Trash TV

For the purposes of this blog I try to watch as much Australian tv as I can handle. If I'm at home and there's something programmed, I'll take a look at it. In many circumstances, it's very rewarding - the new season of East West 101 on SBS, for example, blows all those Crime Scene Investigation *insert name of US city here* shows out of the water.

Sometimes however, it's a painful exercise in discovering why the rest of the world thinks Australia is entirely populated by neanderthal half-wits who think Blackface skits are hilarious. 

Aussie Ladette to Lady on channel 9 is beyond horrible. I suppose I shouldn't expect much from the channel that brings us The Footy Show and Two and a Half Men but this is seriously shove-your-fingers-down-your-throat, scrub-your-skin-raw-with-Solvol-soap, scoop-your-eyes-out-with-a-spoon horrible.

Both the girls and their 'teachers' are revolting in so many ways. The girls (obviously amping up their disguisting behaviour for the cameras) are creatures that defy evolution. How can people like this exist? They don't need deportment lessons, they need to be euthenaised.

Their teachers are archaic dinosaurs from yesteryear clinging on to irrelevant customs and patriarchal ideals. "What man would ever want you?" - as if a man's attention is the only thing that truly makes a woman worthwhile.  Perhaps they should be teaching them how to get a job rather than how to bake a tart for their future husband.

I don't understand what the viewer is supposed to be feeling; are we supposed to be amused? shocked? Are we supposed to feel sorry for the poor, uneducated darlings? In the words of another English 'lady'; We are not amused.

Besides all the other obvious reasons as to why this show is utterly unwatchable - I just can't handle all those British smiles. I spent the whole 15 minutes before I changed the channel in disgust wondering how the English aristocracy have still not discovered the  readily available science of dentistry.

15 minutes was too long. 

East West 101

SBS is currently screening series 1 of East West 101 again in the lead up to the second season beginning September 29.

Series 1 is "the story of two men whose destiny is irrevocably intertwined", both crime squad detectives on the mean streets of Sydney's west - Malik and Crowley play a dangerous game of revenge.

I was reminded last night (episode 2, season 1) of just what a brilliant, professional, touching and well produced package this series is. It's one moment heart-stopping action, one moment heart-breaking drama, with characters to love, characters to hate and the odd hate-to-love and love-to-hate one thrown in for good measure. Aaron Pederson (City Homicide, The Circuit) stars in episode 2 as an Aboriginal leader and criminal lawyer and gives, as usual, a magnificent performance.

The whole series is fantastic and as one comment on the website aptly put it; "this makes Underbelly look B grade".

You can watch all 6 episodes form series 1 online here.