Hunter was superior Australian TV entertainment. With a higher budget than competing Aussie dramas and a cool jazz score, it was a neat diversion from the 'by the numbers' cop show formula. It was a major hit across its two series. Tony Ward was solid as the titular agent and the show's break-out star, Gerard Kennedy (later of Division 4 fame), proved to be a great adversary. The show's higher than normal budget allowed a significant amount of outdoor filming and this added to the impact. Watching the late 2019 DVD from Crawford Productions, Hunter has well stood up to the test of time. All in all, Hunter is a TV gem from the late 1960s.
4 Reviews
America has Dirty Harry, Australia - Kragg!
opsbooks10 April 2003
This series, generally about espionage along the eastern coast of Australia, made a star out of Gerard Kennedy (at least during the 1960s) due to his memorable and unforgettable portrayal of Kragg. Who was Kragg? A really nasty though occasionally charming chap who made hero John Hunter played by ex-news anchor Tony Ward look pretty ordinary. HUNTER is generally forgotten when Aussie dramas from the 1960s are discussed. It's the better-known HOMICIDE which gets the nod, probably as it was in all honesty a better-made series. But it didn't have Gerard Kennedy, an underrated actor who could have given Clint Eastwood a run for his money!
Combi
bevo-136787 September 2020
period Australiana
parachute-410 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A quaint Australian take on the sixties espionage/handsome hero genre. Tony Ward puts in a somewhat casual performance as the lead, but Gerard Kennedy plays the series' perennial bad-ass role "Kragg" exceptionally well, and this part was the foundation for his subsequent success in the local film and TV industry, in which he became an indispensable stock "hard man".
Late in the series, Tony Ward got written out, and "Kragg" switched sides and became a good guy ! However, the show didn't seem to work without the likable Tony Ward, even though his acting was less than inspiring. Many well-known Aussie character actors got their start in shows like "Hunter" and like Kennedy, went on to do well in the boom times of local cinema in the 1970's.
Not a bad production for its time and some episodes would still hold up reasonably well. Interesting viewing as a 1960's Australia period piece. Whatever happened to all those ladies with the cute hairdos, and the guys who never stepped outside without the regulation business suit and hat on ?
R. B.
Late in the series, Tony Ward got written out, and "Kragg" switched sides and became a good guy ! However, the show didn't seem to work without the likable Tony Ward, even though his acting was less than inspiring. Many well-known Aussie character actors got their start in shows like "Hunter" and like Kennedy, went on to do well in the boom times of local cinema in the 1970's.
Not a bad production for its time and some episodes would still hold up reasonably well. Interesting viewing as a 1960's Australia period piece. Whatever happened to all those ladies with the cute hairdos, and the guys who never stepped outside without the regulation business suit and hat on ?
R. B.
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