Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities is a thirteen-part Australian television mini-series covering the rise and fall of the Mr. Asia drug syndicate between 1976 and 1987. This second series in the Underbelly franchise, based on real events documented by Age journalists, John Silvester and Andrew Rule, also depicts the Great Bookie Robbery and the burgeoning corruption within the New South Wales police. (The latter storyline is continued in Underbelly: The Golden Mile.) A Tale of Two Cities began screening on 9 February 2009 on the Nine Network, with the first two episodes broadcast back-to-back as a telemovie. The series centres on the partnership between Robert "Aussie Bob" Trimbole and Terry Clark, who is often mistakenly referred to as "Mr. Asia", and their illicit activities, conducted mainly in Sydney and Melbourne. A Tale of Two Cities, produced in conjunction with Screen Australia, explicitly links itself to the original series by featuring a young Alphonse Gangitano and the narrating character's mother (Jacqui James and Liz Cruickshank, respectively). Following the success of the second series, the Nine Network commissioned a third – The Golden Mile, which was then followed by Underbelly: Razor.
In 2011, New Zealand's TV3 produced its own version of the Underbelly franchise, Land of the Long Green Cloud. The story, noted as a prequel to A Tale of Two Cities, centres on the 'real' "Mr. Asia", Marty Johnstone, and his doomed partnership with Terry Clark between the years 1972 and 1980. The six-part mini-series, scripted by John Banas and produced in conjunction with New Zealand On Air, began screening on 17 August 2011. Of note, A Tale of Two Cities was previously promoted in New Zealand as Underbelly: The Mr. Asia Story.