This show has got to be one of the most brilliantly written shows I'VE ever seen. The character of Cleaver is laugh out loud funny- his dialogue and those of others- make other tv shows seem like they were filmed underwater. It is outrageously clever and hilarious... Don't know what else to say but I'm so addicted... and I hope they keep this on for as long as possible. In such an age where politically correct bs seems to win the day- Cleaver's approach to cut things down to size is so REFRESHING. This is what TV was meant to be- not the other sorry ass drivel they pimp as tv... Thank the heavens for Mr. Cleaver and gang...

Unlike Suits (Which I liked for 1.5 seasons then stopped watching) you won't be yearning for the polished lifestyle or impossible suaveness from this chaotic series. Raw to the bone, our protagonist is clear about his brilliant skills and vices, though never concerned enough to change his pattern of behaviour. In Cleaver Greene we find a scruffy, self-destructive yet well versed anti hero who regularly messes up, finds himself in seedy situations and rather enjoyably, doesn't always get away with it. Complete with a questionable moral compass and unique understanding of the law, Rake is only mostly lovable and only slightly hateable. A truly unique spin on the law/drama/comedy genre Rake isn't for everyone with its controversial, politically incorrect narrative. It is for that reason (other than its individually) that I find its charm. Beautifully unapologetic Rake manages a mix of murder, sex, drugs, prostitution, terrorism, politics and even bestiality within its episodes without you feeling like you need a bath or wanting to change channel.I must say Richard Roxburgh as Rake is impeccably cast. The script too by the combined forces of Peter Duncan, Richard Roxburgh, Charles Waterstreet and Andrew Knight is truly exceptional.Be entertained, amused and even informed as Rake makes you wince, laugh and squirm.

I tripped over this show on my way to the US remake, which caught my attention because of the presence of the always-likable Greg Kinnear. I'm very glad I tried the Australian original first. The US version is derivative and downright dreary; the original sparkles, with both razor-sharp satire and equally sharp-edged drama.Rake manages to fuse comedy, courtroom trickery, human drama and even some odd moral allegory. All these facets are apparent in the first show, when Greene must defend a cannibal (brilliantly played by Hugo Weaving) - who just happens to be a free-market economist, and who (like most free-market economists) sees nothing wrong with what he has done. In the next show, Greene tries to get an innocent woman convicted, then is forced to switch and get a guilty one acquitted. Then he defends a bigamist, who just happens to be a model husband - more than once.Greene's approach to the defence in each case is both clever and believable, in a way that most courtroom fiction is not. It reminds me of the best of Rumpole, with that series' ability to feel sympathy even for the guilty, and its reliance on astute legal trickery to make things come out 'right' in the end. Not to mention its ability to make us question just what 'right' means, in each case.Rake has immediately leaped onto my list of top ten TV shows *ever*. It's as funny, vulgar and painfully real as the brilliant British sitcom Still Game. Yet it's equally compelling dramatically. It definitely has things to say, but it slips these points in subtly, slyly, when you're not looking.Jack Lemon (speaking about The Apartment) said his ideal role was one that was both comedy and drama. That describes Rake perfectly. Richard Roxburgh may not be the equal of Lemon (who is?), but he comes through superbly as Cleaver Greene. The other roles are similarly well-handled, many of them by actors who will be very familiar to fans of Australian cinema.The US version of Rake seems like a quality production, and I may give it another try, though I admit I was unable to get through the first episode. The show seems predictably gutless, unable to embrace the moral ambiguity of the Greene character. Kinnear ends up playing a dysfunctional loser, where Roxburgh scintillates as exactly what he should be: a rake - an utterly likable rogue, a womanizer, a vagabond. A man who has no choice but to live by his own rules, and who adheres to no moral code but his own.I don't register a 10/10 rating very often, but in this case I felt like it was barely high enough. My advice: track down this show by whatever means necessary, and see it immediately.UPDATE: Rake is back for a 4th season. There's no question that the original brilliance has dimmed just a bit. The first season focused on legal shenanigans. Successive seasons have become more of an improbably Rake-ish soap opera. They're still a load of fun, but maybe in the 8-9/10 range. Still, the approach remains unique, and it's always a pleasure to see Roxburgh chewing up the scenery as the quintessentially Australian anti-hero, Cleaver Greene.

Typical Australian TV: same handful of actors regurgitated over and over like an old boys club (why was Martin Henderson cast as an American when he is incapable of delivering lines in an American tongue?); same self-consciously humorous scripts as subtle as Comic Capers – it's basically the Chaser's War minus a few farts and cream pies. When will our producers dare to lose this cringeworthy jingoism and allow our entertainment to meet world sensibilities? It's as insular as it was in 1960something. And this coming from the ABC! Unpardonable tripe. Like chucking a bucket of pigswill at the proletariat. I'm as embarrassed as I am about the Pauline Hansons and Fred Niles over this kind of stuff.