Great Australian Drama And Why It Matters

Over the past year, Australian televisions have been graced with what seems like an unusual amount of local drama. It's been high quality, gripping, devastating- and free-to-air. The ABC in particular have stepped up, providing us with telemovies and serials such as Mabo, Jack Irish and Redfern Now. Channel Ten's Puberty Blues and Nine's Howzat: Kerry Packer's War might not have had the same level of social importance as recent telemovies on the ABC (A Dangerous Remedy, Devil's Dust), but they were both great dramas showcasing real talent.

This is a good thing. Imports from Britain and the US are awesome, and there is much amazing storytelling from all over the world that we can appreciate. As any undergraduate arts student will know all too well, we are living in a globalised world where national boundaries seem to be becoming less and less important. So why does it matter whether we have good Australian drama?

It matters because there are stories here, both true and fictional, that need to be told. We need to know about Australian lives, like Bernie Banton's and those of everyone affected by asbestos. We need serials like Redfern Now, because Australia is not just one big extension of Ramsay St. These stories matter- and we have the talent to be able to tell them.

We have actors that deserve to be seen, who can make Australian storytelling great. People like Anthony Hayes (Devil's Dust), Deborah Mailman (Mabo, Redfern Now) and Don Hany (Devil's Dust) can do amazing things, and Foxtel should not be the only place we can see acting of this calibre.

Dramas like Devil's Dust can show us that our country has been far from perfect over its history, but that there are people out there who are capable of taking of a stand when something isn't right. We need drama like this, and drama that shows our diversity and makes sure we don't forget what has passed. You can mock our film and television industries all you want, but the past few months have shown that these industries are capable of greatness, and they deserve to be recognised.

The Slap and ABC's Latest Ad Campaign

When a program is as heavily promoted as The ABC's The Slap, it's hard not to become skeptical before the opening credits even begin. After seeing an ad for what seems like the thousandth time, it can feel like you've already seen the whole series and already know all the lines off by heart. Despite this, I was still somewhat hopeful that this eight-part Aussie drama would have something in it worth watching. Friends of mine have read the book and swear by it, and as I've already said, there's always that chance that it will be a good old fashioned home-grown classic.

So what was the verdict?  The cast is full to the brim with familiar names and faces, raising expectations high. All in all, they didn't disappoint.  Most notably, Melissa George has graced us folk down-under with her television prescence again as Rosie, the mother of the child that is slapped at Hector's (Jonathan LaPaglia) birthday BBQ. Aside from bringing attention to the program, the cast's major achievement seems to be portraying characters that you instantly hate, yet not in the way that makes you want to stop watching. As each episode is from the perspective of a different one of these characters, there's an incentive to watch again and find out more about what's going on behind the insufferableness.

Of course,  William McInnes' occasional snippets of narration are a highlight. What more do you need?

The Slap screens on ABC1 at 8.30 on Thursdays (it stole Crownies' spot, sigh).

Image from Borders.

Ita!

I'm by no means an Australian Story regular, but the two part Ita Buttrose special over the past fortnight has been a source of much excitement. Like many fans of Paper Giants, since the telemovie I've developed an interest in the Australian media's leading lady. Years later, the story of her career and her time at Cleo is still an inspiration. Last night, we learnt about what happened after ACP. While it might not have always been as successful as the story we got in Paper Giants, it doesn't make Ita any less awesome. In fact, it probably makes her even cooler- she's human, and not everything she's done has changed the world.

Australian Story's 'Ita Tells Me So' showed many sides of an iconic Australian. The successful magazine editor, the journalist, the mother and the friend to Kerry Packer. The interviews and footage with Ita now, as well as flash-backs, added so much to the hint of an amazing life that was Paper Giants. Something tells me it satisfied my thirst for knowledge about Ita Buttrose only temporarily, and I'm guessing I'm not alone. Magazine lover or not, Ita Buttrose is the kind of person you just want to know more about. Maybe because you want to know how to be her, or maybe because you just want to know how she did it.

Check out Australian Story on iView if you missed it.

The ABCs of Television

Our beloved public broadcaster has copped a lot of flak this week, as it announced it would be cutting Collectors, The New Inventors and Art Nation. These losses have upset a lot of people, if the editorial and vox pop in my local newspaper are to be believed. While not a regular watcher of either, I did appreciate the occasional look. I think it's sad to see them go, but the fact of television (and life) is that not everything you love can stay around forever. So today I'm looking at the positives we've seen on the ABC this week, just as a reminder that not all great shows have ended up on the cutting room floor.

Wednesday night saw the return of The Gruen Transfer, hosted by Wil Anderson and with a panel that didn't disappoint. As the show's regular Todd Sampson triumphantly tweeted, Gruen had the highest ratings for its timeslot. So what makes a show where a couple of people sit around and talk about ads so very enjoyable? Well, there's the obvious- Todd. Known for his witty and colourful t-shirts, his clever insights and (let's face it) dazzlingly good looks, Todd seems to have developed a cult following... in my social circles, anyway! His arguments with the other panel regular, Russel Howcroft, are always hilarious. It's actually disappointing when they agree with each other! Aside from being very funny, this show has something important to say- that we should always look at advertising critically, and think about what companies want us to take away from certain ads.

Last night saw another ABC success, in my opinion. The new series Crownies continued as the solicitor that leaked an important file to the media is yet to be discovered, and all the characters deal with cases that are nothing short of harrowing. On first watch I was slightly disappointed with Crownies, but a few weeks in I am a firm fan. I've come to like all the characters that I was turned off by at first, especially Erin (Ella Scott Lynch). While two hours seemed far too long in the first week, now one hour goes by in what seems like minutes and I wish there was another episode to follow. It's intriguing, clever, funny and human- all major prerequisites for a good ABC drama.

In short, the ABC might be saying goodbye to some valuable shows, but it's definitely not all doom and gloom. There's plenty of great stuff to look forward to.

Crownies: the verdict is in.

There's something especially great about a good Aussie drama. Maybe it's the element of pride, or the familiar landscape. Perhaps it's the fact that we're so surprised we came up with something worth watching, that it becomes far more addictive than it actually should be. For whatever reason, shows like Seachange and Love My Way hold a special place in this TV addict's heart. This is why when the new ABC series Crownies premiered on Thursday night, my hopes were high. Despite continued disappointment, the wonder of an Aussie drama that gets it right had me holding onto the chance that another one was on its way.

So did it hit the spot? Not exactly. After weeks of intense promotion, it was definitely a let-down. The ad I'd seen at least 5 times made it look better than it actually was- less intrigue and glamour, more unlikable characters and an obvious attempt to seem gritty. The 2 hour long premiere seemed to drag on, and I found myself looking at the clock in hopes that 10.30 would soon arrive.

That said, it wasn't all bad. There were some impressive performances. Indiana Evans (formerly of Home and Away and H20: Just Add Water) as Tatum Novak, the bubbly and friendly one, was a standout. Her friendship with the endearingly hopeless Richard Stirling (Hamish Michael) will be one to watch over the next installments. The mystery of who released a highly sensitive brief to the media gives another reason to keep watching. This aspect of the plot was done well, as the viewer was given reason to believe it could have been any of the young crownies that betrayed their friends and colleagues.

Despite initial disappointment, I'll be tuning in again next Thursday. This is partly because of the strengths I've just discussed, and partly because my faith in the occasional brilliance of home-grown drama won't allow me to give up on this one just yet.