So why aren't he and his competitors producing similar, hard-hitting dramas about contemporary Australia?

That is not to say that scriptwriters are planning hard-hitting real-life dramas about intrigue in the presidential palace.

Warner Bros. became best known, however, for its hard-hitting social dramas, whose production Jack Warner tended to support.

A hard-hitting drama about anger and friendship has triumphed at the British Independent Film Awards, beating box office hit Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

He continued: "The one thing I felt was missing from these incredibly hard-hitting dramas was comedy.

To the creator and supervising producer of "Midnight Caller," Richard DiLello, that story represented the kind of urgent, hard-hitting topical drama he wanted to bring to the series.

He wrote episodes for all 3 series of Garrow's Law, the film The Dig and, broadcast in 2012, the hard-hitting drama about the British probation service Public Enemies, all for BBC1.

Encouraged by their success, the Chopras made another hard-hitting social drama, Dharmputra (1961).

It received generally highly positive reviews, with the New York Times stating "Mr. Canfora has delivered a smart, hard-hitting drama filled with biting wit."