Rake

2010 • Australian Broadcasting Corporation
4.8
132 reviews
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (8)

1 R Vs Murray
4/11/10
Season-only
Cleaver is presented by best friend and solicitor Barney with a case he can't resist - the defence of Professor Graham Murray, a world-renowned economist accused of cannibalism.
2 R Vs Marx
11/11/10
Season-only
Cleaver and Barney take on a case of jury tampering, where Lucy Marx, an attractive 40-year-old - a detail that doesn't go unnoticed by Cleaver - has made headlines by seducing a juror for information after her daughter is found guilty of murder.
3 R Vs Dana
18/11/10
Season-only
Consumed by remorse after sleeping with his best friend's wife Scarlet, and facing his ninth appearance before the Bar Association, Cleaver gets a needed distraction defending a famous chef, George Dana, charged with bigamy.
4 R Vs Lorton
25/11/10
Season-only
Cleaver takes on a case defending a once famous but now homeless artist, Denny Lorton, who is accused of murdering a 15-year-old male prostitute. Cleaver's guilt about Barney and Scarlet sees him make a drunken spectacle of himself in front of Missy and David. But Missy is struggling to keep up her charade with David as he considers running for public office.
5 R Vs Chandler
1/12/10
Season-only
Cleaver prepares to defend family friend Dr. Bruce Chandler, (Sam Neill) when a very incriminating DVD finds its way to the local police. Meanwhile, Barney won't speak to him, and ex-wife Wendy blames him for his son, Fuzz's predicament, with his young English teacher, so Cleaver turns to gambling and cocaine, scoring another beating from Mick Corella's stand-over man.
6 R Vs Langhorn
8/12/10
Season-only
Unable to resist her charms, Cleaver agrees to defend an old flame - now a successful radio shock jock Eddie Langhorn - who's charged with inciting racial hatred. Meanwhile he learns his father has had a stroke. Cleaver despairs when he realises his client has conned him but allows himself a glimmer of hope when Missy arrives unannounced once more. But she's come to tell him that she and David are getting married!
7 R Vs Tanner
15/12/10
Season-only
Attorney General Joe Sandilands is 'outed' as a brothel patron and devastated by the scandal. Meanwhile, Cleaver is hit over the head during a botched robbery at a pharmacy, along with one of the robbers, who dies. Cleaver is enlisted to get his mate off manslaughter charges.
8 R Vs Corella
22/12/10
Season-only
Cleaver is forced to defend his loan shark Mick Corella on murder charges, and it means working with Barney again. Meanwhile, a dejected David sees his career go up in flames. Missy tries to commiserate, but finally crumbles, blurting out the truth about who she is and tells Cleaver it's over with David. She is taken aback by his reluctance to commit.

About this show

Brilliant, iconoclastic and innately self-destructive, Cleaver Greene, played by Richard Roxburgh, is one of life's great addicts. Whether it's women, gambling or drugs, Cleaver can resist everything except temptation. His other addiction is the law - defending those who seem to be beyond redemption - society's hopeless: our drug dealers, our murderers, our cannibals. As charming and as irresistible as Cleaver Greene is, when you let him into your world, be warned, trouble is bound to follow.

Ratings and reviews

4.8
132 reviews
A Google user
27 August 2016
I once worked in a DVD shop in Sydney, when a well dressed gentleman walked in and ask for a copy of rake on DVD. He said that his friend had a highly recommend it and when I ask why he replied ' I am a massive friend Rake and I'm in it'. I did him who he was what is mild and walked off. This is an epic series with dark humour which lends itself to those people who may not believe that this sort of stuff happens in life. Again it is true.
Jen Noble
22 July 2016
Cleaver meets the classic definition of rake, a dissolute promiscuous self indulgent man which leads him his own progressive deterioration, he is not fashionable or wealthy but hey he is raking it in by every other a measure. What a clever name for the series. His character has charisma, the Aussie bloke, sentimental fool, a great lover, he truly does love all the women that are fortunate or unfortunate to cross his path and catch his wondering eye, and never a dull moment. The series is littered with an array of staple characters that give great supporting roles performances and enhance Cleaver's character through his miscreant ways and introduce new characters that keep the series a series you want to keep going back to just to see what is install for Cleaver and what will be inflicted upon him and those closest to him and how many bullets he can dodge, more often than not literal. The staple characters in his life evolve or at least try to, which keeps it interesting, but Cleaver never changes and he accepts all this albeit sometimes not that well, but in the end he deals with this. Great Aussie Drama.Simply Brilliant!
10 people found this review helpful
Dean Gordon
30 August 2016
Addictive.😅Say no more