Halifax f.p.

Halifax f.p. is an Australian television crime series produced by Nine Network from 1994 to 2002. The series stars Rebecca Gibney as Doctor Jane Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist(f.p.) investigating cases involving the mental state of suspects or victims. The series is set in Melbourne.

The producers of the film were Beyond Simpson Le Mesurier; Australian Film Finance Corporation and aired on the Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd. The budget for each episode was an average of AU$1.3 million. Funding came in part from the Australian Film Finance Corporation and Film Victoria.

The show was a set of 21 stand-alone television films, spread over six series. Each was between 90 and 120 minutes long, with a new "episode" airing roughly every few months during its eight-year run. The series aired in more than 60 countries. In August–October 2020, a short weekly revival of the series, called Halifax: Retribution, was also aired.

Main

 * Rebecca Gibney as Dr Jane Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist

Recurring

 * Robyn Nevin as Angela Halifax, Jane's mother
 * Steve Bisley as Jonah Cole, a rogue cop who becomes Jane's lover
 * David Roberts as Lead Detective, who is Angela Halifax’ boyfriend

Guests

 * Andrew McFarlane as Owen Toser, Jane's psychiatric colleague, who is also her ex-boyfriend
 * Sophie Lee as Corri Neale, psychiatric patient, who becomes a murder victim
 * Aaron Blabey as Tony Lobianco
 * Adrian Wright as Grammar school teacher
 * Nicholas Eadie as Ian Moffat, a Grammar school teacher / Ian Laser, a QC’s secret lover
 * Troy Beckwith as Grammar school student
 * John Walton as Kaz (Police Sergeant)
 * Peter Adams as Premier of Victoria
 * Steven Vidler as Steve Kingsley
 * Deborra-Lee Furness as Brigit Grant
 * Frances O'Connor as Frances, a mentally unstable murder suspect
 * Paul Sonkkila as Jane's colleague
 * Ben Mendelsohn as Peter Donaldson, a Conservatory of Music student, who is also Jane's former psychiatric patient and a murder suspect
 * Amanda Douge as Lauren Hayward, a Conservatory of Music student, who is Peter Donaldson's girlfriend
 * Mark Hennessy as Kovacs, a murderer, and former psychiatric patient
 * Robert Hughes as Presenter of ”City Tonight”
 * Radha Mitchell as Sarah, a victim's sister
 * Colin Friels as Police Officer Kevin Tait (‘The Toecutters’)
 * Tim Robertson as Police Officer (‘The Toecutters’)
 * Peter Hardy as Police Officer Tony Roman (‘The Toecutters’)
 * Jason Clarke
 * Belinda McClory as Paula Kingsley
 * Jacqueline McKenzie as Sharon Sinclair, murder suspect
 * Marshall Napier as Dr Dale Counahan, Sharon Sinclair's psychologist
 * Richard Roxburgh as Sergeant Paul Santos, who is also Jane's former psychiatric patient
 * Angela Punch McGregor as Personal Assistant
 * Brett Climo as Danny. a photographer, who is also Jane's old uni friend
 * Steve Jacobs as Willkam, a convicted rapist
 * Gary Day as Sergeant Mick Snow
 * Annie Jones as Alison Hart, a former rape victim
 * Peter Hosking as Homicide police officer
 * Max Phipps as Detective Inspector Derrida, from the drug squad
 * Beth Buchanan as Informant
 * Ian Bliss as Stalker
 * Andrew Blackman as Lawyer
 * Guy Pearce as Daniel Viney & Richard Viney
 * Dee Smart as Fiona Calwell
 * Louise Siversen as Linda Quinn / Beth Hartley
 * Lewis Fiander
 * Neil Melville as Detective
 * Bruce Spence as Eric Washburn, a ‘psychic’ investigator
 * Clodagh Crowe as Detective
 * Hugo Weaving as Detective Sgt. Tom Hurkos
 * Grant Piro as Suspect
 * Bruce Hughes as Dance Student
 * Shane Connor as Ray, a mechanic and murder suspect
 * Hugh Jackman as Detective Eric Ringer, who becomes Jane's lover
 * Sonia Todd as Detective Helen Hunt
 * Grant Bowler as Detective Bob Palance
 * Susan Lyons as Detective
 * Samuel Johnson as Jane's psychiatric patient
 * Garry McDonald as ’time travelling’ psychiatric patient
 * Simon Westaway as Jon Knight, a solicitor
 * Frankie J. Holden as Detective
 * Greg Stone as Detective Leon Finke
 * Andrew Clarke
 * Marta Dusseldorp as Glenys Lund, who becomes a murder victim
 * Petra Yared as Alicia Polk
 * Marnie Reece-Wilmore as Annabel Colless
 * Marton Csokas as John Garth
 * Peter O'Brien
 * Nicholas Bell
 * David Tredinnick as David Neilson / Gautama
 * Peter Kowitz as Matthew Erhmann
 * Danny Adcock as Athol Callaghan
 * Damien Fotiou as Michael Slevic
 * Andy Anderson as former Detective
 * Doris Younane as Emma Ford, a lawyer
 * Damian Walshe-Howling as Scott Brennan
 * Fiona Corke as Christine / Lisa McNamara, who is Jane's former psychiatric colleague
 * Essie Davis as Alison Blount, Lisa McNamara's psychiatric patient
 * Andrew McKaige as Tim McNamara, Lisa McNamara's widow
 * Tony Barry as Jane's former forensics colleague
 * Terry Serio as Detective
 * Dino Marnika as Detective
 * Julieanne Newbould as Margaret Masters
 * Richard Cawthorne as Gary Groom, a stalker
 * Rhondda Findleton as Detective Grace Lord
 * Jeremy Callaghan as Alex, Jane's lover
 * Matthew Dyktynski as Detective
 * William McInnes
 * Caroline Gillmer as Roseanne
 * Emily Browning as Kristy O’Connor
 * Catherine Wilkin as Erica Chatwin / Marion Walters
 * Nell Feeney as Maureen O’Connor
 * Alan Cassell
 * Mary Docker as Elly, Jane's psychiatric patient
 * Sacha Horler as Karen Oldfield, Elly's girlfriend
 * Wayne Hope
 * Julieanne Newbould aa Margaret Masters

Background
The series follows the career of Dr. Jane Halifax (Rebecca Gibney), a forensic psychiatrist. Her qualifications in the series are listed as MBBS (Melb.) and FRANZCP. Halifax is Melbourne-based and is shown living at Jensen House on Swanston Street opposite the State Library of Victoria. Her offices are shown as located in Causeway House on Little Collins Street. An only child, her mother, Angela Halifax (Robyn Nevin), lives alone, and her deceased father, John Halifax (1935-1991), was a barrister who enjoyed magic as a hobby.

In episodes 1-7 and 9, she owns and drives a Jaguar Mark 2 (although she drives a modern convertible in episode 8 and later a Saab 900 NG). In episode 1, a book she wrote as an undergraduate (The Preppie Rapist) is mentioned in a court case where she appears as an expert. In episode 5, Halifax mentions returning from a stint in the US helping out the FBI. In episode 6, it is mentioned that she was 'burnt' by a relationship she had with a married professor while studying in the US. In episode 16, Halifax undergoes a colposcopy and a cone biopsy due do abnormal cell growth (a medical issue common in her father's family).

Series overview
Telemovies listed chronologically by series, with release dates by the Australian Television archive.

Series 2 (1996)
Note: Episode 2 was aired after 3.

Series 4 (1999)
Note: Episode 2 was aired after 3.

Reception
The show went on to be nominated for and win a number of AFI awards.

AACTA Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series:
 * 1995 The Feeding (Winner); Hard Corps (Nominated); Lies of the Mind (Nominated)
 * 1996 Cradle and All (Nominated)
 * 1998 Afraid of the Dark (Nominated)
 * 1999 Swimming with Sharks (Nominated)
 * 2000 A Person of Interest (Nominated)
 * 2002 Takes Two (Nominated)

Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama

 * 1995 (Hard Corps) Colin Friels & Steven Vidler (Winner); (The Feeding) Steve Bisley (Nominated); (Lies of the Mind) Richard Roxburgh (Nominated)
 * 1998 (Afraid of the Dark) Shane Connor (Nominated)
 * 1999 (Swimming with Sharks) David Tredinnick (Nominated)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Telefeature or Mini Series

 * 2000 (A Person of Interest) Andy Anderson (Winner); (A Hate Worse Than Death) Nicholas Eadie (Nominated)

Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama

 * 1995 (Lies of the Mind) Jacqueline McKenzie (Winner); (Lies of the Mind) Rebecca Gibney (Nominated)
 * 1998 (Afraid Of The Dark) Rebecca Gibney (Nominated)
 * 2002 (Takes Two) Mary Docker (Nominated)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Telefeature or Mini Series

 * 2000 (The Spider And The Fly) Essie Davis (Nominated); (A Person Of Interest) Rebecca Gibney (Nominated)

Best Screenplay in a Television Drama

 * 1995 Lies of the Mind (Nominated); The Feeding (Nominated)
 * 1998 Afraid of the Dark (Nominated)
 * 2000 A Person of Interest (Nominated)
 * 2002 Takes Two (Nominated)