TV Exchange Student: US and AU Shows That Brits Need To See
Even in this day and age of multimedia connectivity, online websites with whole swathes of TV shows, DVD and Blu-Rays and more programmes getting syndicated to other countries only days after their original premieres – and, yeah, the more shady side of ‘acquiring’ choice episodes – there are literally tons of series that aren’t known to the Average Joe viewer.
Well, the Ginger one and I simply could not take it any longer, and so we bring you the first of a two part look at some of our personal favourite, relatively unknown TV gems that should be on your viewing schedule if they’re not so already.
For the Brits among our readers, fetch out your exercise books and get ready to copy down these notes from the invisible-white-board. You’ll be quizzed on them at the end of the lesson or something.
Wonderfalls
Those of you with a photographic memory will remember that we did indeed bob along in a barrel with Wonderfalls back in the summer of 2005 on Sky1, or as it was known at the time before the pandemic of txtspk, Sky One. Problem was they did a real number on it – airing episodes out of order and at different times each week, then stopping half way through only to pick-up randomly weeks later and aired at the uncouth hour of 11pm – a meddling number normally performed by American networks. Brought to you by Bryan Fuller, better known in our land of kettles for his series Pushing Daises that was weirdly aired on ITV1 a couple of years ago, this little know but incredibly cult series followed the tales of a Jaye Tyler, an “over-educated and unemployable” twenty-something sales assistant at a gift shop at Niagara Falls who begins to have ordinary inanimate animal figurines talk at her. They tell her to do things that, while taking the scenic route and having unexpected and comical bumps along the way, ultimately lead to a greater good that wouldn’t have happened if not for Jaye’s involvement. She’s reluctant at first, thinking she’s going mad, but over the course of the short-lived series, she begins to grow and has a knock-on effect to those around her. The supporting cast is stunning, the show is smart and quirky and Caroline Dhavernas in the lead as Jaye is genius just on its own. Being kept up all night by a singing wax lion, single-white-female action, smuggling Canadian housekeepers, nuns hiding in barrels, trailer-park exorcisms, licking light-switches, catching babies and an ex-Golden Girl all follow.
Better Off Ted
Out of all the aborted shows out there, Better Off Ted has at least two seasons under its belt and the only one to bring you an epic corporate battle finale in a secret maintenance room with Portia de Rossi sawing through a plank of wood to save her life. Or the company’s secrets. Whatever. Series namesake Ted runs the research and development department of Veridian Dynamics, one of those global and deliberately faceless companies with questionable but hilarious methods who may or may not have been responsible for certain Presidential elections and inventors of cowless beef. It’s very much a comedy series and sometimes surprisingly dry compared to what you’d expect from American shows. Funny aside, the real draw is the interplay of the close-knit core cast who all do star turns in their respective roles and how they try to traverse the morality minefield of some of Veridian’s latest ventures. I suppose you could say that it’s kinda like Scrubs with the fourth wall breaking and narration and all, just minus the suck. Oh, and their commercials for their products and innovations are just inspired. Plus, Phil and Lem have a Dalek in the lab. You also need to watch it just to hear how Veronica says “Veronica.”
Underbelly
Personally I’m not a big fan of crime dramas. I mean, The Sopranos? Couldn’t get into it. So I surprised myself when I thoroughly bloody enjoyed this series. Based on the real life events of Melbourne’s gangland war of the late nineties that spanned nearly a decade, Underbelly documents the rise Carl Williams over a ten year period who starts off a dopey driver to the Carlton Crew who eventually becomes a convicted murderer and drug trafficker. While there were some inaccuracies in the series compared to what actually happened, it still doesn’t detract from the gritty realism and storytelling. Australia is often overlooked, at least in popular media, with some thinking that about as bad as it gets over there is Paul Robinson doing another nasty and shady something on Ramsey Street, and for that Underbelly is a refreshing experience and considering that it is based on reality, it feels all the more palatable. From its success, it’s spawned two prequels and three made-for-TV movies, each looking at different periods in Australia’s mob-history. Production and acting are top notch with these actors that most outside of the country wouldn’t know putting in respectable performances, so it’s not a surprise that the show won six out of their nominated eight awards at the Australian Film Institute Awards.
Popular
Ask any teen today what Ryan Murphy is known for and eight out of ten will unequivocally say Glee. You might get one of the kids say Nip/Tuck and they’d be right and deserving of a biscuit. But the coolest of the kids will say Popular, and for which they must be brought a family bucket of fried chicken and a packet of croutons because only they will get the reference. The series is set at a highschool where Brooke, the popular head-cheerleader of the Glamazons with her cliques, and Sam, the unpopular geeky and smart girl with a penchant for journalism with her small, close group of friends, find themselves soon to be sisters as their parents – Brooke’s dad and Sam’s mum – meet, fall in love and get in engaged. Determined to not let this union come to pass, Brooke and Sam agree to make their parents separate and let the equilibrium be restored. It’s hilarious, serious and just a truly brilliant series that unexpectedly got cancelled at the end of the second season making for one hell of a last finale. The ensemble cast is inspired with some fantastic characters and the casting director, Robert J. Ulrich – the same guy responsible for the casting on Glee – should be appalled. If you’ve seen Popular, all it’s hallmarks are present in Glee making the show somewhat of a spiritual successor. Oh, and if there’s really only one reason you watch Popular, it should be to behold the awesome that is Mary Cherry.
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