''Janus'' (released internationally as ''Criminal Justice'') is an Australian

legal drama A legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice play ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

broadcast by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

from 1994 to 1995. It was created by Alison Nisselle and Tony McDonald. It is a spin-off of the 1992 crime drama ''

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

'', which also starred Simon Westaway as Sergeant Peter Faithful. The 1994 series was loosely based on the true story of Melbourne's Pettingill crime family and the

Walsh Street police shootings The Walsh Street police shootings were the 1988 murders of two Victoria Police officers: Constables Steven Tynan, 22, and Damian Eyre, 20. Tynan and Eyre were responding to a report of an abandoned car when they were gunned down about 4:50am ...

. It was followed by a second series, ''Janus II'', in 1995. While the series struggled in ratings, attributed to its realism and complex legal jargon, it was critically lauded, winning several Logie Awards, including Most Outstanding Drama Series in 1995, and several AFI Award nominations.

Synopsis

''Janus'' follows the bitterly fought prosecutions of a notorious criminal family, the Hennesseys, from the viewpoints of the family, the police and, in particular, the lawyers, prosecutors, barristers and judges, involved in all aspects of the story. When the series begins, four members of the infamous Hennessey clan are acquitted of the shooting of two young policemen in a bungled bank heist. The city of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

is shocked as brothers Mal and Steve, along with brother-in-law Darren Mack and friend Ken Hardy, walk free. The prosecutors, judges, magistrates and police – many modelled heavily on real-life legal figures – are determined to put the Hennessey members behind bars if they can. But corruption, legal loopholes, delays, and stretched resources combine to make the quest to jail the group far from straightforward.

Cast

Starring *

Chris Haywood Chris Haywood (born ) is an English-born Australian actor, writer and producer, with close to 500 screen performances to his name. Haywood has also worked as a casting director, art director, sound recordist, camera operator, gaffer, grip, l ...

as Defence Barrister Michael Kidd (25 episodes) * Simon Westaway as Sergeant Peter "Noddy" Faithful (25 episodes) *

Jeremy Kewley Jeremy Leo Kewley (born 16 August 1960) is an Australian actor, writer, producer and convicted child sex offender. He made his professional acting debut as an adolescent in the feature film '' The Devil's Playground'' (1976). Early life Kew ...

as Crown Prosecutor Vic Manoulis (25 episodes) Also starring *

Tracy Mann Tracy Mann (born 1957) is an Australians, Australian actress and voice artist. After appearing in a number of television series, she won an Australian Film Institute award in 1980 for movie ''Hard Knocks (1980 film), Hard Knocks'' . She has ...

as Tina Bertram (12 episodes) *

Louise Siversen Louise Siversen is an Australian actress. She is known for her television roles, including Lou Kelly in ''Prisoner'' (1984–1986), Debbie in ''The Flying Doctors'' (1986–1990), and 2012-2017 Heather Looby in '' House Husbands''. She has al ...

as Magistrate Glenda de Bono (18 episodes) * Felix Nobis as Rob Griffin (23 episodes) *

Jane Menelaus Jane Menelaus (born 1959) is an Australian actress who trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. Stage Jane Menelaus has worked with both the South Australian and Melbourne Theatre Companies. Her stage work has in ...

as Jenny Hanson (6 episodes) * Paulene Terry-Beitz as Shirl Hennessey (21 episodes) * Brett Swain as Mal Hennessey (16 episodes) * Leon Teague as Steve Hennessey (13 episodes) * Victoria Eagger as Rhonda Hennessey (8 episodes) *

Belinda McClory Belinda McClory (born 1968) is an Australian film, television and stage actress, mainly known for her role as Switch in ''The Matrix''. McClory was born in Adelaide, Australia. Her father was a police officer, giving her insight to the life of ...

as Kirsty Nichols (13 episodes) *

Nique Needles Cornelius Delaney, formerly known as Nique Needles, is an Australian artist, musician and actor. He currently lives in France where he continues to produce and exhibit paintings, and perform with his group ''Darky Valetta''. Music In 1981 Needle ...

as Darren Mack (7 episodes) In addition, David Bradshaw and Jennifer Jarman-Walker reprise their roles from ''

'' as Andrew "Fluff" Saunders and Cath Darby respectively. Brett Swain and Belinda McClory previously appeared in ''Phoenix'' as other characters.

Episodes

Series overview

''Janus'' (1994)

''Janus II'' (1995)

Home release

The series was released in 2009 by the ABC on DVD in two volumes, each containing 13 episodes across 4 discs. However, it has since gone out of print.

Related shows

Members of the Pettingill crime family were later depicted in the 2008 first series of ''

Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * ...

'' and in the 2011 miniseries '' Killing Time''. They also inspired the characters in the 2010 Australian film '' Animal Kingdom'' and the 2016 American adaptation of the same name.

References

External links

*
Janus at the National Film and Sound Archive
{{Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series on Australian Television Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming Television shows set in Victoria (Australia) 1994 Australian television series debuts 1995 Australian television series endings 1990s Australian drama television series 1990s Australian crime television series