When the gritty ABC two-parter Blue Murder aired in 1995 it became instantly notorious. Police corruption in Sydney was under intense scrutiny and the real-life gangster at the heart of the miniseries – Neddy Smith – was embroiled in court cases for some of the depicted murders, which meant the show was banned in New South Wales for six years.
Even withstanding the gangland threats they were receiving, the actors knew Blue Murder would be huge. For its 30th anniversary, Guardian Australia speaks to some of its stars: Richard Roxburgh (as the crooked cop Roger Rogerson), Steve Bastoni (drug squad detective Michael Drury) and Lo Carmen (sex worker Sallie-Anne Huckstepp) – as well as detective-turned author Duncan McNab, who wrote two books about Rogerson’s reign.
