Spirited

Spirited is an Australian supernatural comedy-drama that ran for two seasons on the subscription channel W, airing in 2010 and 2011. The show centers on Suzy Darling, a dentist played by Claudia Karvan, who leaves her husband Steve (Rodger Corser) after 15 years of a loveless marriage and moves into an aging apartment block. There, she discovers the ghost of Henry Mallet (Matt King), a 1980s English rock star. Suzy and Steve have two children: 13-year-old Elvis (Louis Fowler) and 8-year-old Verity (Charlie Hancock). Suzy’s sister, Jonquil, is played by Belinda Bromilow.

While Suzy is the only living human who can see Henry, animals—like the building’s cat—can sense him. In one scene, Henry startles the caretaker by blowing in his ear, causing a heart attack. The series was produced by John Edwards, Claudia Karvan, and Jacquelin Perske, who also created the drama *Love My Way*.

The show’s first season was Foxtel’s most successful Australian drama. Though aimed at women in their 40s, it also attracted male teenagers, drawn to Henry’s punk persona. Critics praised the pilot as darkly funny and described Karvan’s character transformation as refreshing. The second season premiere was called imaginative and funny, and the series was noted for blending romance, drama, and comedy.

The seventh episode of season one, “Riders on the Storm,” written by Jacquelin Perske, was nominated for a 2011 Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award for best television script. Season two was nominated for Best Television Drama Series at the 2012 AACTA Awards.

On 15 October 2011, W announced the show’s cancellation, with no third season. Fans launched a campaign under the slogan “SOS: Save Our Spirited.” A possible development deal with another premium cable channel, Showcase, was reported on 16 December, but with Claudia Karvan cast in a *Puberty Blues* reboot, the likelihood of a third season diminished, and the show was not picked up.