east west 101: a show about cops of different ethnicities and religions

[bantha_fodder]

East West 101 is about some coppers. But these coppers are not just two dudes, they are a Muslim Iraqi-Australian and an Islander, both detectives. Reoccuring characters include their team leader, an arrogant old-school Caucasian guy; another detective, an Italian-Australian woman; a Chinese-Australian junior detective, and their boss, a (Caucasian) woman.

This is a cop show that is ACTUALLY about living in Australia, and being Australian, that actually reflects the Australia that we see around us, not the usual white-washed Australian television we get.

And it's set in Sydney.

And it's an Australian Copper Show, which is my very favourite television genre ever.

And it talks about racism, and privilege, and religion, and the ambiguity of being an Australian.

IT IS AMAZING.

EVERYONE HAS TO WATCH THIS





I watched the first episode last week, and I was won over in the first five minutes, with some very effective scene setting and Zane Malik leaning over the witness; "You just wait for the ambos," he says, and the sunlight and the words and the tone tell you that you're watching some dark-skinned Australian at his work.

I saw a fringe show a few weeks back, that discussed how Australian television glosses over the reality of racism and ethnicity in Australia; how Australian television doesn't reflect the Australia that the rest of us live in. That's why I was so excited to watch this show: it's so undeniably Australia, reflected back through my television screen.

an article from the age (ignore the title, it's a good article):

"It was very difficult to cast," Hany explains. "Often you live with blinkers on thinking that the stories we tell reflect the world that we live in but actually the industry is quite Anglo-white, so when you're trying to cast ethnic roles you're dealing with a very small pool of actors. You end up finding people who can do it but they might not have done it before."

Sorry for the varying quality of these images! The good quality ones are from SBS, everything else is from around the place.



Don Hany plays Zane Malik, our aforementioned Iraqi-Australian detective. He is our protagonist, an excellent detective who was brought into the unit by Inspector Wright. He is driven and passionate, and struggles to be both Muslim and a copper - he thinks he can be both, but the world around him demands that he be only one.



His copper BFF is Sonny Koa, played by Aaron Fa'aoso. Detective Koa is Islander, and is an impassive, straight-line copper. HE IS MY FAVOURITE. He enjoys being a copper, and wants to change the world.



Detective Sergeant Ray Crowley is classic middle-aged, Anglo, old school copper. He really believes that Malik absolutely cannot be both Muslim and Australian, and since Malik is clearly Muslim Crowley thinks he needs to be brought down. He is a bit of a foil for the 'old school racism' style, but in that way that's so subtle I thought I would NEVER SEE IT ON TV. AMAZING.



Susie Porter plays Detective Inspector Patricia Wright. I would love to learn more about her, she is hardline play-by-the rules, clearly an upstanding feminist, and I love the complexities she gradually demonstrates, on trying to understand and trying to do her job and yes.



Detective Helen Callas (played by Daniela Farinacci) is a bit secretive, but cool and calm and very protective, particularly of her mentor, Detective Sergeant Crowley. She's competitive, and gets the job done.



Junior Detective Jung Lim is played by Renee Lim (who is a doctor and an actor at the same time. Not in that usual Aussie way, like those ex-lawyers who are currently comedians; she is currently a doctor and currently an actor. I LOVE HER). We haven't seen her around a lot in season one but I understand we see her a lot more in season two and I'm excited. She's Chinese-Australian! She's on my tv! She sounds just like me!

Other characters include Malik's family, and his wife is sassy, concerned, strong, and wears a headscarf! A positive female Muslim character! On tv! In a headscarf!

You can find a more detailed summary of the characters (with spoilers) here

The homepage: East West 101 at SBS

This series is intense, and amazing. I don't know how it is that I only just found out about it four weeks ago, but I'm glad I finally did and I hope other people will watch it, too.





iamnaiad has a post detailing the awesomeness of East West 101. this link includes uploads for episodes one and two of season one. And if you go to their dw in general, there are the uploads for the other episodes of season one.

Or you could buy it! $29.95 from Dymocks (or online).

I really, really, really want to write this for yuletide.

Comments

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

This looks awesome! Thanks for bringing it to my attention (it's been years since I've actually watched Australian-made television).

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

From The Age article: "For true Muslims to be on camera praying and stuff is not cool, so we had to find someone who knew all about it but was cool to do it. The clincher was he had to look like me."

I did wonder about that! That, and I figured Amina probably wasn't played by a Muslim woman, because of the sex scene in episode one. I wonder how those aspects are perceived by devout Muslim viewers. Time to email my stepmother, I think...

[sainfoin-fields.livejournal.com]

A couple of your pictures aren't loading for me, but I am intrigued nonetheless! I really liked Don Hany when he guested on Legend of the Thing, too. HMMMM.

[ataxi.livejournal.com]

"This is a cop show that is ACTUALLY about living in Australia, and being Australian, that actually reflects the Australia that we see around us, not the usual white-washed Australian television we get."

This looks like a good show, but I reckon this is a contentious statement.

Is this really what Australia is like? I can't remember ever seeing an Iraqi, or Chinese-Australian, or Islander cop, though I'm sure they exist ... I reckon what Australia is really like means that it'd be difficult to be one. It looks like everything about the show might be plausible except that part of the premise.

Speaking of cop dramas, you might enjoy this one, which was way ahead of its time and packed with killer social inquiry.

[mandysbitch.livejournal.com]

You know, I could probably watch William McInnes read the phone book - so maybe I should watch it. Also, these are the people behind Wildside, right? That's a good pedigree. It's just that, it seems like Australia can only do cop shows - which is a little boring.

HELLO I HAVE NOT TALKED TO YOUR FOR YONKS SORRY HERE HAVE A *GLOMP*

[elaran.livejournal.com]

huh. that looks pretty damn awesome.

(also, is the william mcinnes as crowley?)

susie porter has been pretty cool in what i've seen her in (which has not been much?)

will definitely watch on hols!

[roz-mcclure.livejournal.com]

This sounds amazing! I know next to nothing about Real Australia but I am always up for Actually Representative [Place] media rather than Whitebread Fakey [Place] media, and the Muslim-secular career conflict sounds really interesting. Thanks for making this post!

[koalathebear.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this recommendation. I'll check it out at Dymocks tomorrow :)

[acari.livejournal.com]

I'm intrigued by the Australia angle because I know next to nothing about the country, but I dislike cop shows. They usually bore me to tears. I am torn.

Guess I'll have to download an episode and actually find out if I like it.

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

The first season annoyed me a little (one aspect, not sure whether you've finished s1 so don't want to spoil you), but it was good.

I really loved the first ep of s2. And I have a little thing for Don Hany. And I just love that his dad is playing his dad.

And Susie Porter. And fabulous three dimensional characters. And everything you said.

[kirbyfest.livejournal.com]

This looks wonderful. I shall have to seek it out on DVD, at some point; I am not good with the downloading of large quantities of stuff.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

Ooh look at that, the arrogant old-school Caucasian guy was in Look Both Ways. I'm definitely going to check it out. I love cop shows.

(A doctor and an actor at the same time? Damn girl.)

[tevere.livejournal.com]

(Here via copracat)

\O/

I love this show so much! Like you say: THIS is the real Australia, not that whitewashed version that we tend to be sold. And the 'plausibility' of finding this exact ethnic mix in any one police station isn't the point, it's just the joyous fact of seeing people like us doing traditionally white-bread jobs like policing -- but without the show glossing over the pain of racism or the demands that you have to be one thing (police) or the other (Arab/Chinese/Islander), but never both.

Also: employed, opinionated, strong, sexual Muslim woman in a loving relationship with her husband? BE STILL MY BEATING HEART. <3

Here via lizbee

[falena]

Hey, I just wanted to thank you for writing this wonderful post. If it hadn't been for you and lizbee I would have never even heard of this brilliant show. (I live in Italy, the chances of seeing something Australian on my tv screen are close to zero).

I've seen only the first two eps so far and I'm really loving it. Thank you again!

[rodlox.livejournal.com]

sounds good. I'm going to do what I can to get my hands on it.

I like your description; it whets my appetite.

(I'd request this for Yuletide, but I know less about it than I do about Kursun Yarasi). sorry.

DI Wright and Det. Callas both have [x] as their photo (and the final photo is the same). just so you know.