13 schoolyards, Author at Australian Tumbleweeds
Well, It’s About Time
Charlie Pickering’s been getting a decent kicking over the last week and honestly… we’re torn. At Tumbleweed HQ, we’ve been hanging shit on Pickering for the last decade or more. You want to point out his many, many flaws? Welcome to the party, pal. So of course we’ve been enjoying seeing him being put through... Read More »
Rebuilding the Aussie Sitcom from the Ground Up
The first thing you notice about Ground Up is that it’s not written by the lead actor. A first for an Australian sitcom in 2026! And probably a lot longer, it’s too depressing to check. A sitcom written (or co-written) by its lead doesn’t have to suck. May we direct your attention towards The Games,... Read More »
Vale Urzila (the show, not the person)
Okay, so Urzila turned out to be slightly less varied than we’d hoped. Still (mostly) funny tho! And as it’s unlikely we’ll see a second season – or any other local sketch comedy on the ABC before they give up terrestrial broadcasting and become just another website – we can just space out our viewing... Read More »
John Safran Speaks!
It’s been a long time between drinks for John Safran. His last major issue-tackling role on our screens was back in 2016 with The Goddamn Election; a decade later he’s looking at the touchy topic of free speech with Shut Your Big Fat Mouth John Safran!. Is Australia’s most notorious prankster finally about to say... Read More »
Shaun Micallef is Harshing My Vibe
Shaun Micallef’s back! Not being funny or anything though, he’s got another one of his “what the fuck is wrong with you people” documentaries on the ABC. Titled Shaun Micallef’s Going for Broke, this time he’s got gambling in his sights. And no-one is safe! Just kidding, the whole thing (well, the first episode of... Read More »
Urzila Chiller Diller
When it comes to sketch shows, we’ve learned not to pass judgment until at least week two. First week, pretty much every sketch show seems fresh and funny. Second week? Oh look, turns out all those fresh and funny sketches are going to be reoccurring, pounding the same handful of jokes into the ground week... Read More »
Dropped Into the Grinder
Press release time! To be honest, this doesn’t look as strong out the gate as we were hoping. But it’s also the kind of concept that probably needs a bit of background – as in, getting to know the characters – to work. Comedy sports shows (as opposed to sports comedy) often struggle a bit.... Read More »
A Few Quick Thoughts on Bad Company
Usually we’re more than happy to go off on a series after nothing more than a brief glimpse at a cast photo. But Bad Company? We’re still mulling the first episode over. So while we wait for out no doubt amazingly insightful full-length review a bit further down the track, here’s a few odds and... Read More »
Vale The Weekly 2026
Every time The Weekly tries to act like it’s built up enough goodwill to get self-referential, it’s a reminder that it really is, in more ways than we can express, shithouse. Not every segment, not every joke, but taken as a whole it’s just garbage. Twelve seasons of it! The opening segment of this year’s... Read More »
Hostile Intervention
The thing that stands out with Glenn’s and Mick’s Celebrity Intervention is that it’s not a comedy show for the young. Australian comedy has been skewing older of late, but shows like Taskmaster or Have You Been Paying Attention? keep a few seats free for fresh young faces. Celebrity Intervention? No room on the couch... Read More »