Westside

Michael has directed eleven episodes of Westside: four in season 2
(2016), four in season 3 (2017), three in season 4 (2018), and four in season 5.

Produced by South Pacific Pictures; airing on TV3

Westside premiered on 31 May 2015. It stars Antonia Prebble as Rita West, David de Latour as Ted West,
Dan Musgrove as Lefty Munroe, Esther Stephens as Ngaire Munroe, Tod Emerson as Bjelke "Bilkie" van Heeder,
Pana Hema Taylor as Bert Thompson, Xavier Horan as Phineas O'Driscoll, Sophie Hambleton as Carol O'Driscoll

Antonia Prebble and David de Latour as Rita and Ted West

Westside is a prequel to Outrageous Fortune, set in the 1970's and 1980's.
Beginning in 1974, each of the 6 episodes of season 1 was set in a subsequent year. 
The 10 episodes of season 2 were set in 1981, and the 8 episodes of season 3 in 1982.

SEASON 2

Behind-the-scenes:  Directing episode 2.04

2.03, written by Kate McDermott; premiered 26 June 2016
Ted goes after a wad of South African cash. A crime close to home
has the Wests joining forces with the police and neighbourhood watch.

Pana Hema Taylor as Bert, Todd Emerson as Bilkie, David de Latour as Ted, Sophie Hambleton as Carol,
Esther Stephens as Ngaire, Antonia Prebble as Rita, Xavier Horan as Phineas, Dan Musgrove as Lefty

2.04, written by James Griffin; premiered 3 July 2016
Rita's ambitious career path for Wolf hits some bumps. Ngaire has a dangerous
liaison, and Bert and Falani take on the Springboks alongside the protestors.


(with signs) Stelios Yiakmis as Dave, Kirsten Ibbetson as Riana

2.07, written by Michael Beran and James Griffin; premiered 24 July 2016
Ted and the boys go huntiing South Africans, while Rita has a mess to sort out with her growing business and an explosive affair.


Sophie Hambleton as Carol, Esther Stephens as Ngaire

2.8, written by Kate McDermott; premiered 31 July 2016
The wives financially support their men - which doesn't go down well, and the Springboks tour divides the gang and the country.


David DeLatour as Ted, Todd Emerson as Bilkey, Xavier Horan as Phineas

SEASON 3

Michael directed 4 episodes - 3, 4, 7 & 8, filmed from late October 2016 through mid-February 2017.

3.3, written by James Griffin; premiered 24 July 2017
Wolf grows dissatisfied with his career, but it turns out that's the least of his
problems. A sexy blast from Rita's prison past arrives with dangerous intentions.

Reef Ireland as Wolf, Laura Hill as Belinda, Dean O'Gorman as Evan, Antonia Prebble as Rita

3.4, written by Kate McDermott; premiered 31 July 2017
Guilt over Evan is tearing Rita and Wolf apart. McCarthy feels compromised
by his lady's past.  A fateful meeting at the forbidden dairy leads to fireworks.

Reef Ireland as Wolf, Ashleigh Cummings as Cheryl

3.7, written by Nick Ward; premiered 21 August 2017
Wolf plays with the big boys. Rita gets under Cheryl's skin.
A last minute change of plans may cost everything.

3.8, written by James Griffin; premiered 28 August 2017
(Michael had a cameo as a prisoner)
Rita makes a deal with some devils.  Mike buckles when his personal and private lives collide.

David DeLatour as Ted

SEASON 4

Michael directed 3 episodes - 6 (co-director), 8 & 10, filmed from December 2017 through February 2018.
They are scheduled to air in August 2018.

4.6 (co-director with Aidee Walker), written by James Griffin; premiered 6 August 2018
Rita has her mind blown.  Bert and Carol's arrangement is threatened by a blast from the past.
Ted makes a comeback, but it might all be for nothing.

Ashleigh Cummings as Cheryl

4.8, written by Kate McDermott; premiered 27 August 2018
A grisly murder pits the gang against each other, Cheryl and Wolf are at
each other's throats over wedding venues, and Rita gives Ted an ultimatum.

Dan Musgrove as Lefty

4.10, written by James Griffin; premiered 10 September 2018
The West's come together for Cheryl and Wolf's wedding but the groom has cold feet, and the cops threaten to derail the nuptials.

Patrick Tafa as Falani, Reef Ireland as Wolf, Ashleigh Cummings as Cheryl

SEASON 5

Michael directed 4 episodes - 5, 6, 9, 10, filmed from mid-March 2019 through early June 2019.

5.5, written by Kate McDermott; premiered 15 July 2019
West family children's birthday party for the 4-year old twins. What could possibly go wrong?
Apart from the appearance of a gang of angry clowns, of course.

Andrew Ford (center)

5.6, written by James Griffin; premiered 22 July 2019
(Michael had a cameo as a blood donor).
Ted does not believe in such a thing as a truce; or in playing a long game.  Ted has suffered and Ted wants some
payback for that suffering.  Luckily for him, where there is a Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park, there is a way.

Xavier Horan as Phineas

5.9, written by James Griffin and Daniel Musgrove; premiered 12 August 2019
The war that has been simmering under the surface, between Rita and Wolf, bursts into fruition as Wolf takes matters into his own hands.

Antonia Prebble as Rita, David DeLatour as Ted

5.10, written by James Griffin and Kate McDermott; premiered 12 August 2019
October 1987.  As the stock-market crashes around the West family and their associates, an old dynasty
crumbles and decays, while the next generation finds a home in which to forge the next one.

Antonia Prebble as Rita