''Halifax f.p.'' is an Australian television crime series produced by

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

from 1994 to 2002. The series stars

Rebecca Gibney Rebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand actress known for her roles on Australian television in '' The Flying Doctors'', '' Halifax f.p.'', ''Packed to the Rafters'', ''Winter'' and '' Wanted''. She has also featured in a number of Australia ...

as Doctor Jane Halifax, a

forensic psychiatrist Forensic psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry and is related to criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry. According to the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, it is defined as "a subspecialty of psychiatr ...

(f.p.) investigating cases involving the mental state of suspects or victims. The series is set in Melbourne. The producers of the film were Beyond Simpson Le Mesurier; Australian Film Finance Corporation and aired on the Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd. The budget for each episode was an average of AU$1.3 million. Funding came in part from the Australian Film Finance Corporation and Film Victoria.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p72 The show was a set of 21 stand-alone television films, spread over six series. Each was between 90 and 120 minutes long, with a new "episode" airing roughly every few months during its eight-year run. The series aired in more than 60 countries. In August–October 2020, a short weekly revival of the series, called '' Halifax: Retribution'', was also aired.

Cast

Main

as Dr Jane Halifax

Recurring

Robyn Nevin Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Australian theatre performance art. F ...

as Angela Halifax * Steve Bisley as Jonah Cole * David Roberts as Detective Brett Murray * Susanne Chapman as Georgia / Jane's Receptionist * Gerald Lepkowski as Ari

Guests

Aaron Blabey Aaron Blabey (born 1 January 1974) is an Australian author of children's books, and a former actor. He is the creator of three best-selling children's series; ''Pig the Pug'' – a picture book series about a rude, selfish, mean-spirited littl ...

as Tony Lobianco * Adrian Wright as David Onslow * Alan Cassell as Doctor Wallace * Alicia Banit as Young Jane * Amanda Douge as Lauren Hayward *

Andrew Blackman Andrew Blackman (born 2 August 1965) is an Australian born actor, producer, and director who founded the Complete Works Theatre Company (CWTC) in Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian ...

as Stephen Audrey * Andrew Clarke as Gary Preston * Andrew McFarlane as Owen Toser * Andrew McKaige as Tim McNamara * Andy Anderson as Laurie Downes * Angela Punch McGregor as Anthea *

Annie Jones Ann Jones (or similar) may refer to: Writers *Ann Jones (author) (born 1937), American writer on women's issues *Anne Jones (writer) (born 1955), Australian editor and administrator *Anna Jones (food writer), columnist and cookbook author *Cathe ...

as Alison Hart *

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 Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a c ...

as Paula Kingsley *

Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his break-out role in '' The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987). He gained international attention for his starring role in the crime d ...

as Peter Donaldson * Bernard Curry as Adam Lawler * Beth Buchanan as Denise Crow * Brett Climo as Danny * Brett Swain as Lauper *

Brett Tucker Brett Alan Tucker (born 21 May 1972) is an Australian actor and singer. He was a series regular in '' The Saddle Club'', '' McLeod's Daughters'', and '' Mistresses''. He is also known for his role as Daniel Fitzgerald in ''Neighbours''. He pla ...

as Scott Lovejoy * Bruce Hughes as Ian Turner *

Bruce Spence Bruce Robert Spence (born 17 September 1945) is a New Zealand-born Australian actor. Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre. Career Spence won an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the 197 ...

as Eric Washburn *

Bryan Marshall Bryan Marshall (19 May 1938 – 25 June 2019) was a British actor, with a number of major credits in film and television to his name, in both Britain and Australia. Early life Marshall was born in Battersea, south London. He was educated at th ...

as John Halifax, Jane's Father * Cameron Nugent as Kevin Witherspoon * Caroline Gillmer as Roseanne *

Catherine Wilkin Catherine Wilkin (born October 1950) is a New Zealand actor who has worked in New Zealand and Australia. Career Wilkin has acted in many Australian television shows, with a mix of guest and multi-episode recurring roles. She played the recur ...

as Erica Chatwin / Marion Walters * Clodagh Crowe as Detective Snr Constable Sylvia Manganaris *

Colin Friels Colin Friels (born 25 September 1952) is an Australian actor of theatre, TV, film and presenter. Early life Friels was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland.Interview with Colin Friels, ''George Negus Tonight'' (ABC Television), 26 August 200 ...

as Police Officer Kevin Tait * Damian Walshe-Howling as Scott Brennan * Damien Fotiou as Michael Slevic *

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 Detective Koslinksi * Danielle Carter as Stevie *

Danny Adcock Danny Adcock is an Australian actor. Career Film and television Adcock has worked extensively in television. After scoring a handful of guest roles, he landed his first film role as a policeman in the Ozploitation film '' The Cars That At ...

as Athol Callaghan * David Tredinnick as David Neilson / Gautama *

Deborra-Lee Furness Deborra-Lee Furness Jackman, (born 30 November 1955) is an Australian actress and producer. Early life Furness was born in Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, and raised in Melbourne, Victoria. At the age of 18, Furness attended ...

as Brigit Grant * Dee Smart as Fiona Calwell * Dino Marnika as Carl Sankovic / Joe * Doris Younane as Emma Ford * Emily Browning as Kristy O’Connor *

Essie Davis Esther "Essie" Davis is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in '' Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'' and its film adaptation, '' Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears'', and as Amelia Vanek in '' The Babadook''. ...

as Alison Blount *

Fiona Corke Fiona Corke (born 24 September 1961) is an Australian actress best known for her role as Gail Robinson (Neighbours), Gail Robinson on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Early life Corke grew up in Chewton, Victoria, Chewton near Castlem ...

as Christine / Lisa McNamara * Frances O'Connor as Frances * Frankie J. Holden as Detective Leo Birse *

Garry McDonald Garry George McDonald AO (born 30 October 1948) is an Australian actor, satirist and comedian. In a career spanning five decades he has had many theatre, television and film roles, and has been listed as a National Living Treasure. He is bes ...

as Alex Goodson * Gary Day as Sergeant Mick Snow * Gemma Bishop as Samantha Anderson (1 episode) *

Grant Bowler Grant Bowler (born 18 July 1968) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and television presenter who has worked in American, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian film, television, and theatre. He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne ...

as Detective Bob Palance * Grant Piro as Terry Lansdown *

Greg Stone Gregory "Greg" Jonathon Stone (born 23 June 1961 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian actor who has appeared in films, television and on stage. Early life Stone was born in Perth, Western Australia to parents Roy and Jennifer Stone a ...

as Detective Leon Finke *

Guy Pearce Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. List of awards and nominations received by Guy Pearce, His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, and nominations for an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Aw ...

as Daniel Viney & Richard Viney *

Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...

as Detective Eric Ringer *

Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a British actor. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) and has been recognised as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. Born in Colonia ...

as Detective Sgt. Tom Hurkos *

Ian Bliss Ian Bliss (born 30 June 1966) is an Australian film, television, and stage character actor, he has appeared in numerous Australian television dramas including ''Heartbreak High'', '' Wentworth'' and as several characters in the '' Underbelly uni ...

as Garry *

Jacqueline McKenzie Jacqueline Susan McKenzie (born 24 October 1967) is an Australian film and stage actress. Early life Born in Sydney, New South Wales, McKenzie attended Wenona School in North Sydney, New South Wales, North Sydney until 1983 then moved to Pymb ...

as Sharon Sinclair * Jane Hall as Linda Ellis *

Jason Clarke Jason Clarke (born 17 July 1969) is an Australian actor. He has appeared in many TV series, and is known for playing Tommy Caffee on the television series '' Brotherhood''. He has also appeared in many films, often as an antagonist. His film r ...

as Detective * Jeremy Callaghan as Alex, Jane's lover * John Walton as Kaz * Julieanne Newbould as Margaret Masters * Kate Keltie as Michelle * Kick Gurry as Luke * Lewis Fiander as Oliver Crowley * Louise Siversen as Linda Quinn / Beth Hartley * Mark Hennessy as Kovacs * Marnie Reece-Wilmore as Annabel Colless * Marshall Napier as Dr Dale Counahan *

Marta Dusseldorp Marta Dusseldorp is an Australian stage, film and theatre actress. Her television credits include ''BlackJack'', ''Crownies'' (and its spin-off '' Janet King''), ''Jack Irish'' and '' A Place to Call Home''. She is also a producer, as co-found ...

as Glenys Lund * Marton Csokas as John Garth * Mary Docker as Elly *

Matthew Dyktynski Matthew Dyktynski is an Australian actor and comedian, graduating from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1992. Career Television Dyktinski has played lead roles on television series ''Shock Jock'' and '' Raw FM'', and has appea ...

as Detective Richard Petty * Max Phipps as Detective Inspector Derrida *

Michael Veitch Michael Veitch (born 29 November 1962 in Melbourne) is an Australian author, actor and broadcaster, best known for his roles on the sketch comedy television shows '' The D-Generation'', '' Fast Forward'' and '' Full Frontal'', as well as for hi ...

as Doctor Baker * Neil Melville as Phillip Parker / Jim Dettmann * Nell Feeney as Maureen O’Connor *

Nicholas Bell Nicholas Bell (born 15 August 1958) is an English actor who has worked in Australia for more than 30 years. Bell works regularly with the Melbourne Theatre Company as well as with all the major television broadcasters in Australia, most notabl ...

as Barry * Nicholas Eadie as Ian Moffat / Ian Laser * Nick Carrafa as Homicide Detective #1 / Alan Howard * Paul Sonkkila as Bartlett * Peter Adams as Peter O'Hare,

Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Vic ...

* Peter Hardy as Police Officer Tony Roman * Peter Hosking as Foucault * Peter Kowitz as Matthew Erhmann * Peter O'Brien as Steve Elliot * Petra Yared as Alicia Polk * Radha Mitchell as Sarah * Rhondda Findleton as Detective Grace Lord * Richard Cawthorne as Gary Groom * Richard Roxburgh as Sergeant Paul Santos * Robert Hughes as Craig West, TV Presenter * Robert van Mackelenberg as Dr. David King * Sacha Horler as Karen Oldfield *

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson ( – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

as Jamie Callen *

Shane Connor Shane Connor (born 3 April 1959) also billed/credited as Shane Feeney-Connor, is an Australian actor, who has had extensive experience in stage, television and film productions, both locally and internationally in the United Kingdom and United St ...

as Ray *

Simon Westaway Simon Westaway (born 22 December 1958) is an Australian actor who has appeared in many television series, films and theatre productions. Education Westaway studied acting with PBL Workshop and John Gauchi's Theatre Workshop. Career Westaway ...

as Jon Knight * Sonia Todd as Detective Helen Hunt * Sophie Lee as Corri Neale * Steve Jacobs as William * Steven Vidler as Steve Kingsley * Susan Lyons as Detective Helen de Castro * Terry Serio as Detective Harry Davenport * Tim Robertson as Joe Mandle, Police Officer * Tony Barry as Bob 'Dizzy' Gillespie * Troy Beckwith as Rob Pringle * Veronica Lang as Cheryl Daleford *

Wayne Hope Wayne Hope is an Australian actor, writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop diffe ...

as Brooke Gibson * William McInnes as Jeremy Buckle

Background

The series follows the career of Dr. Jane Halifax (

), a forensic psychiatrist. Her qualifications in the series are listed as

MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

(Melb.) and FRANZCP. Halifax is Melbourne-based and is shown living at Jensen House on

Swanston Street Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the Melbourne central business district, Victoria, Australia. It was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically bisects Melbourne's city centre and is famous as the wor ...

opposite the

State Library of Victoria State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in th ...

. Her offices are shown as located in Causeway House on

Little Collins Street Little Collins Street is a minor road, street in the Melbourne central business district, Victoria, Australia. The street runs parallel to and to the north of Collins Street, Melbourne, Collins Street and as a narrow one way lane takes on the ...

. An only child, her mother, Angela Halifax (

), lives alone, and her deceased father, John Halifax (1935-1991), was a barrister who enjoyed magic as a hobby. In episodes 1-7 and 9, she owns and drives a

Jaguar Mark 2 The Jaguar Mark 2 is a mid-sized luxury sports saloon built from late 1959 to 1967 by Jaguar in Coventry, England. The previous Jaguar 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre models made between 1955 and 1959 are identified as Mark 1 Jaguars.Eric Dymock, The ...

(although she drives a modern convertible in episode 8 and later a Saab 900 NG). In episode 1, a book she wrote as an undergraduate (''The Preppie Rapist'') is mentioned in a court case where she appears as an expert. In episode 5, Halifax mentions returning from a stint in the US helping out the FBI. In episode 6, it is mentioned that she was 'burnt' by a relationship she had with a married professor while studying in the US. In episode 16, Halifax undergoes a colposcopy and a cone biopsy due do abnormal cell growth (a medical issue common in her father's family).

Episodes

Series overview

Telemovies listed chronologically by series, with release dates by the Australian Television archive.

Series 1 (1994–1995)

Series 2 (1996)

Note: Episode 2 was aired after 3.

Series 3 (1997–1998)

Series 4 (1999)

Note: Episode 2 was aired after 3.

Series 5 (2000)

Series 6 (2001–2002)

Home media

Reception

The show went on to be nominated for and win a number of AFI awards.

AACTA Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series The AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature, also known as AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series, is an award that has been handed out to producers annually since 1986 by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), since 2011 the Aust ...

: * 1995 ''The Feeding'' (Winner); ''Hard Corps'' (Nominated); ''Lies of the Mind'' (Nominated) * 1996 ''Cradle and All'' (Nominated) * 1998 ''Afraid of the Dark'' (Nominated) * 1999 ''Swimming with Sharks'' (Nominated) * 2000 ''A Person of Interest'' (Nominated) * 2002 ''Takes Two'' (Nominated)

Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama

* 1995 (''Hard Corps'')

& Steven Vidler (Winner); (''The Feeding'') Steve Bisley (Nominated); (''Lies of the Mind'') Richard Roxburgh (Nominated) * 1998 (''Afraid of the Dark'')

(Nominated) * 1999 (''Swimming with Sharks'') David Tredinnick (Nominated)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Telefeature or Mini Series

* 2000 (''A Person of Interest'') Andy Anderson (Winner); (''A Hate Worse Than Death'') Nicholas Eadie (Nominated)

Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama

* 1995 (''Lies of the Mind'')

(Winner); (''Lies of the Mind'')

(Nominated) * 1998 (''Afraid Of The Dark'')

(Nominated) * 2002 (''Takes Two'') Mary Docker (Nominated)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Telefeature or Mini Series

* 2000 (''The Spider And The Fly'')

(Nominated); (''A Person Of Interest'')

(Nominated)

Best Screenplay in a Television Drama

* 1995 ''Lies of the Mind'' (Nominated); ''The Feeding'' (Nominated) * 1998 ''Afraid of the Dark'' (Nominated) * 2000 ''A Person of Interest'' (Nominated) * 2002 ''Takes Two'' (Nominated)

References

External links

Australian Television archive
*
List of ''Halifax f.p.'' episodes
at

epguides epguides is a website dedicated to English language Radio programs, radio and Television programs, television shows. Established in 1995 as The Episode Guides Page, it originally offered fan-compiled episode guides for hundreds of United States ...

.com.
''Halifax FP'' - "Afraid of the Dark"
at

Australian Screen Online The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a national c ...

{{AACTA Award TeleFilmMiniSeries 1990–2009 Nine Network original programming 1994 Australian television series debuts 2002 Australian television series endings Television shows set in Victoria (state) 1990s Australian crime television series 2000s Australian crime television series Television series by Beyond Television Productions