Underbelly: Squizzy

Underbelly: Squizzy, the sixth series of the Australian Nine Network reality crime drama series anthology Underbelly, originally aired from 28 July 2013 to 2 September 2013. It is an eight-part series based on the life and career of notorious Melbourne gangster, Squizzy Taylor, and is set between 1915 and 1927. It premiered on 28 July 2013. The series began its production in late 2012, with filming commencing towards the end of 2012. It is the second series in the franchise after Badness not to have 13 episodes and the first series to be fully set in Melbourne since Underbelly.

Premise

The sixth and final series of Underbelly depicts the rise and fall of one of Australia's most notorious 20th century gangsters, Squizzy Taylor. It shows how Taylor became one of the most feared criminals in Melbourne at the time and his eventual death, which was also depicted in Underbelly: Razor. Justin Rosniak, who played Taylor in Razor, does not reprise his role in the new series; instead Jared Daperis has taken on the role.

Underbelly

Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society.

This term could refer to:

Business

Books

Television

Underbelly (venue)

The Underbelly is a venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe off Cowgate. From 2001-2004, Underbelly was the only venue operated by Underbelly Limited. In 2005, Underbelly added the Baby Belly venue. In 2006, these venues were joined by the E4 UdderBELLY and the Cow Barn.

History of the Underbelly

Underbelly was first opened in 2000, as a small performance venue for five shows brought to the Fringe by the long running Fringe company, Double Edge Drama. The Double Edge directors, now directors of Underbelly, had heard of the venue through a production of Gargantua, performed by acclaimed Scottish company, Grid Iron in the haunting vaults below the central library of Edinburgh. The site was discovered by Judith Doherty and named 'Underbelly' by Judith and her Co-Artistic Director, Ben Harrison. Whilst Grid Iron staged one show there, the vaults proved the perfect location for all five of Double Edge's shows with the company winning a Fringe First and sell-out houses for its critically acclaimed productions of Bent and Marat Sade.

Underbelly (series 1)

Underbelly, the first series of Australian crime television drama series Underbelly. The thirteen-part series originally aired from 13 February 2008 to 7 May 2008 on the Nine Network and is loosely based on the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival, Carl Williams. The series is based on the book Leadbelly: Inside Australia's Underworld, by journalists John Silvester and Andrew Rule, and borrows its name from the successful Underbelly true crime anthology book series also authored by Silvester and Rule. An alternative and significantly updated tie-in novel, Underbelly: The Gangland War, was released as their 13th book in the series. The series is produced by the Australian Film Finance Corporation, in association with Film Victoria. The executive producers are Des Monaghan and Jo Horsburgh.

Squizzy Taylor

Joseph Theodore Leslie "Squizzy" Taylor (29 June 1888 – 27 October 1927) was an Australian-based career criminal and gangster from Melbourne, Victoria who died violently before his 40th birthday. He appeared repeatedly and sometimes prominently in Melbourne news media because of suspicions, formal accusations, and some convictions related to a 1919 violent gang war, to his absconding from bail and hiding from the police in 1921–22, and to his participating in a robbery where a bank manager was murdered in 1923.

Taylor enjoyed a fearsome reputation in 1920s Melbourne. A "spiv", described as the Australian equivalent of the 'American bootleggers', his crimes ranged from pickpocketing, assault and shopbreaking to armed robbery and murder. He also derived income from sly-grog selling, two-up schools, illegal bookmaking, extortion, prostitution and, in his later years, is believed by some to have moved into cocaine dealing.

Although only a diminutive 5 ft 2in (156 cm) tall, Taylor made up what he lacked in stature with dark piercing eyes, a sharp tongue and a treacherous mind. He delighted in surrounding himself with an air of mystery and cleverness as well as always looking for opportunities to impress other members of the underworld. To satisfy his vanity, he wrote letters to the media whilst in hiding from the police for 14 months and even co-starred with his girlfriend in a film, Riding to Win, which was banned by the Victorian censor. He was even prepared to take the credit for other people's violent crimes to make himself appear to be a dangerous criminal always ready to use his gun.