I really can't say enough good things about this show. Each season we are introduced to a whole new cast of characters and series of events spanning over roughly a decade for each series. The show does a beautiful job of spanning over several years without feeling like anything is rushed or left out. Each episode feels like a mini saga of it's own, with new challenges and conflicts facing the characters that it focuses on. We watch characters grow from amateurs to professionals in a matter of episodes and it all feels very real. Also, as we see at the beginning of each episode, it is all based on real events. A quick search on the Internet will reveal that almost all characters and events are very close to their real counterparts. I could go on about the attention to detail in the story lines and the the top notch acting all around but you should just watch and see for yourself.Note: I'm writing this review having just finished watching season 3 of Underbelly, which is unfortunately the last season available to me on Netflix here in the U.S.

First of all I am a Sopranos fanatic of the highest order, I've bought all the DVDs for all seasons. Hence with such a "refined" palate for the genre I really didn't have high expectations of this Aussie program. In fact when TV3 screened it earlier this year (or was it last year?) here in NZ, I missed it. I caught up with the recent rerun on the same TV channel (also bought the DVD). And boy! I'm glad I did because it is absolutely fantastic... Now, I saw a few "nah, it ain't all that" comments here but as 1)a Kiwi who is very frugal with any praise directed at anything or anybody Australian and 2)an out and out Sopranos fanatic I'll tell you this is one awesome show, right up there with the Sopranos. If anything, I think it's even better especially with its "life is even more mind-bogglingly stranger than fiction" story. Full credit to the film crew and sound editor; they nailed some emotionally- moving scenes with the cinematography and soundtrack. Underbelly is the only Mafia-style program/movie that has moved me to tears because of its poignant moments of futility, stupidity and sorrow. Bravo!!!

i thought this might be quite rushed. However I disagree with other comments here..Each episode drags you into the underworld of the famous gangland killings in Melbourne.I really like that Caroline Craig narrates. At points in this drama it does make you feel quite upset and also sad.There are a lot of familiar faces if you have watched Australian TV/movies before.I am currently up to episodes 8 and it's getting better with every episode.I think it takes a few episodes to get into it.

The connection between Sopranos and this series is not far-fetched. Like that show it shows a life of crime and how these gangsters deal with their family. After having seen five episodes more depth is shown and it gets real clear that things will get very nasty indeed. The acting by the cast is superb. And it was good to see Calvan Mulvey (Heartbreak High) return in a much more mature role. What I liked especially in this show that it doesn't exactly choose sides. It is not just about the police getting the bad guys. They also show that even the gangsters have their morals and aren't entirely evil as most people would have us believe. But it doesn't glamorize the life of crime either. When necessary it does show the impact of the crimes committed. Excellent show!