Based loosely on the life of barrister Charles Waterstreet (now a Sydney Morning Herald columnist), Rake's lead character Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) is an unscrupulous, misanthropic but undeniably endearing scoundrel – one Australian television needs and deserves.

Who are the characters in Rake based on?

Richard Roxburgh as Cleaver Greene, a brilliant but self-destructive criminal defence barrister. The character is loosely based on colourful Sydney barristers Mervyn Ward and Charles Waterstreet, and was named after Cleaver Bunton.

Is Rake based on Charles Waterstreet?

Juggling high profile girlfriends and even higher profile criminal cases, the myth of Charles Waterstreet grew. He was the inspiration for the ABC show, Rake, had a weekly column in the country's largest newspaper, and in 2015 a haunting portrait of the lawyer won the Archibald Prize.