Good Guys, Bad Guys is an Australian comedy/drama TV series that screened on the Nine Network between 1997 and 1998, with a telemovie and twenty-six episodes produced. The crime-themed show was set in Melbourne.
The program and its lead character Elvis Maginnis were written for Marcus Graham, a former star of the soap opera E Street (TV series). Maginnis is disgraced former cop, tainted by his criminal family and framed for corruption. Elvis owns "K for Kleen" drycleaning, managed by Stella Kinsella (Alison Whyte, of the ABC current affairs satire series Frontline) and Reuben Zeus who has Tourette syndrome (Travis McMahon, most recently of Last Man Standing).
Elvis's attempts at a straight life are constantly compromised by the demands of his eccentric family, while Stella's attempts at making "K-for-Kleen" turn a profit are frustrated by Elvis's soft heart.
The program was filmed in Melbourne, predominantly around the inner-city "bohemian" suburbs of St. Kilda, Fitzroy and Carlton. The film style incorporated local colour - Melbourne trams, landmarks like Smith Street's Cobra cane furniture shop, and the Builder's Arms Hotel as Elvis's local - and a soundtrack of the then-latest Australian music, matched to the action. The Good Guys, Bad Guys soundtrack CD features Regurgitator, The Fauves, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Whitlams, The Avalanches, Spiderbait, The Cruel Sea, Rebecca's Empire and The Mavis's among others.
Cast
Main Marcus Graham as Elvis Maginnis Alison Whyte as Stella Kinsella Travis McMahon as Reuben Zeus
Guests Actor Role Ep. count Ref. Alan Hopgood Judge Moody 1 Alyce Platt Chrissie McKechnie 1 Anna Lise Phillips Emily Costello 1 Asher Keddie Aimee 1 Annie Jones Veronica Flaherty 1 Belinda Giblin Loretta Monk pilot Ben Mendelsohn Brian O'Malley 1 Ben Knight Peter Lubich 1 Brett Swain Baxter 2 Bruce Spence Squirt Man 1 Caroline Gillmer Siobhan Starret 1 Claudia Black Jill Mayhew 1 Chris Haywood Father Frank Conroy 1 Damien Fotiou Johnny Lubich 1 Denise Scott Waitress 1 Dennis Miller Rufus King 1 Esben Storm Jerry pilot Frankie J. Holden Sgt Brann 1 Gemma Bishop Laura 1 Geoff Paine Arnold Tilson 1 Gerald Lepkowski Tierney 1 Grant Piro Gavin 'The Goat' La Rousse 1 Greg Stone Sgt. Steve Mason 1 Hayley McElhinney Loyola Maginnis-McLeod 1 Ian Bliss Keith McLeod 1 Jack Finsterer Christie Maginnis 1 Jane Hall Allie Andrews 1 Joseph Spano Carly 1 John Flaus Finbar Maginnis 1 John O'May Tyrone O'Keefe 1 John McTernan Chief Commissioner Fuller 1 John Stanton Rowntree 1 John Waters Oscar Drake 1 Kate Langbroek Female Detective 1 Kristian Schmid Jimmy Costello 1 Lenita Vangellis Anna Bitta pilot Lesley Baker Mrs Pinney 1 Lewis Fitz-Gerald Marshall Dobbs 1 Lisa Hensley Dorothy O'Malley 1 Louise Siversen Shannon Blightie 1 Magda Szubanski Bella Bouvier 1 Mary Coustas Madonna Kapello 1 Matthew Newton Casper Moody 1 Maya Stange Orange 1 Michala Banas Kirsty 1 Mike Bishop Frank Little 1 Nadine Garner Jinx pilot Nicholas Bell Dennis Dreeble 1 Norman Kaye Roly Finster 1 Paul Sonkkila Hector Stubbs 1 Peta Brady Susie Crake 2 Petra Yared Taylor 1 Red Symons Irate Customer 1 Robert Mammone Cosimo 1 Robert Taylor Andrew Costello 1 Roger Oakley Ron 'Maddog' Morello 1 Samuel Johnson Dermott Maginnis 5 Shane Connor Bianco 2 Sonia Todd Wendy Johnson 1 Sophie Lee Amy pilot Stefan Dennis Andy Caesar 1 Stephen Curry Michael MacEvoy 1 Sue Jones Fay O'Malley 1 Sullivan Stapleton Paul Morello 1 Tammy MacIntosh Holly Swift 1 Tommy Dysart Athol Amoroso 1 Tracy Mann Brenda Wick 1 Troy Beckwith Smithy 1 Val Lehman Rose Kinsella 1 Vince Colosimo Zoran 1 Wayne Hope Van Molloy 1 Zoe Bertram Det. Sgt. Maxine Hendrix 1 Zoe Carides Skye 1
Awards In 1997, the show won 'Best Mini-Series or Telefeature' at the AFI Awards. In 1998, cast member Alison Whyte was nominated for 'Most Outstanding Actress' at the Logie Awards for her role in the show.
International broadcasts
In 1997 and 1998, the series was shown on Russian television channels TV Tsentr and Stolitsa.
Home media
In 2007 Force Australia released season one of Good Guys, Bad Guys on DVD. Then Force Australia stopped operating and was taken over by Beyond Home Entertainment who released season two of Good Guys, Bad Guys on DVD in September 2007. DVD name Format Ep # Discs Region 4 (Australia) Special features Distributors Good Guys, Bad Guys (Season 01) DVD 13 4 18 April 2007 None Force Australia Good Guys, Bad Guys (Season 02) DVD 13 4 12 September 2007 None Beyond Home EntertainmentGood Guys, Bad Guys: The Complete CollectionDVD2684 September 2013NoneGood Guys, Bad Guys: The Complete CollectionDVD26820 April 2016NoneBeyond Home EntertainmentGood Guys, Bad Guys: The Complete SeriesDVD26815 September 2021NoneVia Vision Entertainment
See also
List of Australian television series
References
External links at the National Film and Sound Archive Good Guys, Bad Guys at Australian Screen Online