This ABC drama series went into production in Sydney in July 1997 with Tony Martin (E Streetand Heartbreak High) in the starring role alongside Rachael Blake, Aaron Pedersen and Jessica Napier.
The storyline centred on ex-cop Bill McCoy (Martin) who returns home to Sydney after 10 years in self-imposed exile in South-East Asia to look for his missing son, now a street kid.
The setting was a crisis centre in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst, a red-light district adjacent to Kings Cross where the young and glamorous, the straight and the bent, the rich and the poor and the damaged thronged the seedy streets.
Pedersen played lawyer Vince Cellini, Blake was cast as medical officer Dr Maxine Summers, and Napier played Gerry, a runaway youth.
Launched with two stunning 2-hour debut episodes in November 1997, the gritty Wildside met with immediate critical acclaim.
The final episode of the series aired on Friday 2 July 1999.
Bill McCoy Tony Martin Dr Maxine Summers
Rachael Blake Vince Cellini Aaron Pedersen Gerry Davis Jessica Napier Inspector Virginia King
Victoria Longley Mark Doyle
John Haas Detective Charlie Coustos
Alex Dimitriades Detective Brian Deakin
Richard Carter Simone Summers
Abbie Cornish Rob Summers
John O’Hare Detective Kate Holbeck
Abi Tucker Detective Frank Reilly
John Howard Detective Kim Devlin
Tammy Macintosh
The storyline centred on ex-cop Bill McCoy (Martin) who returns home to Sydney after 10 years in self-imposed exile in South-East Asia to look for his missing son, now a street kid.
