Sparks Among the Sharks

From the Sun Herald, Television section; page 4, 23 February 1997.

When characters click, it can make a good show something special, SUE WILLIAMS reports.

In last week's episode of Water Rats, Frank (Colin Friels) and Goldie (Catherine McClements) shared a heart-melting kiss. Goldie had turned up at Frank's place to console him about his murdered brother and they got drunk together. Slowly he leaned towards her, his lips puckered. Then Goldie fled, saying they might both regret it in the morning.

So where to now for one of Australian TV's most electric pairs who resist becoming a couple? This year promises to be a big one for Goldie and Frank, who in last year's series shared so much drama, from the murder of Frank's brother Kevin to the discovery that Goldie's fiance, Knocker, was responsible and her gunning him down.

Every time they share a scene in Water Rats, the atmosphere crackles with sexual tension. Whether they're arguing about Goldie's love life, or Frank is alarming her with his unorthodox detective methods, or she's spitting chips at his drunken proposal, the screen sparks fly.

The producers of Channel 9's Water Rats were actually astonished when they first saw Colin and Catherine on screen together. Sure, they'd hoped they might have that special "X factor" to make their relationship appear real, but they were staggered to see such scorching chemistry at work. It meant that every time the couple shared a scene, suddenly there was an extra thrill in a tender word exchanged, or the mood intensified with even the most casual put-down.

"Colin and Catherine love playing those scenes," says producer Hal McElroy. "A raised eyebrow, a flicker of the eye, a turn of the head can say so much as a subtext. It gives actors a real challenge. Everything then becomes a lot more exciting because there's an extra dimension to everything that's said or done." Indeed, so exhilarated were the program's makers about the electrifying chemistry between their two stars, the second series of the show will concentrate much more on their relationship.

"When you work together it becomes unspoken, what's going on," says Colin of the special bond he shares with Catherine. "You can talk until you're blue in the face about a scene, but it usually doesn't make it any better."

Catherine nods vigorously. "We prefer not to talk about scenes (before we film them). It makes it more real."

Colin agrees. "It's a very good working relationship," he says.

The couple, sitting in the garden of a palatial Hunters Hill mansion which is their backdrop for the day's filming, work so well together because they both have a very intuitive approach to their craft. They enjoy surprising each other by ad-libbing or making a little gesture that somehow serves to heighten the scorch level.

It helps, naturally, that they'd known each other a while before they even joined Water Rats. They first met - and stroked the sexual heat - in 1990 when they worked together as warring husband and wife on the movie Weekend With Kate, for which Catherine won an AFI Award. Now, when the Water Rats cameras aren't rolling, Colin and Catherine don't spend a great deal of time together to make sure they keep their time on-set as fresh as possible.

"You spend 12 hours a day with each other, you need to have a break," Catherine laughs. So when the director yells "cut" they'll flash each other a smile of congratulation on a job well done but, between scenes Colin, 44, will usually snatch a quick snooze, while Catherine, 32, will play pool in a room on Goat Island where the series is filmed. All that repressed passion and unspoken desire is left hanging behind them.

In any case Colin is very happily married to Australian icon Judy Davis and Catherine lives with actor Jacek Koman. Both Judy and Jacek realise that their partners' unrequited lust is simply part of the show and neither gets jealous of the relationship - or at least, admits it.

"Oh God no!" says Colin, smiling. "Judy will watch it once in a while, although the kids watch it, and the most she's said is 'You're OK in that show'. We just don't talk about work. It would be a disaster for an actor seeking what other people think. You would never get up and act again." Similarly, Jacek has never warned Catherine to cool off. "He knows it's my job," she says.

Series creator John Hugginson says he's worked on many shows before where the relationship between two stars simply hasn't worked on screen because they might hate each other or not be able to summon up the necessary chemistry.

"But Colin and Catherine really make it work," he says. "I don't know why. It's just the magic X factor that's developed between those two." Catherine can't put her finger on it, either. "You have to feel comfortable with each other in order to feel OK about taking risks," she says, smiling at her partner-against-crime. "But at the same time," adds Colin, "you can feel incredibly embarrassed in front of each other when things go wrong."

The pair lock eyes and laugh comfortably together. It's a moment of easy intimacy that makes you suddenly understand how naturally they can slip into gear and create such a thrilling buzz on screen. If Water Rats were a feature film, they'd be in each other's arms long before the half-way mark. As it is, this unresolved sexual tension could continue to heat up our lounge rooms indefinitely. But, come on guys, will you ever get it together?

Catherine and Colin look at each other and smile. "At the end of the day, that's up to the writers," says Colin, with a teasing glint in his eye. "Who knows?"

Water Rats screens Mondays at 8.30pm on Channel 9.

GOLDIE & FRANK...

Why they should get together:

1. They're both nice people

2. They're also lonely

3. They'd be good for each other

4. We want to see them together

And why they shouldn't:

1. Frank just isn't steady enough for a single mum

2. Goldie's too wary about relationships

3. Their working police partnership would be too tricky

4. It'll be the end of all that unresolved sexual tension on screen