What we’re watching – ABC mini-series ‘Plum’ is a sometimes tough watch, but highly recommended

Brenda Cowell is a familiar face on our screens, as one of Australia’s most popular male actors, but in the six-part miniseries ‘Plum’ Cowell wear many creative hats.

The series is an adaptation of his novel of the same name, and Cowell is cited as the creator, producer and screenwriter, as well as the lead actor.

Peter Lum (aka Plum) is a rugby league legend, well past his heydays. After reaching the peak of his footy career, we meet him with a failed marriage behind him, a burgeoning new relationship with an Argentine backpacker and a son on the cusp of his own blossoming sporting career.

Plum played hard his entire career, but post-footy the drinking has not slowed, so in the beginning it is difficult to know if his blackouts and forgetfulness is hangover driven or part of something more sinister.

The story is full of complicated characters who ultimately pull together in their shared concern of Plum’s condition – CTE or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a consequence of concussion and head injuries suffered during his days on the field. 

Plum’s confusion is showed in a series of flashbacks and imaginary characters, as he tries desperately to ignore the worsening symptoms of his condition.

Writer and actor Brendan Cowell in the lead role as Cronulla rugby league legend Peter Lum. Image: ABC.

This mini-series is at times hard to watch. The characters often aren’t kind to each other, and at the centre of it all is Gavin, Plum’s son, who is ready to leap into his own professional rugby league career, despite the fears of his parents.

Gavin is played by Vincent Miller, who portrays the 16-year-old’s struggles within a fractured family really well.

The rest of the cast is filled with Australian movie and TV heavy hitters – Asher Keddie plays Plum highly-strung ex-wife, Matt Nable makes an appearance as a journalist determined to ignore the big story and even immortal league legend Andrew Johns pops in for a cameo.

Plum is a complex damaged character, who finds himself dealing with a traumatic childhood, and splintered family, while facing a life-threatening illness his beloved sport community refuses to acknowledge.

Despite his failings it is hard not to like Plum and wish for a fairytale ending, but Cowell carefully avoided this journey becoming cheesy. Instead, this story is thought provoking and much deeper than one may expect of a tale of a lock forward.

All episodes of Plum are now streaming on ABC iView.