'Unsubstantiated' allegations: SBS chief content officer Helen Kellie defended the program on Wednesday. Credit:Nick Moir Bali welcomed the decision to show the remaining episodes next week and hoped in particular that it would show one of the central players, Peta Kennedy, in a more positive light. "Instead of leaving people thinking of the negatives of the suburb, hopefully the next two episodes draw more of the community groups in and [show] Peta's community work instead of showing the dysfunction and leaving it there," he said. Kennedy herself, who joined Wednesday's protest, said she was happier in light of a largely positive response to the first episode. "I do feel better," she said. "But now I just got to work on the damage that the promo has done. That's another issue."

Anger ... Ashley Kennedy, Blacktown councillor Tony Bleasdale and Peta Kennedy at Wednesday's protest. Credit:Nick Moir She said she had been stopped in the street and congratulated for taking part. "There's people that were judgmental [about the promo] but now people are seeing [that] this is how tough it is," she said. The 54-year-old matriarch also received messages of support from strangers on Facebook. "They replied to me after the show just letting me know their support," she said. "They could see the love coming through the show."

The rest of the Kennedy family was still divided on the program, however. "They're still half-half," she said. "We're just going to go day-by-day." Earlier, Bali had presented SBS with a series of "explosive" claims alleging, among other things, that locals had been "badgered" to take part, filmed without their knowledge and that scenes had been falsified. However, SBS chief content officer Helen Kellie fired back with a strongly-worded letter rebutting each of the council's claims and containing thinly-veiled threats of legal action. "The serious, defamatory and damaging allegations made regarding the production team asking participants to 'create scenes' are absolutely false," says the letter. "There is no basis to these allegations and we reserve our rights in relation to any further communication of them."

The letter also "absolutely denied" apparent claims that the production team were involved in unspecified criminal behaviour. "We suggest that you obtain legal advice if you wish to continue to repeat such harmful allegations," it said, concluding: "... while we appreciate that there may be aspects of the series which may not sit comfortably with you, we strongly believe that we have taken all appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure the series fairly and accurately represents the situations that transpired during filming." SBS's response appears to have had the desired effect on Blacktown Council, with Bali – who has declined to release the original email outlining the allegations – appearing to soften his position. "In the end what we have are statements from the participants and a denial from SBS," he said. "I don't know how much further either party can take it. They have aired the program so as far as I'm concerned we'll just drop the matter now. What can we do? "People outside Blacktown may say we're a bit a touchy but as the mayor of a great city, why attack Mount Druitt. It could have been any other suburb across NSW or Australia."