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Season guide

Underbelly: Underbelly

13 episodes Premiered Feb 13, 2008 Updated Jul 21, 2026

Underbelly is an Australian television true crime-drama series. The program is structured as an anthology, with each series functioning as a standalone story based on real-life events. The first series, released in 2008, is loosely based on the gangland war that occurred in Melbourne between 1995 and 2004. The narrative depicts the key players involved in the city's criminal underworld during this period. Specificall

Season overview

Underbelly is an Australian television true crime-drama series. The program is structured as an anthology, with each series functioning as a standalone story based on real-life events. The first series, released in 2008, is loosely based on the gangland war that occurred in Melbourne between 1995 and 2004. The narrative depicts the key players involved in the city's criminal underworld during this period. Specifically, the series explores the conflicts between the Carlton Crew and their rival, Carl Williams. As a true crime-drama, the production focuses on the historical figures and events that defined this era of Melbourne's history. The series is classified as a drama and carries a TV-MA rating. By examining the activities of these criminal factions, the show provides a dramatized account of the power struggles and criminal operations that characterized the decade-long conflict. The program serves as the inaugural entry in the Underbelly franchise, establishing the format of utilizing distinct, fact-based narratives for each subsequent series.

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Episodes

S1·E1

The Black Prince

Feb 13, 2008

The Melbourne gangland wars start the night the gangster Alphonse Gangitano, "The Black Prince of Lygon Street", and one of the legendary Carlton Crew gang, murders a low-life crim

S1·E2

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Feb 13, 2008

Convinced that Jason Moran was also involved in the nightclub assault, Steve Owens tricks Jason's driver Carl Williams into revealing that he did indeed ferry Jason to and from the

S1·E3

I Still Pray

Feb 20, 2008

Brothers Jason and Mark Moran decide that the Carlton Crew needs to be pulled into the 21st Century. The Moran brothers do a deadly deal to expand their empire while Carl Williams

S1·E4

Cocksure

Feb 27, 2008

Carl Williams is caught red-handed whilst double-crossing the fearsome Moran brothers; the underworld is in an uproar over the mystery source of cheap drugs; a kidnap goes terribly

S1·E5

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Mar 5, 2008

Carl Williams begins his deadly revenge on the crime-controlling Carlton Crew, and tries to increase his ever-expanding grip over the Melbourne crime world; whilst Jason Moran is i

S1·E6

Luv U 4 Eva

Mar 12, 2008

Lewis Moran hires Benji Veniaman to execute his son's, Mark Moran's killer. Subsequently, Veniamen is insulted by the Carton Crew and forms a dangerous alliance with their unpredic

S1·E7

Wise Monkeys

Mar 19, 2008

With their men in jail or dead, the women who love gangsters try to get on with their lives. With Carl Williams in prison, a rival crime boss tries to undermine his empire. A young

S1·E8

Earning A Crust

Apr 2, 2008

Amid growing public unrest, the police establish Task Force Purana to combat the gangland war. Loan shark Mario Condello faces his own financial crisis, which he solves with brutal

S1·E9

Suffer the Children

Apr 9, 2008

Jason Moran returns from self-imposed exile, determined to destroy his rival Carl Williams; death stalks a children's football match; Taskforce Purana finally gets the resources it

S1·E10

Scratched

Apr 16, 2008

Carl Williams is now the undisputed king of the underworld, confident he can get away with murder; the police make the first major breakthrough in their investigations, but they ma

S1·E11

Barbarians at the Gate

Apr 23, 2008

Carl uses his high media profile to accuse Detective Steve Owen of corruption; Graham "Munster" Kinniburgh is gunned down and Mick Gatto tries to convince Carl Williams to end the

S1·E12

Best Laid Plans

Apr 30, 2008

Lewis Caine vows to avenge his best mate Benji's death, but can't trust his new colleagues; lawyer Zarah Garde-Wilson's plans for a romantic future are shattered when her lover is

S1·E13

Team Purana

May 7, 2008

Detective Steve Owen finally gets enough evidence to arrest Carl Williams for murder. After nine years the gangland war is over.