MELBOURNE’S DEADLIEST CONTRACT KILLERS REVEALED
PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 AT 9.00PM ON 
CHANNEL 9 & 9NOW

From the bottom rungs of the underworld ladder to Australia’s most prolific executioners, NAKED CITY: HITMEN pulls back the curtain on the ruthless contractors who fuelled Melbourne’s infamous gangland war. This series reveals the cold-blooded reality behind the stories that defined a generation of Australian crime.

Premiering Wednesday, March 4, at 9.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now, this gripping three-part documentary series is presented by veteran crime journalist John Silvester, the man who has spent decades documenting Melbourne’s darkest corners and whose reporting served as the blueprint for the original Underbelly series.

NAKED CITY: HITMEN traces the chilling evolution of petty criminals, stick-up men, bag snatchers, and armed robbers who transformed into cold-blooded assassins. The series explores the rise of Carl Williams, a suburban pill-pusher whose thirst for revenge sparked a total underworld evolution and the assembly of a lethal inner circle.

For the first time on the record, viewers will go inside investigations through the eyes of police, prosecutors and judges who stared these hitmen down. 

Featuring never-before-seen video and audio recordings, secret police tapes and confidential documents, the series is an unflinching look at the killers who broke the underworld code.

NAKED CITY: HITMEN profiles the most feared names in Australian criminal history, including:

• Andrew “Benji” Veniamin: The volatile triggerman and Williams’ closest ally.
• Rodney Collins: The methodical and feared killer.
• Stephen Asling: The quiet operator.
• The Phantoms: The shadowy figures known only as “The Runner” and “The Driver”.

This is more than a story about criminals; it is the story of the justice system that fought to reclaim a city. Through high-stakes courtroom deals and the persistence of the Purana Taskforce, the series details how the criminals’ code of silence was finally shattered.

The series also features an unprecedented lineup of law enforcement titans speaking on the record for the first time, including: 

• Former Commander Stuart Bateson, from the Purana Taskforce – the man who got so far under Carl Williams’ skin that he was recorded threatening his and his girlfriend’s life.
• Former Supreme Court Justice Betty King: The “immovable force” who sentenced Williams and presided over the bloodiest trials of the war.
• Former DPP Justice Paul Coghlan: The mastermind who brokered the secret deals that shattered the underworld code of silence.
• Former Deputy Police Commissioner Neil Paterson: Providing first-hand insight into the immense pressure on Victoria Police during the height of the carnage.

Part two of NAKED CITY: HITMEN follows on Wednesday, March 11, followed by part three on Wednesday, March 18, at 9.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

NAKED CITY: HITMEN is directed and executive produced by Michael Venables A.D.G and Graham Watson (“TSUNAMI: 20 YEARS ON”) with JAM TV for the 9Network.    

There are 5 million stories in the Naked City. This, is one of them.

Friday 27 February, 2026