Outrageous Fortune (TV series)

For other meanings, see Outrageous Fortune.

Outrageous Fortune
File:Outrageous Fortune Season 5 Cast.jpg Current characters from left to right: Falani, Jethro, Ngaire, Ted, baby Jane, Hayden, Loretta, Judd, Cheryl, Pascalle, Nicky, Sheree, Van, Gerard, Kasey and Munter.
Created by	James Griffin Rachel Lang
Developed by	South Pacific Pictures
Starring	Robyn Malcolm Antony Starr Siobhan Marshall Antonia Prebble Frank Whitten Kirk Torrance Tammy Davis Nicole Whippy Shane Cortese David Fane Tyler Jane Mitchell Craig Hall Elizabeth Hawthorne Charles Mesure
Opening theme	Gutter Black, Hello Sailor
Ending theme	Gutter Black, Hello Sailor
Country of origin	New Zealand
No. of episodes	71 (Season 1 - Season 5 (including 2-hour movie))
Production
Executive producers	James Griffin Rachel Lang Simon Bennett
Running time	42 mins. (approx)
Original release
Network	TV3
Release	2005-07-12 – present

Outrageous Fortune is a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and is produced by South Pacific Pictures. The show is first broadcast on TV3 on Tuesday nights at 9:30pm. It began airing its fifth season in New Zealand starting on June 2, 2009, making it the longest-running drama made in New Zealand.

The central plot is that a family of criminals decide to go straight after the father is jailed. Like the show itself, episodes take their names from Shakespeare quotations. The main characters each walk a fine line between right and wrong according to their respective values - the law, the criminal code of honour, loyalty to family, and respectability.

Cast and characters

Regular Cast Members

Actor/actress	Character	Tenure
Robyn Malcolm	Cheryl West	Season 1 (2005) - Present (2009)
Antony Starr	Van / Jethro West	Season 1 (2005) - Present (2009)
Siobhan Marshall	Pascalle West	Season 1 (2005) - Present (2009)
Antonia Prebble	Loretta West	Season 1 (2005) - Present (2009)
Frank Whitten	Ted "Grandpa" West	Season 1 (2005) - Present (2009)
Kirk Torrance	Wayne Judd	Season 1 (2005) - Present (2009)
Stella King	Baby Jane West	Season 4 (2008) - Present (2009)
Grant Bowler	Wolfgang "Wolf" West	Season 1 (2005) - Season 2 (2006), Season 4 (2008)

Current Recurring Cast & Characters

Actor	Character	Seasons	Notes
Tammy Davis	Jared "Munter" Mason	1-	Van West's best friend and husband to Kasey.
Nicole Whippy	Kasey Mason	1-	Part owner of the business, Hoochie Mama and wife to Munter.
David Fane	Falani	1-	The Samoan man who claims to be Wolfs' "Blood Brother". Offers the West family cheap "under the table" mechanic services.
Brian Sergent	Eric	1 - 2, 5 -	Friend of the West Family. Took over the "business" when Wolf went to prison and Cheryl decided to go straight. Disappeared, was in hiding after series two due to Monica Judd. Eric will return in Season 5.
Roz Turnbull	Rochelle Stevens	1-	Cheryl and Kasey's best friend and business partner.
Scott Harding	Lloyd Draper	1-	Bank manager who recurred sporadically from Seasons 1 - 3, before becoming a regular recurring guest in Season 4 whilst dating Rochelle.
Hori Ahipene	Angel	5-	A transgender employee of Nicky's call girl business.
Wesley Dowdell	Aaron Spiller	3-	Went to school with Van, Jethro and Munter. He wants to be Van's mate and was hired by Loretta to be a Tool Guy with Van and Munter.
John Leigh	Sparky	1-	Electrician, pyromaniac and associate of the family,
Shane Cortese	Hayden Peters	2-	Was boyfriend to Pascalle for a short period before he moved on to Loretta. The relationship ended over the pornography movie they made together and Hayden moved to Australia. He returned towards the end of Season 4 to be start being a father figure to his daughter Jane, whom Loretta gave birth to in the Season 3 finale.
Tyler-Jane Mitchel	Sheree Gregan	3-	First seen at end of Season 3 as Wolf's girlfriend, However after many accounts of flirting and attempts of seduction, she and Van got together after Wolf dumped her. She's pregnant with twins and lives at the Wests.
Elizabeth Hawthorne	Ngaire West	3-	First appeared in Season 3, as an old associate of Ted's. There was no love lost between them at that point, but in Season 4 she returned back into Ted's life and the two fell in love and married in the finale.
Craig Hall	Nicky Gregan	4-	Sheree's adored younger brother, who was involved with Loretta. The two together were a bad duo, and Nicky is also bad solo as now he has moved onto Pascalle to try and gain some of the fortune left by Milt, In the season 4 finale Pascalle coldly announced their engagement, with Sheree being very happy. In season 5 he is enemies with Sergeant Zane Gerad and is seen as a dangerous con artist by Zane Gerad who is setting up Pascalle.
Charles Mesure	DS Zane Gerard	5-	New cop in town. He has a history with the Greegans in particular Nicky.
Sarah Owen	Nadine	5-	Appeared in Ep 1 S5, was Jethro's best friend at High School and is in the party pill business.
Karl Willetts	The Gooch	3, 4, 5-	Aaron Spiller's best mate, a fellow Tool Guy.
Jon Brazzier	Bilkey	4-	Old friend of Ted's. Was in the crime business back in the day and is openly homosexual.
Barnie Duncan	Dane Harris	4, 5-	Went to school with Van and Munter. Dated Kasey in S4 while Kasey and Munter were spilt.

Former recurring characters

Actor	Character	Seasons	Notes
Kate Louise Elliott	Monica Judd	1-4	Wayne's ex-wife, A Detective who hates the West family due to Wayne's involvement with Cheryl.
Rohan Glynn	Glen Hickey	1-3	Detective, stalked Pascalle
Aaron Jeffery	Gary Savage	3	Wolfgang West's half-brother and Businessman & Property Developer who employed Jethro as his lawyer.
Claire Chitham	Aurora Bay	2-3	Fiance of Van West who died in an accident before their wedding.
Aidee Walker	Draska Doslic	1-3	Van's ex-fiance. Faked a pregnancy to him.
Trevor Sai Louie	Mr Hong	1-3	Van's employer after Van robbed his house.
Michelle Ang	Tracy Hong	1-2	Love interest for both Van and Jethro West and daughter of Mr. Hong. Bought into Hoochie Mama then left town when seeing her boyfriend Jethro hit his mother Cheryl.
Josephine Davison	Suzy Hong	1-2	One of Van West's many lovers, she is also the mother of his child.
Katrina Browne	Caroline Darling	1-2	Schoolteacher whom Jethro had a relationship with. Was being blackmailed by Loretta.

Season synopses

Main article: List of Outrageous Fortune episodes

Season One (2005)

When career criminal Wolf West is jailed for four years for assorted criminal acts, his wife Cheryl makes the decision that the family will move out of the crime business and get honest employment. Wolf is not pleased about this, but there's not much he can do from jail. Cheryl is initially disillusioned by her attempts at earning a legal living, but she and a couple of her friends start a business called "Hoochie Mama" making and selling sexy underwear.

Cheryl and Wolf have four children. Jethro has already set himself up with an honest career: he's just graduated law school and has a job with a law firm, although he wasn't entirely upfront with his employers about his ethnic background (he claims he is half-Maori at the end of his job interview). His identical twin brother Van (who was trapped in a freezer as a child, and is somewhat slower than Jethro) severely offends the Hong family who might be linked to the Triads, and works as their pool boy to repay his debt. Both the mother and daughter (Tracy) of the Hong family had designs on Van. The mother becomes pregnant, and it is later revealed that the child is Van's and is a girl named Jasmine.

Pascalle, the eldest daughter, wants to become a model, and is trying to raise money to pay for the shots that an unscrupulous photographer has taken of her. At the opening of the series, she is forcibly removed from the offices of Work and Income New Zealand, after her attempt at applying for an advance on her unemployment benefit to finance further modelling shots was rejected. Male staff tried to copy the raunchy photos she presented in support of her application, and she reacted explosively.

Loretta is the younger daughter. She is bored by school and is blackmailing the deputy principal, who she caught having an affair with Jethro some years earlier when he was her student. Loretta has a significant entrepreneurial talent and shares her family's lack of respect for the law. She is interested in film and spends most of her time at a video shop, although she doesn't officially work there.

The final member of the family is Ted West, Wolf's father, who is suspected to have Alzheimer's disease (is later proven to be a Brain Tumor), resulting in significant lapses of lucidity. When he was young, he was a safe cracker, and had unconventional relationships with his late wife Rita (for whom he frequently mistakes Loretta), and others. He has a good heart but only Loretta can see it. Besides Wolf, Loretta is the only one in family that can relate to him.

Over the course of the season, Detective Sergeant Judd, who is responsible for Wolf's imprisonment, develops an attraction to Cheryl, who is torn between her determination to live the straight life and her love for her family and Wolf.

Season Two (2006)

In series two, Wolf has been released on home detention. He has no intention of keeping to Cheryl's new rules on life. Judd is determined to tear him away from Cheryl, and attempts to entice Wolf to break his parole so that he is returned to prison.

Pascalle's dream of modelling has faded, and her plans revolve around the proposal that she is sure her boyfriend Hayden is just about to make. Hayden is the son of a former associate of Wolf's, and offers Wolf a job as a "future planner" in Hayden's company. Wolf's parole officer approves, but the enterprise may not be strictly legitimate.

Jethro has his own law practice. Tracy Hong has become Jethro's girlfriend and an investor in Hoochie Mama. Van is reunited with Aurora Bay; they were briefly together as teenagers before Aurora lost her virginity to Jethro in a case of mistaken identity (She thought he was Van). She now lives with a motorcycle gang, the Horsemen. Jethro is increasingly drawn into Wolf and Hayden's business, and represents many of Wolf's former associates. Van volunteers to help when he hears that the Horsemen are the target of their future plans.

After her blackmail fails, Loretta arranges to be expelled from school, but Wolf insists she attend a Catholic school. Loretta is paying someone else to attend as her.

As the season progresses, Judd and Cheryl rekindle their affair and Wolf goes missing after learning of the affair and robbing the Horsemen. Aurora convinces her boyfriend (the leader of the Horsemen) to let her go so she can be with Van and she moves in with the Wests. Pascalle and Hayden break up and Hayden goes after the true object of his desire, Loretta and the two begin a secret affair.

Pascalle eventually finds herself a new calling when she begins working at a retirement home. Much to everyone's surprise; she enjoys the experience, not to mention the attentions of the Retirement home's resident doctor, Bruce Khan. Only one problem remains: Bruce is a virgin so Pascalle lies and says that she is a virgin too in order so that Bruce won't be turned off by her past. Pascalle decides to get a Hymenorrhaphy but needs $5000 for the procedure.

The season ends with Judd resigning from the New Zealand Police and shortly after Wolf turns himself in but sets up Judd in the process. The final episode sees Judd finding a large bundle of cash on the seat of his car with the police turning up at the moment Judd picks up the cash, Judd is then arrested.

Outrageous Fortune: The Movie (2006 telemovie)

This one off two hour TV Movie followed on from season 2.

The family, Aurora, Eric and Munter go camping at Tutaekuri Bay, a magical place up north where they have gone camping every year at Christmas. We learn that Wolf and Cheryl stumbled upon the bay late one night after Cheryl had fought with her sister, and slept in their car. This sparked the tradition that the family now know and love.

However, as with all episodes of Outrageous Fortune, luck is not quite on their side. The Doslics have gone to Tutaekuri Bay as well! This was in no small part due to Van uttering the holiday location whilst in the shower with Draska, as seen by flashback.

Another unwelcome visitor appears as well. This is Cheryl's sister, Jeanette, who has been estranged from the family for many years she makes her entrance by flattening their letter box and parking the big green tractor on their front lawn. She has escaped from the Exclusive Brethren in the Wairarapa. Pascelle learns of a secret Cheryl had hidden from the family over all the years.

Loretta after torturing the Department of Conservation ranger Graeme over the years changes her mind about this year because she starts to feel herself attracted to him while her boyfriend Hayden is in Australia. She stands guard over an area of sand on the beach to protect the camouflage birds behind the red tape, in the hope that he will forgive her for the years of torture. He later finds her still guarding the stand and tells her how the birds had emigrated to the neighbouring bay and it was payback for the torture over the years. She asks whether anything was going to happen between them, he answers 'why break tradition?'. Later at the camp fire they change their mind and run off into the bushes to have sex.

Cheryl is hoping Judd will be released from jail in time to join them for Christmas.

Season Three (2007)

The third series sees Cheryl still battling to keep her family on the straight and narrow. Both the men in her life are inside – Wolf after turning himself in to the cops as part of his master plan to frame Judd; Judd because he fell in love with the wrong woman - Wolf’s woman. She borrows money from Gary Savage pay for a lawyer for Judd, which results in his release but the debt causes a strain in their relationship.

As Cheryl ploughs on, balancing the needs of family with those of Hoochie Mama, her burgeoning naughty knicker business, her offspring are going their own merry ways. Van is still managing the Lucky Dollar Store and planning his dream wedding with Aurora. Jethro is branching out from defending the scum of the earth (and his family) to working for property developer Gary Savage. Pascalle is enthusiastically embracing both her new-found vocation in caring for the elderly and her new-found love for Dr. Bruce Khan – although this whole ‘I’m a virgin, let’s wait until we get married thing’ has some major drawbacks, especially for a girl like her. Loretta is happily ensconced with her older man, Hayden, and is gleefully plotting her movie debut as the director of the next great erotic film, especially for women.

Van, jealous of Aurora spending time with her ex-boyfriend, Tyson, tells the cops about his marijuana stash. Aurora, not wanting Tyson to go to jail, races over to grab the stash. Before the cops arrive, she speeds off on a motorbike but is hit by a bus and is taken to hospital where she later dies.

Van struggles with depression after Aurora's death. Munter tries to cheer him up by taking him out of Auckland and they go to the Coromandel to visit Munter's mum, a reformed alcoholic. After staying up with Munter's mum all night drinking they have sex. Munter discovers this and is furious with Van, not just for sleeping with his mum but also for re-introducing her to alcohol. Van tells Munter he's a loser. Munter leaves and then, after hearing what Van has called Munter she kicks him out of bed and yells 'No-one calls my son a loser'. Munter and Van later make up.

Upon his return Pascalle's fiancè dumps her after seeing the porn film in a hotel room while on a business trip. (Pascelle only did the porn film so that she could get surgery to make her a 'virgin' again for him.)

Lorretta breaks up with her boyfriend after he changed the film they had made together completely, but fails to notice that she is pregnant until 4 months down the track when Sparky talks about her 'condition' saying he could sense that she was pregnant in front of the family she didn't even know herself at that point she later tries to sell her baby (the baby was conceived at Aurora's wake Loretta was upset and wanted to be close to Hayden and told him not to stop to use a condom).

Hayden moves to Australia when Jethro calls and tells him that Loretta's pregnant he denies it's his. Not many days later Hayden is greeted in his driveway by Grandpa, Jethro and Falani who beat the crap out of him for not taking any responsibility.

Grandpa and Jethro find Wolf in Whangarei and tell him how Gary is getting very close to the family. Wolf returns at the end of the season with a skanky new girlfriend called Sheree in tow.

The finale involves the wedding of Munter and Kasey. When Van forgets the rings, he races back to the house and hears something odd. He finds Loretta in labour; she was attempting to take advantage of the fact that everyone was at the wedding to give birth alone. She is planning on leaving and selling her baby. Van calls Munter and says he can't make it to the wedding but wishes them luck. Munter understands and tells Cheryl that Loretta is having her baby.

Wolf jumps up and says 'WHAT' because he was unaware of the pregnancy. Cheryl starts to race off after wishing good luck to the bride and groom with Wolf right behind her; she tells him not to follow her. She races to Loretta and finds Van sitting in the hallway with a baby girl in his arms.

Wolf also reveals to Jethro and Grandpa that Gary Savage is Wolf's half brother. (Grandpa's late wife Rita had an affair while Grandpa was in prison, leading to Gary's conception and subsequent adoption). Cheryl later helps Loretta breastfeed her baby.

Season Four (2008)

A fourth season of the show was confirmed on the shows official site with 18 episodes being commissioned for the season to be screened later in 2008. Filming is underway as of March 2008 and Robyn Malcolm has hinted in an interview that the fourth season may screen earlier than previously stated. TV3 began screening an advertisement in May 2008. The season premiered on Tuesday 17 June 2008 at 9:30pm on TV3.

The fourth season begins a few weeks after Loretta's pregnancy. She has been locked away in her room after she tried to give the baby away after the mandatory twelve day wait. Pascalle has returned from her trip to the United States with her new husband Milt, owner of the Sunset Channel. The entire family work hard to try and keep the baby, that is until Sheree enters Loretta's room, which gives Loretta a chance to escape. Loretta manages to get the baby to the Calhouns, but they refuse the baby as they have Karina Ballani's fifth child thanks to Pascalle.

Loretta signs away her baby to Cheryl on the condition Loretta gets to name her (after the rest of the Wests try out names Princess, Tiffany, Angelique, and many more). She names her Jane after a movie about "the loving relationship between two sisters" (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?). With Grandpa Ted's investigation into "the bastard who knocked up Rita" Grandpa is determined to kill whoever it was who fathered Gary Savage. They watch old home movies from the time when the Wests lived in Aztec Road (where the krugerrends were buried) and try to figure out it. To end it all, Judd tells Ted that it was Bert Thompson (who was already dead so Grandpa wouldn't kill anyone) knowing that it wasn't. Loretta discovers that it was Vern, from the City Council (Rochelle's stepfather who took her virginity on the commune) who lived next door at the time. She changes her whole look and (scarily) is the spitting image of Rita; she uses this to get favours out of Vern like condemning her second Video Hut to save her money on bankruptcy and condemning Wolf and Seree's new house for revenge. She also realises that Vern could well be Wolf's biological father since the affair went on for many year and uses the information to torture Wolf.

Jethro is forced out of town for most of the season after getting into trouble with business associates of Nicky Gregan, Sheree's brother. Wolf was holding a container of exercise equipment (filled with steroids) at Hoochie Mama (to Cheryl's annoyance) for Nicky when Jethro stole the container and held it for ransom. After Wolf was determined to take half of the house and Hoochie Mama in his and Cheryl's divorce, Jethro convinced him to sign the divorce papers with no settlement in return for the container. Jethro left it to be guarded by Van and Munter, who promptly opened it and discovered the concealed drugs. The two thought that it was someone trying to put Cheryl into trouble with the police and decided to trash it (driving over the small bottles in the Tool Guys van). When Jethro was unable to return the drugs, he was forced to skip town knowing he'd be killed. This also lead to him having to break up with his new girlfriend Danielle and her moving from Auckland too after she and her son were threatened.

Early it was discovered that Pascalle and Milt had not consummated their marriage due to the elderly American's blood pressure - "I could kill him with my body, Mum!" Under pressure from Wolf, Milt went with him to a strip club, who openly opposed the marriage. He returned and asked Pascalle to have sex with him, but not even a minute into their kiss he keeled over and died. Pascalle blamed Wolf for Milt's death and took a long time to forgive him. It is clear that Pascalle really did love Milt, as she had insisted (while Kasey and Rochelle insisted that she was a gold digger for marrying an older, less attractive rich man). For most of the season Pascalle remains committed to her new philosophy ("think beautiful") and tries to heal the family and keep them together, while looking after Loretta's baby. A few months after Milt's death she receives payment from his will, roughly around 2.7 million. This leads her to become the object of Nicky Gregan's desire.

Loretta initially seduces Nicky early in the season and the two work on a robbery of Lloyd's (now Rochelle's boyfriend) bank. They try to recruit Wolf but he shuts the plan down and points out the flaws. To get back at her father for his involvement in Jethro's forced run, not to mention stealing her entire stock of DVDs from the Video Hut (for the $40k he paid the Calhouns back with) and kicking her out of the West house, she sets him up for a lesson. She sends Van over to Wolf telling him that Loretta's gone ahead with the robbery and is panicking and needs his help; he rushes to the bank only to find it was a set up and is arrested. After Wolf is taken away, Nicky and Loretta rob the bank and walk away with $170k. Wolf is sent to jail, and while Van looks after Baby Jane for Wolf he meets a drunk Sheree (who had just been beaten up by Cheryl) and roots her (after her flirting with him all season). However it is revealed later than Van was actually Jethro, who snuck back to exact revenge on his father. Unknown at the time, Jethro accidentally impregnates Sheree (twins, ironically) who believes the father to be Van, who was stoned and drunk that night, assumed it was him and cannot remember it. During Wolf's lockup, her and Van begin a secret relationship.

Wolf had promised Cheryl that he was going straight the very night that he was set up. He realizes it was Loretta and Jethro, and tells Cheryl; she gives Loretta a good slapping and tells her that they are no longer a part of the family. Loretta and Jed are hated by the rest of the family, who cannot believe they would betray their own father, however Loretta sticks to the fact that she did it because he deserved it and to get him out of their lives. She continues to manage the Tool Guy's business, who later includes "the Gooch" and Aaron Spiller (now kind of their mate). However Nicky dumps Loretta when he finds out about Pascalle's inheritance and how Loretta kicked his pregnant, broke and alone sister out of Jed's house. Pascalle invites Sheree to live in Loretta's old room at the Wests.

Kasey and Munter broke up with he discovered she was sleeping with the lesbian IRD investiagtor (in order to get off the fraud charges Hoochie Mama faced for the "invisible" parties Gary organised). She was devastated and blamed herself until she found out that Munter rooted Imogen, a Tool Guys client. She punched him in the face and shacked up with Dane Harris, a P dealer, who forced her into buying P ingredients with Hoochie Mama cheques (for which Cheryl fired her). They stayed separated for most of the season despite the rest of their friends and family telling them to get over their pride since they loved each other. Munter lived with Judd for this time (provoking some man-jealousy from Van) and on her birthday tried to send her a text, however was too stoned and sent it to Falani accidentally. When he met with her to sort things out, she thought he was lying because she never received a text and walked away. Munter warned her that the police were onto her and Dane and she decided to move with him to Rotorua. Munter realised he still loved her and stopped her, and they got back together. This provoked Cheryl and Judd to get back together, realising they too were both too proud. Cheryl eventually became pregnant to him.

Grandpa Ted worked a robbery job for Ngaire Monroe, Lefty Monroe's widow whom the Wests all despise, and they fell in love. They got married in the season finale. Baby Jane is baptised when Hayden returns from Brisbane to look after her. He seems to want to be her father and looks after her from time to time.

Loretta tried to warn Pascalle against Nicky's intentions knowing that he was only after her money but was interfered with by Sheree. No-one believed Loretta after what she had done to Wolf and realised that she needed to make things right. She confessed to the police where the money was and Wolf was released; he forgave her for what she had done and they made a plan to break Pascalle and Nicky up. At the wedding Jethro returned and Wolf tipped off Nicky's friends of his return, who beat him badly. This was his payment for the set up and made things right with Wolf again. The three used this to prove to Pascalle what Nicky was capable of, but Nicky out b.s.'d the Wests. Earlier he torched his own car to frame Loretta and win Pascalle as the victim, so Nicky got Sheree to break his arm and beat him up - pretending it had been done by his friends as he stood up for Jethro. Loretta and Jethro were accepted back into the family. Pascalle sided with Nicky and gave him $100k to pay "his friends" off to keep Nicky and Jed safe; she then proposed to him. The season ended with Pascalle coldly announcing her engagement to her family and walking off.

Season Five (2009) and end date

New Zealand On Air allocated NZ$9,107,650 to produce Season Five of Outrageous Fortune, which will run for 19 episodes. Season Five premiered at 9.30pm on Tuesday 2 June 2009. A major new character will feature in the current season, Detective Sergeant Zane Gerard (Charles Mesure), who causes problems for the Wests. NZ On Air is yet to make a decision on funding a sixth season of the show, but co-creator James Griffin has confirmed that the sixth season would be the last.

International broadcasts

Australia

• Outrageous Fortune is shown weekly on the Pay-TV channel ARENA.
• It was shown on the Nine Network during the summer non-ratings period.
• Season 2 recently finished screening on Network Ten at a late timeslot.

Ireland

• TV3 Ireland showed the first series during 2006 and started showing the second series in March 2007 (22:00 Thursdays).

Canada

• Began airing in 2007 on Super Channel.

Italy

• Outrageous Fortune was aired on SKY TV in Italy in March 2008.

UK

• Shown on LivingTV in the United Kingdom starting on Tuesday March 6, 2007 at 10 PM.
• "Honest" is a UK remake for ITV by the independent production company Greenlit - the first episode airing on 9 January 2008.

US

• Good Behavior, is an ABC remake of Outrageous Fortune, titled for broadcast in 2009. Rob Thomas (whose writing credits include Veronica Mars and Dawson’s Creek) is developing the US version.

DVD releases

Outrageous Fortune: Series One
Set Details		Special Features
13 Episodes 3 Disc Set English		Behind the Scenes Cast and Crew Photo Slide Show
Release Dates
Region 4
NZ	AU
October 28, 2005	March 1, 2008

Outrageous Fortune: Series Two
Set Details		Special Features
17 Episodes 3 / 4 (AU) Disc Set English		Xmas Telemovie Blooper Outtakes Photo Gallery
Release Dates
Region 4
NZ	AU
October 16, 2006	May 3, 2008

Outrageous Fortune: Series Three
Set Details		Special Features
22 Episodes 4 Disc Set English		Loretta's Blog Photo Gallery
Release Dates
Region 4
NZ	AU
December 27, 2007	August 4, 2008

Outrageous Fortune: Series Four
Set Details		Special Features
18 Episodes 4 Disc Set English		Audio Commentaries Outtakes Photo Gallery
Release Dates
Region 4
NZ	AU
November 13, 2008	June 30, 2009

Music

Main article: Outrageous Fortune Soundtracks

Two compilation soundtracks have been released for the show, and both draw on New Zealand music. The title track for the series is Hello Sailor's "Gutter Black".

Awards

• The show cleaned up at the New Zealand TV Awards for 2005 winning Best Drama, Best Actress : Robyn Malcom and Best Actor: Antony Starr, Best Director Mark Beesley, Best Script Rachel Lang & Best Editing Nicola Smith
• TV GUIDE Best on the box: Best Drama & Best Actress Robyn Malcolm
• Woman's Day Reader's Choice: Favourite Female Personality Robyn Malcolm
• Air NZ Screen Award 2006:Best Drama Series & Best Drama Programme for episode 4
• At the Air New Zealand Screen Awards for 2007, the series won six awards, including Best Drama Programme. Robyn Malcolm won Best Actress, Antony Starr won Best Actor, and Frank Whitten won Best Supporting Actor.
• The Show also cleaned up at the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards winning 8 awards including Performance by an Actress in General Television: Robyn Malcolm, Performance by an Actor in General Television: Antony Starr, Performance by a Supporting Actress in General Television: Antonia Prebble, Performance by a Supporting Actor in General Television: Tammy Davis, Best Script - Drama/Comedy Programme: Rachel Lang, Sony Achievement in Directing - Drama/Comedy Programme: Mark Beesley, Achievement in Editing - Drama/Comedy Programme: Bryan Shaw.

External links

• Network (TV3) Website
• Production Website
• South Pacific Pictures
• New Zealand Listener review
• Outrageous Fortune at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com
• Excerpts from Outrageous Fortune and profiles of key cast and crew on NZ On Screen