''Fisk'' is an Australian television comedy series on ABC Television, first airing on 17 March 2021. The second season aired in 2022, and the third premiered on 20 October 2024. Seasons 1 and 2 are also broadcast on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

and by other outlets around the world. The series is co-created and co-written by comedian Kitty Flanagan, and takes its name from its central character Helen Tudor-Fisk, played by Flanagan, who joins a small legal firm after returning to her hometown,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Premise

The series revolves around the life of lawyer Helen Tudor-Fisk, who leaves

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

for

after her career and marriage fall apart. She then finds work at a small

solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

s that specialises in probate law and wills. The firm, Gruber & Gruber, is run by siblings Ray and Roz, assisted by probate clerk/"webmaster" George. In the third series, Tudor-Fisk is a partner in the rebranded Gruber & Fisk, while Roz is continuing with her career in mediation. Ray has a new romantic interest, Melissa, a fashion psychologist, while George is engaging in "side hustles" with his grandmother.

Cast

Main

* Kitty Flanagan as Helen Tudor-Fisk * Marty Sheargold as Ray Gruber, a partner at the firm of Gruber & Gruber * Julia Zemiro as Roz Gruber, a partner at the firm of Gruber & Gruber who is suspended during the first series * Aaron Chen as George Chen, the probate clerk whom Helen often addresses as "Webmaster" * John Gaden as Anthony Fisk, Helen's father and retired Supreme Court judge * Glenn Butcher as Viktor, Anthony's husband and former "tipstaff" (law clerk) * Debra Lawrance as May, Helen's aunty (Season 1) * George Henare as Graham, May's husband (Season 1) * Gabrielle Chan (Season 3)

Guests

Alex Papps Alex Papps (born 11 February 1969) is an Australian actor, television host, writer and singer. Early life Papps was born in Melbourne in 1969, to Apollo Papps who, though identifying as Greek, was born in Cairo, and a mother of English and Jew ...

as Petro (2 episodes) * Alison Whyte as Ruth (1 episode) * Anne Edmonds as Anne (4 episodes) * Bert La Bonté as William G.H Ford (1 episode) * Bessie Holland as Fun Peggy (2 episodes) * Brett Climo as Sergeant McCabe (1 episode) * Broden Kelly as Simon Bramovich (1 episode) * Carl Barron as Murray (2 episodes) * Claudia Karvan as Vicki (1 episode) * Colette Mann as Mrs Popovitch / Irma (2 episodes) * Colin Lane as David Bunting (1 episode) *

Daniela Farinacci Daniela Farinacci (also credited as Daniella Farinaci) is an Australian actress of Italian descent, who has many television, film and theatre credits. Farinacci is perhaps best known for her role in the Australian movie ''Lantana'' as Paula, alo ...

as Gina (1 episode) * Danielle Walker as Gaynor (1 episode) * Dave O'Neil as Bob (3 episodes) * Deborah Kennedy as Edith (1 episode) *

Denise Scott Denise Margaret Scott (born 24 April 1955) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, television and radio presenter. Career Scott has appeared frequently on Australian television since her regular slot on ABC TV's ''The Big Gig'' in 1990, a ...

as Leslie (2 episodes) *

Ed Kavalee Edward Robert Kavalee (born 30 June 1979) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, podcaster, radio and television presenter and association football commentator. He is a recurring panellist on Network 10's '' Have You Been Paying Attention?'' ...

as Blayden (1 episode) * Georgina Naidu as Alice Pike (2 episodes) * Geraldine Hickey as Gwen (2 episodes) *

Gina Riley Gina Riley (born 6 May 1961) is a retired Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian, known for portraying Kim Craig in the television series '' Kath & Kim'', and for her work in musical theatre. Career Television and film Riley became a ...

as Maureen MacIntyre (1 episode) * Glenn Ridge as MC (1 episode) * Glenn Robbins as Dean (3 episodes) * Jane Clifton as Jean (1 episode) * Justine Clarke as Melissa (3 episodes) * Libby Tanner as Annabelle (1 episode) * Linda Bull as Acapella SOS Choir / Tina (2 episodes) * Lucy Durack as Acapella SOS Choir (1 episode) * Marg Downey as Lindy (2 episodes) * Matt Okine as Theo (1 episode) * Mel Buttle as Nerida (1 episode) * Nath Valvo as Waiter (1 episode) * Rachael Maza as Bridget (1 episode) * Ray O'Leary as Casper (1 episode) * Rhys Nicholson as Leo / Male Assistant (2 episodes) * Richard Davies as Brandon (1 episode) * Rob Sitch as Ronald (1 episode) * Sam Campbell as Bubby (1 episode) * Sam Pang as Alex (1 episode) *

Shane Bourne Shane Jerome Bourne (born 24 November 1949) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, musician, and television host. Early life and education Shane Jerome Bourne was born on 24 November 1949 in Melbourne, Victoria. He was raised by his mot ...

as Howard (3 episodes) *

Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...

as Nikolai (1 episode) *

Tom Ballard Thomas Ballard (1630–1689) was a colonial Virginia landowner and politician. Thomas or Tom Ballard may also refer to: * Thomas Ballard Jr. (1654–1710), member of the Virginia House of Burgesses * Thomas Ballard (MP for Coventry), member of P ...

as Stefan (2 episodes)

Production

Co-creator, co-writer, and star of the series, Kitty Flanagan, had trouble getting her idea for the series to air, as the main character was deemed too unlikeable. After having literary success with her 2019 book ''488 Rules for Life: The Thankless Art of Being Correct'', she realised that it was a rule book for her character, and may have been one of the reasons that ABC Television commissioned the series. The first series was originally announced in late 2020 as ''Entitled''. Filming took place in

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne Local government ar ...

and other locations during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, with strict protocols on room density and proximity. Large groupings had to be avoided. In November 2021, it was announced that a second series had been commissioned by ABC (released 2022). In November 2023, it was announced that a third series had been commissioned by ABC (aired 2024). All three series are co-created by Flanagan and Vincent Sheehan, co-written by Flanagan and her sister Penny Flanagan, and co-directed by Flanagan and Tom Peterson. Vincent Sheehan did not come back to write Season 3, however came back as a producer, along with Nicole Minchin.

Episodes

Series 1 (2021)

Series 2 (2022)

Series 3 (2024)

Broadcast

The first series went to air on ABC TV from 17 March 2021. The second series aired in 2022, and the third from 20 October 2024. The first series has been streaming on

since August 2023, and the second series since December 2023. Since August 2023, series one and two can also be streamed on

ITVX ITVX is a British Over-the-top media services, over-the-top and ad-supported Streaming television, streaming service operated by ITV plc. The service offers original content from the broadcaster, livestreams of the ITV television channels, Free ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Reception

Critical reception

Kylie Northover of ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'' gave the series debut 3.5 out of 5 stars. Luke Buckmaster in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' gave the show 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the first episode was funnier than the rest.

Awards and nominations

In September 2021 ''Fisk'' won the Best Series Award in the comedies competition at Europe's largest TV festival, Series Mania, in

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

, France. It beat six other series chosen for the event, including the multi-Emmy-nominated series '' Hacks'', from

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

. , - , rowspan="2",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, rowspan="11",

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the cinema of Australia, film and ...

, Best Television Comedy Series , ''Fisk'' , , rowspan="2", , - , Best Comedy Performer , Kitty Flanagan , , - , rowspan="4",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, Best Television Comedy Series , ''Fisk'' , , rowspan="4", , - , rowspan="2", Best Acting in a Comedy , Kitty Flanagan , , - , Julia Zemiro , , - , Best Original Music Score in Television , Episode 4 - Megan Washington & Daniel O'Brien , , - , rowspan="5",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, Best Narrative Comedy Series , ''Fisk'' , , rowspan="5", , - , rowspan="2", Best Acting in a Comedy , Kitty Flanagan , , - , Aaron Chen , , - , Best Screenplay in Television , Episode 3: "I'm the Fisk" - Penny Flanagan & Kitty Flanagan , , - , Best Editing in Television , Episode 3: "I'm the Fisk" - Katie Flaxman , , - , rowspan="2",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, rowspan="6",

Logie Awards The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The event is telecast live and ...

, Most Popular Actress , Kitty Flanagan , , rowspan="2", , - , Most Popular Comedy Program , Fisk , , - , rowspan="4",

, Most Popular Actress , Kitty Flanagan , , rowspan="4", , - , Most Popular Actress , Julia Zemiro , , - , Most Popular Comedy Program , ''Fisk'' , , - , Most Outstanding Comedy Program , ''Fisk'' ,

Viewership

On Netflix, ''Fisk'' was in the top 10 viewed series on Netflix in 10 countries, including South Africa, the UK, and the US. ;Series 1 ;Series 2 ;Series 3

Home media

The first series of ''Fisk'' was released in Australia on DVD on 30 June 2021 from

Roadshow Entertainment Roadshow Entertainment (formerly known as Roadshow Home Video from 1982–1993) is an Australian home video, production and distribution company that is a division of Village Roadshow (formerly Roadshow Home Video and Roadshow Entertainment) th ...

Notes

References

External links

* *
Fisk
' on

ABC iview ABC iview is a video on demand and catch-up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia. As of 2016, ABC iview attracts around 50 million plays monthly and a ...

{{ABC Television programming Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming 2020s Australian comedy television series Australian workplace comedy television series 2021 Australian television series debuts Television shows set in Melbourne Australian English-language television shows Australian legal television series