And the Logie goes to…the least worst show or person!
When even the Herald-Sun’s pointing out there’s only one woman nominated for a Gold Logie this year, you know there’s a problem with Australian television.
JESSICA Marais has earned applause for playing ground-breaking women in two roles across two TV networks — now she’s about to star in a new Logies controversy, as the only woman to be nominated for Gold.
The Wrong Girl and Love Child leading lady is up for the most popular TV personality gong against last year’s winner, Waleed Aly, his colleague on The Project, Peter Helliar, Family Feud presenter Grant Denyer, Doctor Doctor actor Rodger Corser, and Molly telemovie star Samuel Johnson.
Well done also to the only non-white Gold Logie nominee this year, Waleed Aly, who unlike Jessica Marais at least didn’t have to pose sexily in a revealing outfit in the group photo (or possibly Photoshop).
Sadly, none of this is terribly surprising. Australian TV has been white and male for… ever, and change is taking a long time.
Also, Peter Helliar? He’s in the top 6 of anything? Guess that kind of twisted thinking explains some of the other nominations…
Best Entertainment Program
Anh’s Brush With Fame
Family Feud
Have You Been Paying Attention?
The Voice Australia
Upper Middle Bogan
Yes, that’s right, comedy panels and sitcoms are exactly the same as game shows and reality programs. Are we sure this wasn’t the Best Random Other Stuff category?
Still, there’s always the industry-nominated categories…
Most Outstanding Entertainment Program
Anh’s Brush With Fame
Gruen
Have You Been Paying Attention?
The Voice Australia
The Weekly with Charlie Pickering
Most Outstanding Comedy Program
Black Comedy
Please Like Me
Rosehaven
Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell
Upper Middle Bogan
That’s more like it. If only because someone in the industry has realised that The Weekly with Charlie Pickering isn’t an Outstanding Comedy Program.
Sure, you can quibble with Anh’s Brush With Fame, Gruen and The Weekly being described as “entertainment”, but for once the comedy nominations don’t stink to high heaven.
Black Comedy? A solid sketch show with some good laughs in it.
Please Like Me? We hated it, and no one watched it, but the industry liked it so it was always going to be nominated here.
Rosehaven? A decent sitcom with potential.
Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell? Should win. In all categories. For everything.
Upper Middle Bogan? Again, a decent sitcom. And a worthy nominee.
What these nominations do highlight, though, is how little actual comedy gets made these days. Because apart from maybe The Chaser’s Election Desk, and various short-form satire shows (Clarke & Dawe, Sammy J’s Playground Politics) and pilots (Ronny Chieng International Student) there were no other comedies made last year worth nominating.
Which, in theory, means an easy win for Mad As Hell, but with the industry so in love with Please Like Me, it wouldn’t surprise us if that won instead.