Fisk (TV series)

Fisk is an Australian television comedy series on ABC Television, first airing on 17 March 2021. The second season aired in 2022, and the third premiered on 20 October 2024. Seasons 1 and 2 are also broadcast on Netflix and by other outlets around the world. The series is co-created and co-written by comedian Kitty Flanagan, and takes its name from its central character Helen Tudor-Fisk, played by Flanagan, who joins a small legal firm after returning to her hometown, Melbourne.

The series revolves around the life of lawyer Helen Tudor-Fisk, who leaves Sydney for Melbourne after her career and marriage fall apart. She then finds work at a small solicitors that specialises in probate law and wills.^[1] The firm, Gruber & Gruber, is run by siblings Ray and Roz, assisted by probate clerk/"webmaster" George.^[2]

In the third series, Tudor-Fisk is a partner in the rebranded Gruber & Fisk, while Roz is continuing with her career in mediation. Ray has a new romantic interest, Melissa, a fashion psychologist, while George is engaging in "side hustles" with his grandmother.^[2]

• Kitty Flanagan as Helen Tudor-Fisk
• Marty Sheargold as Ray Gruber, a partner at the firm of Gruber & Gruber
• Julia Zemiro as Roz Gruber, a partner at the firm of Gruber & Gruber who is suspended during the first series
• Aaron Chen as George, the probate clerk whom Helen often addresses as "Webmaster"
• John Gaden as Anthony Fisk, Helen's father and retired Supreme Court judge
• Glenn Butcher as Viktor, Anthony's husband and former "tipstaff" (law clerk)
• Debra Lawrance as May, Helen's aunty (Season 1)
• George Henare as Graham, May's husband (Season 1)
• Gabrielle Chan (Season 3)

• Bert La Bonté as William G.H Ford, an author and Helen's ex-husband who ran off with an older woman prior to the series
• Colette Mann as Mrs Popovitch, an elderly woman who is a client of Gruber & Gruber and a kleptomaniac
• Daniela Farinacci as Gina (1 episode)
• Denise Scott as Leslie (2 episodes)
• Georgina Naidu as Alice Pike (2 episodes)
• Libby Tanner as Annabelle (1 episode)
• Justine Clarke (Season 3)
• Jane Clifton
• Rhys Nicholson
• Rob Sitch
• Claudia Karvan
• Tom Ballard
• Carl Barron
• Dave O'Neil
• Sam Campbell
• Ray O'Leary
• Stephen Curry
• Marg Downey
• Geraldine Hickey
• Shane Bourne
• Gina Riley
• Glenn Robbins
• Anne Edmonds
• Matt Okine
• Colin Lane
• Broden Kelly
• Sam Pang
• Ed Kavalee
• Linda Bull
• Glen Ridge
• Mel Buttle
• Nath Valvo

Co-creator, co-writer, and star of the series, Kitty Flanagan, had trouble getting her idea for the series to air, as the main character was deemed too unlikeable. After having literary success with her 2019 book 488 Rules for Life: The Thankless Art of Being Correct, she realised that it was a rule book for her character, and may have been one of the reasons that ABC Television commissioned the series.^[2]

The first series was originally announced in late 2020 as Entitled.^[3][4] Filming took place in North Melbourne and other locations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with strict protocols on room density and proximity. Large groupings had to be avoided.^[5] In November 2021, it was announced that a second series had been commissioned by ABC (released 2022).^[6] In November 2023, it was announced that a third series had been commissioned by ABC^[7] (aired 2024).^[8][2]

All three series are co-created by Flanagan and Vincent Sheehan, co-written by Flanagan and her sister Penny Flanagan, and co-directed by Flanagan and Tom Peterson.^[9][10][11] Vincent Sheehan did not come back to write Season 3, however came back as a producer, along with Nicole Minchin.^[12]

This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Australian viewers
1	1	"Portrait of a Lady"	Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson	Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan	17 March 2021 (2021-03-17)	532,000[13]
When Helen Tudor-Fisk's life falls apart, she takes a job in a small suburban firm, Gruber & Gruber, specializing in wills and probate.
2	2	"Cremains of the Day"	Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson	Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan	24 March 2021 (2021-03-24)	515,000[14]
Helen mediates a case about division of cremains, between a bereaved daughter and the new, much younger partner of her dead father, and has an awkward family lunch at Dad and Viktor's house. Helen gives the younger woman fake ashes in order to appease the mourning daughter.
3	3	"Taken"	Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson	Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan	31 March 2021 (2021-03-31)	594,000[15]
Helen meets with a woman who is demanding power of attorney over her mother and attends her ex-husband William's writer's festival run by literary interlocutor Lindy Baxter-Smythe.
4	4	"Dead Man Texting"	Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson	Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan	7 April 2021 (2021-04-07)	561,000[16]
The office is abuzz because their favourite temp Peggy is coming in to help out with a deceased estate. Helen doesn't understand what's so fun about Fun Peggy, but everyone else, including George, thinks she's a hoot. After Helen's client reveals that she is receiving text messages from her dead husband, Helen finds a company called FTG Holdings which is sending the texts. Helen also attempts to prepare for court for the first time.
5	5	"Ladies in Black"	Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson	Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan	14 April 2021 (2021-04-14)	537,000[17]
Helen meets formidable opposing counsel Alice Pike, and stumbles upon Roz's passion project: an all-woman harmony group for funerals called The Sadrigals. Alice Pike makes a complaint to the board about Roz.
6	6	"Honour Thy Father"	Kitty Flanagan, Tom Peterson	Kitty Flanagan, Penny Flanagan, Vincent Sheehan	21 April 2021 (2021-04-21)	542,000[18]
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Helen starts making a will for a client, Phil. Phil has gone to extreme lengths to account in a notebook precisely who should get each item in his house, including bed sheets and cutlery. At a meeting, Roz informs the team the firm has been nominated for a small business award. Ray wants Helen's father Anthony Fisk, a former Supreme Court judge, to attend the awards night to lend more credibility to the firm. Roz also tells them judging of the nominated firms is done via anonymous visit, akin to a mystery shopper. A client named Petro believes he is the illegitimate son of the late famous newsreader Georgios Papadakis. Helen suggests he take a DNA test to prove his paternity. Helen overhears Roz talking to Ray about her reinstatement as a lawyer, suggesting Helen would no longer be needed at the firm. Helen arrives at Anthony's house just as his and Viktor's personal training session has ended. Personal trainer Blayden Tork invites Helen to try his vibrating platform machine, the Vibratron. Anthony accepts Helen's request for him to come to the award night. Georgios's son Thomas Papadakis comes in for a DNA test. Petro has also arrived, in contravention of a restraining order taken out against him by the Papadakis family, and there is a scuffle between the two men. Phil returns for the completed will, and he is surprised to hear he has been charged a flat fee despite the excessively detailed and intricate will. Helen engages in seemingly unprofessional behaviour, complaining about her pants being too tight and lying down on a beanbag whilst he reviews the completed will. Helen accepts a Vibratron as payment in lieu of cash from Blayden, who also had a will done at the suggestion of Anthony. Roz admonishes Helen for this and her other unprofessional behaviour. At the awards night, Phil is revealed as the mystery judge. Alice Pike's firm wins the award. Anthony collapses, having suffered a heart attack, and an ambulance is called to take him to hospital. The next day, Helen attempts to quit the firm, but is informed by Roz she won the Ethical Businessperson award. Roz accepted it on her behalf after Helen went with Anthony to hospital. Helen keeps her job. Phil apparently liked the way Helen treated him, with her taking great care to execute his detailed instructions and not taking advantage of him as he believes other lawyers would have done. Petro receives his DNA test result; it reveals that he is not related to the late Georgios Papadakis.

This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The first series went to air on ABC TV from 17 March 2021.^[4] The second series aired in 2022, and the third from 20 October 2024.^[2]

The first series has been streaming on Netflix since August 2023,^[29] and the second series since December 2023.^[30]

Since August 2023, the series can also be streamed on ITVX in the United Kingdom.^[31]

Kylie Northover of The Sydney Morning Herald gave the series debut 3.5 out of 5 stars.^[32] Luke Buckmaster in The Guardian gave the show 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the first episode was funnier than the rest.^[33]

In September 2021 Fisk won the Best Series Award in the comedies competition at Europe's largest TV festival, Series Mania, in Lille, France. It beat six other series chosen for the event, including the multi-Emmy-nominated series Hacks, from HBO.^[34]

On Netflix, Fisk was in the top 10 viewed series on Netflix in 10 countries, including South Africa, the UK, and the US.^[2]

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3^[a]

The first series of Fisk was released in Australia on DVD on 30 June 2021 from Roadshow Entertainment.^[45]

• Fisk at IMDb
• Fisk on ABC iview