Michael Jenkins (director)
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Michael Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 |
| Died | (aged 77) |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, producer, director |
Michael Jenkins (1946 – 4 March 2024) was an Australian writer, producer and film and television director.[1][2]
Jenkins was the creator of the crime drama television series Scales of Justice, Blue Murder and Wildside, all of which deal with corruption in the New South Wales police force. He also directed the cult film The Heartbreak Kid, its spin-off series Heartbreak High, and served as a producer for the latter's 2022 reboot of the same name.[3]
Jenkins was one of the most highly regarded Australian directors of the 1990s,[4] known for his distinctive, gritty style, particularly for his use of multiple hand-held cameras and semi-improvised dialogue.[5]
Jenkins garnered controversy in 2007, when he was announced as the director of The Wrong Girl, a film about the Sydney gang rapes in 2000, written with Nicholas Hammond. The film ceased production after criticism from Premier Morris Iemma and Deputy Premier John Watkins.[6][7][8]
Jenkins was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020, and died on 4 March 2024, at the age of 77.[9]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Careful, He Might Hear You | writer |
| 1985 | Robbery Under Arms | writer |
| Rebel | director, writer | |
| 1988 | Emerald City | director |
| 1991 | Sweet Talker | director |
| 1993 | The Heartbreak Kid | director, co-writer |
Television[edit]
| Year | Series | Genre | Notes | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–1973 | Bellbird | soap opera | director unknown episodes | ABC |
| 1972 | Quartet | miniseries | writer unknown episodes | |
| 1973–1975 | Certain Women | soap opera | director unknown episodes | |
| 1973 | Serpent in the Rainbow | historical drama | writer, 4 episodes 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04 | |
| 1975 | I'm Here, Darlings! | television movie | director, producer | |
| 1976 | Rush | historical drama | director, 4 episodes 2.03, 2.07, 2.12, 2.13 | |
| 1977 | Pig in a Poke | hospital drama | director unknown episodes | |
| 1979 | Bailey's Bird | children's adventure | director, writer, 1 episode 1.01 | Seven Network |
| One Day, Miller | comedy | director unknown episodes | ABC | |
| 1980 | Young Ramsay | country drama | writer, 1 episode 2.10 | Seven Network |
| Water Under the Bridge | historical drama | writer, 8 episodes 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.08 | Network 10 | |
| 1980–1982 | Spring and Fall | anthology | director, writer, 2 episodes 1.02, 2.04 | ABC |
| 1981 | Menotti | drama | writer, 1 episode 1.08 | |
| 1983 | Scales of Justice | crime drama | creator, director, 3 episodes 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 | |
| 1986 | The Gillies Republic | satirical sketch comedy | director, 6 episodes 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06 | |
| Shark's Paradise | television movie | director | Network Ten | |
| 1988 | The Dirtwater Dynasty | historical drama | director, writer, 5 episodes 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05 | |
| 1992 | The Leaving of Liverpool | historical drama | director, 2 episodes 1.01, 1.02 | ABC |
| 1994–1997 | Heartbreak High | teen drama | creator, director, 2 episodes 1.01, 1.02 | Network Ten ABC |
| 1995 | Blue Murder | crime drama | creator, director, 2 episodes 1.01, 1.02 | ABC |
| 1997–1999 | Wildside | crime drama | creator, director, 2 episodes 1.01, 1.02 | |
| 2002 | Young Lions | crime drama | creator, director, 3 episodes 1.02, 1.04, 1.22 | Nine Network |
| 2017 | Blue Murder: Killer Cop | crime drama | creator, director, 2 episodes 1.01, 1.02 | Seven Network |
References[edit]
- ^ "Michael Jenkins". Archived from the original on 22 February 2013.
- ^ Barry, Ian (8 March 2024). ""A prodigious creator": Vale Michael Jenkins, writer, director and producer". If Magazine.
- ^ "Interview with Michael Jenkins". Peter Malone's Website. 25 March 1996. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ Idato, Michael (8 July 2002). "Roar Talent". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Curator's notes for Wildside". Australian Screen - National Film and Sound Archive.
- ^ Maddox, Gary (1 February 2007). "Director Defends Rape Movie". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Misgivings over gang rape film". 29 January 2007.
- ^ "Sydney gang-rape movie questioned". News.com.au. 27 January 2007.
- ^ Sun, Michael (7 March 2024). "Michael Jenkins: Heartbreak High, Scales of Justice and Blue Murder creator dies aged 77". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
External links[edit]
- Michael Jenkins at IMDb
- Michael Jenkins at Australian Screen Online
- Michael Jenkins at AustLit (subscription required)
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