★★★★★ 0/5

Gallery: Farewell Rush

Action, overlapping dialogue, handheld cameras, spontaneity, uneasy endings and a solid cast -there was much to like about TEN's cop drama.

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TEN’s cop series has now departed our screens but I thought I would take a moment to acknowledge the series’ attributes.

Since 2008 it has starred Rodger Corser, Callan Mulvey, Catherine McClements, Nicole da Silva, Sam Johnson, Ashley Zukerman, Jolene Anderson, Kevin Hofbauer, Antony Starr, Josef Ber and Claire van der Boom.

It was originally conceived in 2004 as Rapid Response, borne of Police Rescue, with Mathew Le Nevez, Libby Tanner and Corrine Grant. After the US writer’s strike everyone went back to the drawing board under producers John Edwards and Mimi Butler and Rush emerged.

Unlike the suited cowboys of City Homicide, the Rush squad resembled a SWAT team, armed with high tech communications, including mobile cameras, which added to the show’s contemporary feel. It was chockful of hand-held camera work, overlapping dialogue and tense music. A sweeping chopper over Melbourne in the first series got our attention.

These cops weren’t post-mortem “whodunnit” suits. They were in the moment, forced to make decisions with consequences.

One of the things that struck me about the show was its spontaneity. I think it was the first episode where a teenager was threatening to suicide from a skyscraper. When they fell and died it was clear this show wasn’t about to give us happy endings. Killing off Claire van der Boom’s character was also a surprise.

These cops were also flawed. Catherine McClements abusing the police when she was pulled over for a breath test, was far removed from the complicit Blue Heelers.

Stella’s sexuality was always fluid. Boys. Girls. Whatever.

Sam Johnson’s character had shades of 24, seemingly able to tap into any camera anywhere. It wasn’t especially believable but it advanced the plot visually.

There were also plenty of character actors in guest and supporting roles, most of whom were left to be crims in Melbourne’s inner west and Docklands regions. Elspeth Ballantyne on an island was one out of the box. Another episode on a speeding train took us away from the norm. I love how the show always used actual street names.

The show won an AFI Award as Best Drama twice, last year beating out Spirited and Tangle (both Edwards’ productions) and The Circuit.

But I believe its legacy will be in bringing TEN back to the Drama table. After years of failures including The Cooks and CrashBurn, it was able to carve out a primetime drama audience beyond Neighbours. That’s now resonating through Offspring and there are more on the way in 2012.

37 Responses

  2. @Joni – I think you’ll find most if not all of the people who have commented didn’t work on the show or at 10. I comment on a range of topics here so it’s not my first comment but I really did like the show and the actors who worked on it. I had known Samuel Johnson before this as well as Callan Mulvey, Jolene Anderson and catherine mcclements, but it was the first time I was aware of those such as Rodger Corser, ashley zukerman and Nicole da silva. I see Rodger in many things these days, and i saw ashley in terra nova last week but Nicole I really just relate with Rush so hopefully it isn’t too long before she and a few others pop up in something else soon. I just felt sad that the show didn’t get a proper wrap up.

  3. Well written article by the site, as always. But seriously, is any “fan” of this show on this comment thread Not someone who worked on the show/at Ten? This was a by the numbers meat and potatoes program that was goneski as soon as it stopped suiting a network to run it for any random reason.

    People can be justifiably proud of making four seasons of a show with transparently silly overstatement about it being great. It really, really wasn’t.

  5. To the people who keep reinforcing the fact that Rush never rated well – thats not news to anyone. That does not mean it wasn’t a brilliant show. Look at Mad Men for example, taken all the Emmys the last few years – hasn’t exactly taken the world by storm in terms of audiences and ratings.

    Rush is great – thanks for doing this David, I do believe Rush has been the greatest Oz Drama to ever be on TV. The cast was brilliant – especially the mains (Corser, Mulvey, Da Silva, McClements + Zukerman). Such a shame to see it go, thank goodness its all on DVD!

    Yeah the ending to S4 wasn’t great, but hey go ahead an interpret it. Maybe Kerry didnt tell anyone about the second bomb, and was just waiting to for Melbourne to blow up before her eyes? Or maybe the writers were planning a S5? 😛

  6. I still think a spin off should be in the works.. If that’s the case does it get the tax rebate considering it’s technically a ‘new show’?

    Anyway, I loved the story arc of this season and I did love the ending. Good to keep the audience guessing..

  8. Really loved the show too, although wish there was more time to plan for the ending, it just seemed that if they knew they were doing the final ever episode that wasn’t the greatest way to end it. Still questions just hanging about so many things.

    So hope we see many of the cast pop up in other things soon too as I really did like them all.

  10. I stopped watching it awhile back, but decided to watch the last episode. Now I remember why I stopped watching. What a pathetic ending. City Homicide was so much better.

  11. Perhaps we’ll get to the point where shows will include a full-on big budget end to its “closest-to-65th-episode” season finale, just in case they don’t get renewed, which seems to happening a bit lately.

  12. I’ll just join the chorus of thanks for a great show. Will be sadly missed. Thanks to all the talented writing, acting, directing, composing, set design et al …

    And @JB, don’t forget Spirited’s axing … another brilliant decision … not.

  13. Hate to spoil the party but farewell to a dud show that never ever rated, wasn’t liked by the majority and could barely muster up half a million for the finale. Farewell and be gone and may we never see it again.

  14. I was actually a late comer to Rush. Was recommended to me several episodes into season 1, and since then i’ve loved it. The episode when Grace died was a standout. Had everyone thinking Dom would die, so was such a shock. The cast is brilliant and has been one of the best. All the performances were great, Catherine McClements, Callan Mulvey, Nicole Da Silva in particular had great moments. The action was non stop. This season was one of the best, it really is a shame Australians didn’t watch this show. It was one of the best quality tv shows we had, evident by the awards it won. Sad to see this show end.
    First City Homicide, now Rush. Not happy at all.

  15. Great eulogy David, really enjoyed this show and sad to see it gone, it seemed that this year as ten knew it was not going to renew for a another series and they stopped promoting it like they used to. This last series had a great story arc and were some of the best eps of the entire series.

  17. I just loved Rush, and it’s so disappointing that most of Australia didn’t love it too. Easily the best cop show ever made in Australia, if not one of the best dramas in any category. I just don’t understand why it didn’t do better, specially when you consider the crap that was often up against it. There’s no accounting for taste – or intelligence.

    The final episode was very disappointing, the whimper rather than the bang, as if they were leaving it open for a further series. Who knows when they finished filming, it may have been well before the sad announcement.

    <>

  19. Hey David

    Awesome article and just wanted to point out the episode where a teenager was threatening to commit suicide from a skyscraper was episode 2 of series 1. 🙂

  21. I tried to watch it once, but was put off by the over-acting or characterisation by some – Catherine McClements charcter for one.

    However it seems to get mentioned constantly in this blog as a good show. So I may try and watch it over the summer with its repeat on 1. The way the summer is shaping up it not going to be a good one for TV watching.

  22. Loved Rush however was disappointed in the finale episode! One thing it did though was setup nicely for season 5, too bad it will never get made! Anyone know what is next for the actors? A huge shame to think that such a wonderfully talented cast may be out of work.

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