Jack Karlson – best known for his viral 'Democracy Manifest' speech during his 1991 arrest outside a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane – was once a minor television actor. His specialty was police procedurals, including Division 4, Cop Shop, Matlock Police and Homicide.

In the mid-1970s, Karlson’s parole officer Jacqueline Lesage suggested employment with Melbourne-based company Crawford Productions, after he finished serving a sentence in Victoria. This clip from Matlock Police showcases the type of bit parts Karlson was accustomed to playing – along with the blustery, comic delivery which echoes his later public moment of theatricality.

Similar to the meme that would later cement his sonorous voice in pop culture, the clip depicts a moment of outrage. He does plenty of cozying with the officer at the scene – and even urges the copper to make an arrest. The meta-irony of the moment is echoed in Karlson's other procedural roles, which contrast with his spotty relationship with the police throughout his life.

Matlock Police aired on The 0-10 Network (now known as Network Ten) between 1971 and 1976, focused on a police station in the Victorian town of Matlock and its surrounds.