Free to Air TV doesn’t make a lot of male-skewing dramas, unless you turn to true crime or the odd bio-pic. Home & Away may be full of bad boys and troubled types wandering into Summer Bay but soap is still dominated by female viewers last time I checked.
It takes Brendan Cowell and ABC to offer up something more thoughtful than cops and crims, as Plum centres around the important topic of head injuries from sporting careers, and how men ignore health warnings.
Cowell plays Peter “The Plum” Lum, also known as the “King of Cronulla” for his legendary rugby league career. It’s a status that affords him mates and admirers wherever he turns, even if he is retired and works on the airport apron.
Plum is a working class dad to 16 year old rising footballer Gavin (Vincent Miller) and lives an otherwise humble suburban life with Argentinan girlfriend Charmayne (María Dupláa). His ex-wife Renee (Asher Keddie) is now married to doctor Oliver (Jemaine Clement) whose affluent lifestyle is intimidating to Plum, even if it isn’t flaunted.
As he approaches 50, Plum is finding his world blurs, losing focus, forgetting things and even having visions of sage poet Charles Bukowski (Matthew Sunderland) needling him with warnings and advice shouted across bars. After he collapses on stage at a pub night, followed by another incident at work, he is taken by Renee for a full brain scan….
Plum is a labour of love for Brendan Cowell, who wrote the novel upon which his screenplay (co-written with Fiona Seres) is based.
The subject of sports brain damage is very real. Wally Lewis was diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in 2023. A recent survey suggested a third of former NFL players believe they have CTE, yet it gets little airtime in TV drama (if I’m not mistaken the short-lived Between Two Worlds also touched upon sports injuries from football). So it strikes me as fertile ground to highlight the complexities around the dangers of sport and indeed the reluctance by many men to act upon health warnings. Plum tries to ignore all the signs and isn’t ready to share the news with those closest to him.
As episodes proceed, Plum spirals with no capacity to deal.
‘Messing’ with the brain also allows Cowell to dip a toe into elements of fantasy, bringing to life poet Charles Bukowski and later Sylvia Plath (Charlotte Friels), contrasting the blokey world of football with more cultivated tastes. He also encounters trans bar manager Tatania (Janet Anderson) whose venue is home to local misfits, queers and poetry nights. Plum is slowly being challenged to embrace his sensitive side, if kicking and screaming.
In director Wayne Blair’s hands Plum is a slow-burn character essay which requires Cowell to never shrink from the story. He may stumble through his daily life, all thumbs and no fingers, but there is no escaping the diagnosis coming for him. Worse still, his precious teen is at risk of following in his footsteps.
The series also reunites key personnel from Love My Way in Cowell, Asher Keddie, writer Fiona Seres, director Margie Beattie and producer John Edwards as well as Susie Porter and Sara Zwangobani. Other cast include Jenni Baird, Matt Nable, Talijah Blackman-Corowa, John Tui and Josh McConville.
There’s a very “mate, mate” feeling in the series which may be confronting given where it goes. It feels like a recognisable universe where another kick of the footy or another tinny will resolve the day’s problems. But for those ready to confront matters below the surface, Cowell offers up a more considered viewing experience. Can’t argue with that.
Plum screens 8:30pm Sundays on ABC.
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