Adam 7
TV Show: The Hollowmen
October 15th 2008 12:35
It is often necessary for The Compassionate Cynic to Seek Out and Highlight noteworthy products of the melange of cultures which inhabit this planet.
With this in mind, he deigns to present to you an outright plug of a recent TV show, recently having stopped airing (hopefully temporarily) after 2 seasons on ABC1 between July and October and which you can probably now purchase on DVD.
Little known outside the standard Clandestine Clique of Middle-Class Elites clearly due to its late hour, it achieved high ratings consistently throughout its run, the pilot episode ranking 1st in its time slot.
Rob Sitch, (of Frontline fame), has done a fantastic job of directing, co-writing and co-creating this mockumentary series about the daily work lives of the Prime Minister's fictional Central Policy Unit, a "committee", sorry - "gathering" of political advisers. Think Larry David producing a series of Yes Minister. Knowing puns abound and there's a good dose of cerebral language humour. The episodes play out in true Aussie style, the combination of wit and subtle satire evoking more snide chortles than outright laughter. However that's not to say there aren't any moments that elicit the latter.
Sitch is guilty of a little "big acting" here, but his character often has the best jokes, perfectly offset by the staunch yet necessarily complacent persona of David "Murph" Murphy (Lachy Hulme). Wonderfully played all round by the incredible cast (watch out for Graeme Blundell as Geoff, the coarse but thankfully resolute Party Director), not to mention the various superb women (notably the stunning Jaquie Brennan and the beautiful Nicola Parry) who all suit their parts perfectly (and of course, aren't female Australian actors the best in the industry? Seems Hollywood agrees!).
Other great characters include Phillip (David James), the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (a title derived from reality that's hilarious in itself) and Warren, his lackey-like Departmental Secretary.
It's fun to see the whole cast engage with each other in the sometimes playful, often bizarre surroundings of Parliament House, watching them have casual conversations about the interpretation of La Boheme whilst bravely and consistently weaseling their way out of making policy. The episode "A Waste of Energy" on Global Warming is a standout. Generally, the show succeeds at poking fun at politics as well as the current cultural climate; as all good satire should.
On a more academic note, The Compassionate Cynic has observed that most episodes in the first season usually ended with the crew either not achieving anything, tense matters being resolved by some unexpected 'deus ex machina' (involving either the press or public response), or matters resolving themselves ironically due to the crew's own incompetence.
However in the second season it seems the characters do frequently actually manage to accomplish something (although it's often satisfyingly destructive), and the focus seems to have shifted more toward character quirks complemented by the usual not-so-subtle commentary on our sacred political system.
At the end of the day, the show's heart thumps vivaciously with the truth of the matter: all the characters (and, obviously by definition their respective real-life counterparts) are civil and polite people with good intentions who are great at what they do; it's just that they're all... well, mislead.
Whether you're a politics student, a disgruntled laborer, a media professional or work in Parliament, you'll definitely enjoy all the brilliant and often incisive aspects of this show.
Watch it immediately, if not sooner.
CC.
Image from ident.org, used without permission, sorry. Please get in touch if this is an issue. Good image though.
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