Catching Milat
| Company type | Miniseries |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | May 17, 2015 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Television drama |
| Parent | Shine Productions (Shine Australia, part of Shine Group) |
Catching Milat is a two-episode Australian miniseries broadcast on the Seven Network in partnership with Screen Australia on 17 and 24 May 2015. Adapted from the 1998 publication Sins of the Brother by Mark Whittaker and Les Kennedy, the series chronicles the investigation by New South Wales Police and the "Task Force Air" detectives leading to the apprehension of serial murderer Ivan Milat, known for the notorious backpacker murders.
Critical response
Clive Small, former assistant commissioner and leader of "Task Force Air," expressed criticism regarding the series, describing it as a somewhat fictionalized portrayal that notably exaggerates Detective Paul Gordon's involvement.
Main cast
- Richard Cawthorne portraying Detective Paul Gordon
- Geoff Morrell as Superintendent Clive Small
- Malcolm Kennard in the role of Ivan Milat
- David Field as Detective Neil Birse
- Craig Hall playing Detective Rodney Lynch
- Luke Ford as Detective Bob Godden
- Salvatore Coco portraying Detective Mark Camenzuli
- Leeanna Walsman as Shirley Soires
- Sacha Horler in the role of Karen Milat
- Carole Skinner as Margaret Milat
- Fletcher Humphrys portraying Richard Milat
- Linda Ngo as Therese
- Alex Williams playing Paul Onions
- Michael Denkha as Des Butler
- Helen Thomson portraying Dr Miriam Bentley
- Steve Le Marquand as Phil Polgasse
- Lucy Bell in the role of Jill Walters
Production
The miniseries was developed by Shine Productions (Shine Australia, part of Shine Group) for Network Seven. Direction was led by Peter Andrikidis, with Kerrie Mainwaring and Rory Callaghan serving as producers. Filming occurred in southwestern Australia’s pine forests. Dalton Dartmouth authored the script.
Reception
The premiere episode was broadcast at 8:50 pm on 17 May 2015 via the Seven Network.
| No. | Air date | Viewers (millions) |
Nightly rank |
Consolidated Viewers (millions) |
Adjusted rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday, 17 May 2015 | 1.387 | #2 | 1.626 | #1 |
| 2 | Sunday, 24 May 2015 | 1.459 | #1 | 1.686 | #1 |
Home Media
Catching Milat became available on DVD and Blu-ray on 25 May 2015. The DVD features extended versions of both episodes compared to their original television airings; however, it does not include any additional bonus material.
| Title | Format | Ep # | Discs | Region 4/B (Australia) | Special Features | Distributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catching Milat (Complete Series) | DVD/Blu-Ray | 2 | 2 | 25 May 2015 | None | Beyond Home Entertainment |