We don’t often link to profile stories but we think you’ll agree this one is something special: No-one cared who Jason Gann was until he put on the mangy dog suit. For 10 years, Jason played the misanthropic, bong-smoking dog, Wilfred, first in a hit comedy series in Australia on SBS, and then in a... Read More »
Looks like we owe the team behind Mr Black an apology. Ever since we first heard about this sitcom we’ve been making wisecracks about how much it’s obviously a Kingswood Country knock-off, with a bit of Meet the Parents and All in the Family mixed in. It was simplistic and superficial of us – we... Read More »
The second episode of Wilfred (US) took a turn for the better this week with Wilfred's passive/aggressive bullying of Ryan toned down a lot, and the show generally feeling more like a reluctant buddy... Read More »
As a sitcom, the original version of Wilfred never really quite worked. Chief amongst the problems was this: if you expect audiences to suspend their disbelief when it comes to such logic flaws as “Why is Adam the only one who can talk to Wilfred?” and “Why does Adam put up with both his bitch girlfriend and her pain in the arse mutt?” you should reward them with lots of... Read More »
It was announced the other day that Rove McManus has become the latest Australian to score a gig on American TV, and that's all well and good but why him? There are lots of other far better Australian comedians having a crack in the US, why aren't they getting... Read More »
If you wanted to make an Australian television drama, or a soap opera, or a current affairs program, or a reality series about car repairs – basically, pretty much anything that isn’t a comedy – you probably wouldn’t go out and make a short film first. Somewhere down the line you’d shoot a pilot or... Read More »
… or alternatively “Actor Best Known for Substance-Affected Violent Bogan Character May Be Substance-Affected Violent Bogan Character” (from The Age): AUSTRALIA’S latest Hollywood hopeful, comedian Jason Gann, might be flying high in Los Angeles, but he’s facing trouble at home after revelations he drunkenly punched a shuttle bus driver on Derby Day in 2007. Gann,... Read More »
The final episode – you’d have to guess forever – of Wilfred aired earlier this week and hard as it is to admit, I’ll be sad to see it go. Not all that sad mind you, because that first series was pretty much a textbook example of how to put together a comedy that contains... Read More »
With Wilfred drawing to a close on SBS, and Lowdown just started on the ABC, Adam Zwar seems to be the dominant force in sitcoms right now. But at least with Lowdown he's produced something which isn't too bad; this is not like Wilfred – all atmosphere, no laughs - but a more conventional sitcom, with running jokes, over-the-top performances and farcical... Read More »
Am I mistaken, or did I actually see Charlie Pickering laugh so hard he put his head down on the podium and thump it with his fist during a recent episode of Talkin’ ‘bout Your Generation? It’s a well-established fact that Charlie is perhaps the most appreciative fan of Shaun Micallef’s one-liners ever, but even... Read More »