Things to be kind of positive about
You know us, we’re not exactly the home of Australian comedy positivity. So as balance here are a small number of Australian comedy things which may not want to make you slash your wrists. Well, not slash them heaps of times.
The Randling App
These days TV’s all about extending the experience, hence the plethora of show-related apps for your smartphone. The new app (for Apple smart devices) to accompany Randling is a word game which combines Tetris and Scrabble. Like the TV show it isn’t funny, unlike the TV show it’s addictive and worth coming back for. Not that that justifies 27 weeks on ABC1. Or anything Andrew Denton’s been involved in since that time he hosted the Logies.
Sir Murray Rivers QC on YouTube
We’ve banged on before about Sir Murray Rivers, a character that John Clarke’s offsider Bryan Dawe has been doing for yonks on ABC radio. Sir Murray is a very right-wing lawyer who some consider to be the Graham Richardson of the Liberal party. If you like the weekly sketch on 7.30 from Clarke and Dawe you may enjoy Sir Murray’s rants on the Carbon Tax and various other matters.
Rant
You’ve probably been wondering when the team from The Bazura Project will pop up next. Apparently it’s not any time soon, but you can now enjoy a pilot called Rant made by team member Shannon Marinko as part of SPAA and Network Ten’s Eleven Out of Ten initiative. We enjoyed the pilot and think it has potential, but it also didn’t seem much like a Network Ten show. Maybe it’s an ABC2 show? Tell us what you think.
The ABC, is a publicly funded organisation, who, are supposed to provide free, open and publicly accessible content to the public (i.e. the people who fund them). With this in mind, it seems to be against their directive and mission to be releasing apps exclusively on a restrictive, proprietary closed platform such as apple smart devices (this is equivalent to delivering ABC content on pay tv only).
I see your point Ben. They should also delete iview as it uses the proprietary flash system. They should also only broadcast on screens in public places on crown land. After all televisions have to be purchased and are therefore not free or open.
The fact is the ABC can do what they want online. They can play ads if they want. Heck the Randling App has in app purchasing.
Perhaps they should give all their DVDs away for free as well?
Lots of people have iPhones. Developing for Android can end up being niche depending on which flavour you develop for. The App is a revenue raiser. So Boo Hoo to you.