censor to tone down some scenes, most scripts were staying as they were delivered.

“I got an email that just said ‘omit pubic hair’,” Gawler said.

“I sent a one-word email back – ‘no’. There will be male nudity and female nudity.”