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You've reached the Stingers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document. This document summarizes major topics about the TV show Stingers, and provides references to more detailed information. Much of the information for this FAQ is derived from Undercover Central, so you may find yourself being sent to another page on that site for the full details. FAQs are always the creation of many minds; so if you have information you'd like to contribute, or questions you want to ask (I can try to answer them and include them as well!), contact the webmaster. The FAQ is divided into the following sections:
2.0 POPULAR QUESTIONS
2.2 What's so interesting about this show? 2.3 Where is Stingers shown? 2.4 Where can I find out more about the actors? 2.5 Where can I write the cast? The networks? 2.6 How can I get tapes of shows I've missed? 2.7 What are spoilers? 2.8 How accurate is Stingers? 2.9 Can I watch Stingers being filmed? 2.10 How long does it take to make an episode? 2.11 What music do these use in Stingers? 2.12 Do the Stingers actors make guest appearances? 2.13 Where can I find transcripts of online chats with the cast? 2.14 How can I audition to be on Stingers as an actor? 2.15 How can I get work experience on Stingers?
3.2 Season One Episodes 3.3 Season Two Episodes 3.4 Season Three Episodes 3.5 Season Four Episodes 3.6 Season Five Episodes 3.7 Season Six Episodes 3.8 Season Seven Episodes 3.9 Season Eight Episodes 3.10 Setting 5.0 CHARACTERS 6.0 PRODUCTION INFORMATION
6.2 Production/Distribution
7.2 Mailing Lists 7.3 World Wide Web 7.4 Fan Fiction 1.0 LATEST NEWS Because Stingers is a show currently in production, news continues to appear. To read current news, check out the News page. This page also offers viewing information - such as information about episodes, if the cast are appearing in public appearances, if any of their old programs are airing and other bits of information. 2.0 POPULAR QUESTIONS
Inspired by true events, STINGERS is a drama series about undercover cops people with covert lives and constantly changing identities. STINGERS reveals the shadowy and ambiguous life of police who work behind enemy lines always without a badge and frequently without protection. The tension and suspense in STINGERS depend not on the investigation, but on the sting where the criminals are caught through the deception of a cop they thought was one of them. The men and women of the Undercover Unit work in the most murky and dangerous of all occupations. No-one uses the name they were born with. Its safer that way. And their rules are so removed from the rest of the force that few can relate to what they do. Their world is one of constant tension and betrayal. Yet it clearly has strong attractions to a select few and undercover operatives say it can become addictive. STINGERS has been inspired by the extraordinary career of Guy Wilding, a former undercover officer. He has worked closely with the scriptwriters recounting his true-life experiences and providing a rare insight into the secrets of Australian law enforcement. 2.2 What's so interesting about this show? Stingers is the closest you will get to being behind enemy lines. The show is that real, and uses the expertise of Guy Wilding to tell the stories. The way they work, and the method they use, is real as it gets. The storylines also follow this key area, and now the episodes are showing the private lives of the operatives. 2.3 Where is Stingers shown? Stingers is currently shown on Nine Network in Australia on Tuesday nights at 9:30 PM. Stingers has also been sold to a variety of other countries:
South Africa New Zealand Denmark Norway Poland Netherlands Turkey and Egypt. 2.4 Where can I find out more about the actors? If you're online, you can use search engines to your heart's content. However, please check out the cast area on Undercover Central. Many of these actors have a good history work behind them - stage, television and film - and if you have the time, the material is worth checking out. 2.5 Where can I write the cast? The network? If you want to leave a general message for the folks at GTV - Channel 9, you can at http://community.ninemsn.com.au/help/feedback.asp#lnkChannel9 The general 'snail mail' address for the Stingers cast is as follows:
Stingers c/o GTV 9 22 Bendigo Street Richmond, Victoria AUSTRALIA 3194 Please allow a month or more for a response due to fan mail volume and the fact that the cast is either working on Stingers and/or another production or taking a break. 2.6 How can I get tapes of shows I've missed? There are two options to this: Stingers is available on DVD. For more information refer to : EzyDVD. Otherwise try requesting videotapes by joining a mailing list or online club and ask if someone can make a copy for you. Since duplicating tapes is copyright infringement, you should only be required to pay for the cost of the tape and postage. No profit should be made in these endeavors. Since Stingers be released commercially on videotape or DVD, it would copyright infringement to duplicate those DVDs. 2.7 What are spoilers? Spoilers is a word coined by fans on the internet. When you say "spoiler" on a mailing list or web site, it means the crucial information or even the entire plot is given away. 2.8 How accurate is Stingers? Stingers is pretty accurate, but as with all television, dramatic license is taken. All the cast members have researched their fields of which they portray, but of course they couldn't have gone 'undercover' with the real guys due the private areas that the real guys work in. The show has been inspired by the extraordinary career of Guy Wilding, a former undercover officer. He has worked closely with the scriptwriters recounting his true-life experiences and providing a rare insight into the secrets of Australian law enforcement. Guy left the police force in January 1998 after working for 20 years with the NSW Crime Commission, Queensland Criminal Justice Commission and the National Crime Authority. The equiptment used in Stingers for survalance is also sometimes as close as the real thing you can get, without giving away secrets. One example is a RF Bug Detector - Click here for more information - which is the real thing. It was used recently to search a character for listening devices. 2.9 Can I watch Stingers being filmed? If the show is being shot on location in Melbourne, on the public streets, it's quite possible to catch a glimpse of the cast and crew. However, location shoots are often cordoned off to keep the public away. This is done for a variety of reasons: the production have locations for only finite periods of time, and time is money in the film industry. Liability is also another issue, as well as protection of cast and crew from mishaps that could occur if unauthorized personnel strayed into shooting areas. It is also done for the protection of he cast, as they must be cautious of the occasional obsessive fans. Watching them film in the Sound Stages is normally not possible. The press has access to studio for publicity purposes, but you cannot walk in off the street and ask to watch. Many productions enforce strict security to keep out non-authorised personnel for the above-mentioned reasons. 2.10 How long does it take to make an episode? Exactly how many days it takes to make an episode is unknown, but averages are 5 days of actual shooting per episode - being 2 days at the Sound Stage, and the rest on location around Melbourne. Post production work takes a lot longer. An average day on the set is 12 hours, but can easily stretch longer with retakes. The first season of Stingers began production in October 1998. Cast and crew get several months off between seasons. 2.11 What music do they use in Stingers? The song played over the beginning credits was created by the in-house audio person - Phil Judd, but this along with any other songs have not been released onto CD as yet. A number of other songs have been used in the series, and a small list can be found at the gallery section, along with a copy of the theme song, that can be used for personal use only. 2.12 Do the Stingers actors make guest appearances? Yes, they'll do talk show appearances to promote the series. Here is a partial list of appearances: Keep an eye out on the news page for more information. 2.13 Where can I find transcripts of online chats with the cast? Peter has been interviewed on Ninemsn's chat area on June 15th 1999. Stingers casts all roles via casting agencies. Channel Nine organises that a selected few lucky students be part of the work experience program that some schools
take part in. You would have to contact your careers advisor on the best process to take part at a tv station, and apply early before the rush of applications.
3.0 THE SHOW
The Overview gives you a good idea of the show. However, to put it in a nutshell, Stingers is about a team of undercover cops who work in Melbourne. Inspired by true events, STINGERS is a drama series about undercover cops people with covert lives and constantly changing identities. STINGERS reveals the shadowy and ambiguous life of police who work behind enemy lines always without a badge and frequently without protection. 3.2 Season One Episodes
#2: Hit Me #3: The Initiation #4: Show the dead mouse pt 1 #5: Show the dead mouse pt 2 #6: Backlash #7: Innocents Abroad #8: Blind Love #9: Jelly Babies #10: Nothing Personal #11: Ten Foot Tall & Bullet Proof #12: Faking It #13: Right On Target #14: Without Fear Or Favor #15: Lunatic Fringe pt 1 #16: Lunatic Fringe pt 2 #17: Talker #18: Into the Cold #19: Lone Hand #20: Proving Ground #21: Cast Off #22: Dead Man's Throw 3.3 Season Two Episodes
#24: Salsa pt 2 #25: Set for life #26: The Big Picture #27: Rat Trap #28: Finders Keepers #29: Playing with the Celibate Dead #30: White Lies #31: Mr. Right #32: The Favor #33: Judus Kiss #34: Counting The Beat #35: Just Acting #36: Unnatural Justice #37: Dance with the Dragon #38: The Long Haul #39: Swarm #40: Men in the Dark #41: Full Term #42: House Rules #43: Signal One #44: The Dingo 3.4 Season Three Episodes
#46: Forced Perspective #47: Which Bank? #48: Twisted Sister #49: Unplaced Favourite #50: No Way Out #51: Necessary Force #52: No Pain, No Gain #53: Heartline #54: Mob Rules #55: A Marriage To Die For #56: In Too Deep #57: The Last Hit #58: Fine Details #59: Truly, Madly, Deeply #60: The Good Life #61: Second Chance #62: Every Move You Make #63: A Matter Of Trust #64: Spare Parts #65: Organised Crime #66: Something Old, Something New 3.5 Season Four Episodes
#68: Rich Man's World #69: Beyond Redemption #70: Tell Me You Love Me #71: Fool To Want You #72: Family Values #73: Whatever It Takes #74: Into The Darkness #75: Foster Cops #76: The Whisper Room #77: Feud #78: One Of Us #79: Slice #80: Dog Eat Dog #81: Love Hurts #82: Psychotic Episode #83: Closure #84: True Colours #85: Too Many Cooks #86: Just Another Day #87: Reunion #88: Do The Right Thing 3.6 Season Five Episodes
#90: An Anonymous Guy #91: Cash On Delivery #92: What's Love Got To Do With It? #93: A Little Crush #94: No Promises #95: Mule Train #96: White Ants #97: In The Gun #98: In Plain View #99: Fatal Flaw #100: Trust #101: Big Fish #102: DMZ #103: Blow Off #104: Inside Man #105: Mind Games #106: Disgraceful Conduct #107: Smoke and Mirrors #108: Too Much Information #109: Pale Horse #110: A Girl's Best Friend 3.7 Season Six Episodes
#112: The Last Dance #113: Teamwork #114: Looking After Number One #115: Old Scores #116: Separation Anxiety #117: Slow Hand, Easy Touch #118: Scratch Me Lucky #119: Payback #120: The Whole Truth #121: Breakdown #122: Partners In Crime #123: Revenge Of The Turtles #124: Uriel's Swords 3.8 Season Seven Episodes
#126: Pentimento #127: Cul-De-Sac #128: Your Cheating Heart #129: Don't Look Back #130: Snakes In The Grass #131: Aftershocks #132: Priapus' Playground #133: The Eighth Day #134: Sex & Drugs & Deep House #135: New Blood #136: Cold War #137: Acts Of Love #138: Heartbeat #139: Sons & Lovers #140: It Started With A Kiss #141: Wild Card #142: Practice Of Deceit #143: Killing Heidi #144: Sleeping With The Enemy #145: A Horse Is A Horse #146: Conversations With The Dead #147: Free Radical #148: Daddy's Little Diamond #149: Time Out #150: Perfect Match #151: Boosted #152: One Perfect Day #153: Troppo Fest #154: Train Wreck #155: The Thin Blue Line #156: Love's Labour Lost #157: Fashion Victim #158: Total Recall #159: The Wrong Man #160: The Weakest Link #161: Twilight #162: The Object Of My Affection #163: From Russia With Love #164: Cops And Robbers 3.9 Season Eight Episodes
#166: A Square Inside The Circle #167: Family Ties #168: The River Of No Return #169: Brave New World #170: No Mans Land #171: One More Chance #172: Break And Enter #173: House Of Mirrors #174: Roman Charity #175: Starlight Hotel #176: The Complete Package #177: The Contract #178: Vanished #179: Mea Culpa #180: Past Lives #181: I am the Walrus #182: Dream Machine #183: The Good Oil #184: Dirty Little Secrets #185: Being Josh Brisbane #186: End Game #187: Random Harvest #188: Hunting Ground #189: Year Of The Snake #190: Head On #191: The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter #192: After The Fact 3.10 Setting Stingers is set in Melbourne, Australia, but in some storylines, it has meant that the cast and crew have had to fly interstate. But the major part of it, was out of a factory, called the 'Crimplex' which is located in the Northern Melbourne Suburbs, but in Season 6, operations for the undercover unit moved to be out of State Police Headquaters, which is filmed entirely in a sound studio based in Richmond, Melbourne. 4.0 THE CAST
Semi-Regular Cast Ex-Regular Cast 5.0 THE CHARACTERS
Semi-Regular Cast Ex-Unit Members 6.0 PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Cast: Information on the cast can be found in section 5.0 above. Crew: Information on the crew can be found here. 6.2 Production/Distribution Stingers produced and distributed worldwide by Beyond Simpson Le Mesurier. 7.0 STINGERS ON THE INTERNET
Ninemsn has a message board in which you can discuss the happenings about the show and can be found here 7.2 Mailing Lists The internet offers several where you can chat with fellow fans about Stingers. Check out the Fans page for the more up-to-date information. Many of them also offer the option to read your material on the web, and not clutter up your mailbox with posts. 7.3 World Wide Web Besides mailing lists, you can try out any of the Yahoo-based clubs. For an up-to-date list, check out the Fans page 7.4 Fan Fiction When fans latch onto a TV series, some of them just want more plots than the show can make, so they pen their own tales. The results can vary from birdcage liner to stories that you wish they should produce into a TV episode, or movie, or book! ;) Fan fiction is more often than not published on the internet today. Check out the Fans page for more details and links. 8.0 DISCLAIMER
Stingers - Undercover Central has been created to provide a link between the production and fans, to provide updates, and other information related to the show. There is copyright in place on objects created/modified by Your Move Productions - including layout, banners etc - but other items on this page have been taken from media releases and other basic means, including the e-communities that are based on the production. Victoria Police 2001 Open Day Photo's remain property of Victoria Police. Thanks to the media unit (inc. Snr Constable Craig Sharkie) for use of the photos. Thanks to Hannah for the captures done during season 5 and 6. The Stingers theme song remains property of Stingers. Thanks to the production office for use of these tracks. |
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