Colour us surprised: when we first heard about Working Dog’s new panel show Have You Been Paying Attention?, we expected something more along the lines of the dimly but fondly remembered Out of the Question: a lot of casually scored chit-chat about the week’s events disguised as a game show. Buh Bowww: what we got... Read More »
Hey, a guest post! We think it’s an interesting look at a dark-ish corner of the Australian comedy business. As you’ll probably figure out, there’s a reason why it’s anonymous. Many years ago, in 1999, I had a short conversation with a well-known lawyer-turned-comedian. He was in an office in one of the ABC buildings,... Read More »
Has there ever been a returning television show so committed to failing to capture the imagination of Australians than Tractor Monkeys? Geez, don’t ask us, we couldn’t give a shit about a show that thinks giving Peter Helliar a venue for telling a story about how he once went to sleep in a tent wearing... Read More »
Well, that sure showed everyone who said Chris Lilley was a one trick pony. Why, there had to be at least three separate jokes on display in the first episode of Ja’mie: Private School Girl: Ja’mie’s a bitch, Ja’mie dances in a sexually explicit fashion in front of the school, Ja’mie talks about tits a... Read More »
Five is an odd number of shows to make in this sort of series but its shorter than usual run is probably more to do with it needing to make way for the almighty force of comedy that will be Ja’mie: Private School Girl than anything... Read More »
Oh Mr Pobjie, two weeks of us reacting to your TV review column with words like “ire” and “irk” and then you go and do this: I hesitate to say this, and it is said with a heavy heart, but … I think I might be a bit over Ja’mie King. In fact, to be... Read More »
Is Super Fun Night an Australian comedy? Well, since you ask… no. It’s made in the USA by an USA network for USA audiences. And yet here we are, about to have a whinge about it anyway. Our excuse? It stars “Australia’s own” Rebel Wilson as both lead and series creator. Plus we talked about... Read More »
People occasionally ask us why we’re not big fans of the panel format. “It’s got comedians on it and they’re being funny’n shit” says this almost certainly fictional idiot, “what’s not to like?” Well, a lot of things really, but let’s stick to one: some very good comedians are no damn good on panel shows.... Read More »
Audrey’s Kitchen is back on ABC2, and we believe this news should be filed under “good”. Last year’s run of two minutes (fake) cooking episodes in which Working Dog creation Audrey Gordon (Heidi Arena) put together actual edible meals while dispensing casual racism and thinly veiled insults was one of the more impressive comedies of... Read More »
When you compare Upper Middle Bogan and It’s A Date to the other Australian sitcoms of this year - Housos, Please Like Me, Leongatha, TwentySomething - and the horrors to come, it’s clear that they’ve been the... Read More »