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''Spirited'' is an Australian television Supernatural fiction, supernatural
comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
series made for subscription television channel W that aired for two seasons, 2010 and 2011. The series stars Claudia Karvan as dentist Suzy Darling, who walks away from a loveless marriage and into an old apartment block that is inhabited by the ghost of a 1980s English rock star, Henry Mallet, played by Matt King. Suzy had been married to Steve Darling, played by
Rodger Corser Rodger Corser (born 28 February 1973) is an Australian actor and TV host. Early life Corser graduated from Deakin University in 1996 with an Honours B.A. in Media Studies. He formed a band called Tender Prey when he was 16. They played their ma ...
, for 15 years, and they have two children, Elvis, 13, played by Louis Fowler, and Verity, 8, played by Charlie Hancock. Belinda Bromilow plays Suzy's sister Jonquil.


Cast


Main cast

* Claudia Karvan as Suzy Darling * Matt King as Henry Mallet *
Rodger Corser Rodger Corser (born 28 February 1973) is an Australian actor and TV host. Early life Corser graduated from Deakin University in 1996 with an Honours B.A. in Media Studies. He formed a band called Tender Prey when he was 16. They played their ma ...
as Steve Darling * Belinda Bromilow as Jonquil Payne * Louis Fowler as Elvis Darling * Charlie Hancock as Verity Darling * Angus Sampson as Zach Hannigan * Jane Harders as Rita * Yael Stone as Linda


Recurring

* Anna McGahan as Penelope (5 episodes) * Damon Gameau as Adrian Brixton (2 episodes) * Gillian Jones as Fran Jensen (1 episode) * Heather Mitchell as Helen Payne (8 episodes) * Jacek Koman as Potter the Man (4 episodes) *
John Bluthal John Bluthal (born Isaac Bluthal; 12 August 1929 – 15 November 2018) was a Polish-born Australian actor and comedian, noted for his six-decade career internationally in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. He started his care ...
as Rocco (6 episodes) * Paul Gleeson as Terry (14 episodes) * Russell Dykstra as Adam One (8 episodes) * Sarah Snook as Antonia (10 episodes) * Simon Lyndon as 'The King' / Darren Bonney (10 episodes) * Tasneem Roc as Miss Viola Take (4 episodes)


Guests

* Dan Ewing as Jason Stone (1 episode) *
Doc Neeson Bernard Patrick "Doc" Neeson OAM (4 January 1947 – 4 June 2014) was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the front man for the hard rock band The Angels from its formation in February 1976 through to 1999. The band then spli ...
as Billy Brixton (1 episode) *
Jennifer Byrne Jennifer Victoria Byrne (born 5 March 1955) is an Australian journalist, television presenter and former book publisher. She hosted the monthly ABC television program ''The Book Club'', originally titled ''First Tuesday Book Club''. Early lif ...
as TV Bookshow Host (1 episode) * John Gregg as Priest (1 episode) *
Pacharo Mzembe Pacharo Mzembe is an Australian actor. He has performed on stage, in several television series and in feature films. Early life Mzembe's parents originate from Malawi, but he was born in Zimbabwe. He migrated to Australia at the age of six to ...
as Ghost Tang (1 episode) *
Russell Kiefel Russell John Kiefel (1951 – 20 November 2016) was an Australian stage (theatre), stage, film and television actor. After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Kiefel started his screen acting career with a role in the 1977 fea ...
as Engineer (1 episode) * Toby Schmitz as Scott (1 episode) *
Wendy Playfair Wendy Playfair (born 28 August 1926) is an Australian radio, television and film character actress, best known for her roles in television serials. Playfair started her career in radio serials, but became best known for her brief stint in TV seri ...
as Geisella McKenzie (1 episode)


Series

Claudia Karvan stars as dentist Suzy Darling, who walks away from her husband Steve Darling (
Rodger Corser Rodger Corser (born 28 February 1973) is an Australian actor and TV host. Early life Corser graduated from Deakin University in 1996 with an Honours B.A. in Media Studies. He formed a band called Tender Prey when he was 16. They played their ma ...
) of 15 years and their loveless marriage and into an old apartment block that is inhabited by the ghost of Henry Mallet ( Matt King), a 1980s English rock star. Suzy also has two children, thirteen-year-old son Elvis (Louis Fowler) and eight-year-old daughter Verity (Charlie Hancock), along with a sister Jonquil ( Belinda Bromilow). It is revealed that although Suzy is the only living human being able to see Henry, animals, such as the resident cat, can sense his presence. However, in one scene Henry frightens the caretaker into a heart attack by blowing into his ear. ''Spirited'' is produced by
John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1999 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the vice presidential nominee under ...
, Claudia Karvan and Jacquelin Perske who also created drama series ''
Love My Way ''Love My Way'' is an Australian television drama series created by John Edwards and Claudia Karvan, which premiered on Fox8 on 22 November 2004, before moving to W. for its second season, and Showtime for its third and final season, conclu ...
''.


Cancellation

On 15 October 2011, W announced that it had canceled ''Spirited'' and that there would be no third series. Immediately following this announcement, fans launched a campaign to have the show renewed, using the slogan "SOS: Save Our Spirited". It was announced on 16 December that a possible development deal had been reached with another Australian premium cable channel, Showcase, for a third series. However, with Claudia Karvan being cast in a '' Puberty Blues'' reboot, the likelihood of a third series was slim. ''Spirited'' was not picked up for a third season.


Reception

Jo Curtis at UnrealityTV.com found the pilot "funny; it’s very funny, but probably only if you have a sense of humour that tends towards black", and described the comedy and Karvan's character transformation as "a breath of fresh air." The first season was "
Foxtel NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...
's most successful Australian drama." Although the target audience was "women in their 40s", it also gained the interest of male teenagers, for the "punk character" of Henry Mallet, according to Karvan. In a video review, Doug Anderson (''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
''/''The Guide'') and Lenny Ann Low ( SMH) described the series as "very engaging", and "quality drama" with no problems in its style, substance or ideas. ''The Age'' reviewer Brad Newsome described the second-season premiere as "just as imaginative and funny as any that has gone before." In the week following, Newsome described the show as "one of the most imaginative things on TV, blending romance, drama and comedy into a wonderfully satisfying whole."


Awards and nominations

The seventh episode in the first series, "Riders on the Storm", written by Jacquelin Perske (writer of the film '' Little Fish''), was one of three nominees for the 2011 Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award for best scriptwriting in a television series. Season 2 of Spirited was nominated for 'Best Television Drama Series' at the 2012 AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) awards.


Home video releases


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, 1524415, Spirited
Official Facebook

Spirited-TV.net
Fan site 2010s Australian drama television series 2010 Australian television series debuts 2011 Australian television series endings Television series by Endemol Shine Australia Romantic fantasy television series Television shows about ghosts Television shows set in Sydney