Michael Jenkins (1946 – 4 March 2024) was an Australian writer, producer and film and television director.
Career Jenkins was the creator of the crime drama television series Scales of Justice, Blue Murder and Wildside, all of which deal with corruption in the New South Wales police force. He also directed the cult film The Heartbreak Kid, its spin-off series Heartbreak High, and served as a producer for the latter's 2022 reboot of the same name.
Jenkins was one of the most highly regarded Australian directors of the 1990s, known for his distinctive, gritty style, particularly for his use of multiple hand-held cameras and semi-improvised dialogue.
Jenkins garnered controversy in 2007, when he was announced as the director of The Wrong Girl, a film about the Sydney gang rapes in 2000, written with Nicholas Hammond. The film ceased production after criticism from Premier Morris Iemma and Deputy Premier John Watkins.
Jenkins was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2020, and died on 4 March 2024, at the age of 77.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer 1983 Careful, He Might Hear You 1985 Robbery Under Arms Rebel 1988 Emerald City 1991 Sweet Talker 1993 The Heartbreak Kid
Television Year Title Director Writer Creator Notes 1967–1973 Bellbird 1972 Quartet 1973–1975 Certain Women 1973 Serpent in the Rainbow 4 episodes 1975 I'm Here, Darlings! TV movie;Also producer 1976 Rush 4 episodes 1977 Pig in a Poke 1979 Bailey's Bird Pilot episode One Day, Miller 1980 Young Ramsay 1 episode Water Under the Bridge 8 episodes 1980–1982 Spring and Fall 2 episodes 1981 Menotti 1 episode 1983 Scales of Justice 3 episodes1986 The Gillies Republic 6 episodes Shark's Paradise TV movie 1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty 5 episodes 1992 The Leaving of Liverpool 2 episodes 1994–1997 Heartbreak High 2 episodes 1995 Blue Murder 2 episodes 1997–1999 Wildside 2 episodes 2002 Young Lions 3 episodes 2017 Blue Murder: Killer Cop 2 episodes
References
External links
Michael Jenkins at Australian Screen Online Michael Jenkins at AustLit (subscription required)