HBO's New Show Summer Heights High Actually Looks Good
Let's look in the mirror and be honest with ourselves, HBO. Things haven't been so great since the Sopranos ended. Even the fifth season of The Wire was butt. And do not pretend like you've still got some kind of foundational success with Entourage. With success like that, who needs failure, right? (It's Not TV, It's ZingBO.) Not to mention your new shows. True Blood is mostly a disaster, Little Britain is Lots Unfunny, and The Life and Times of Tim looks like a show MTV2 would have canceled in 1999. But chin up, little pay cable provider! Your new show Summer Heights High actually looks pretty good! Granted, it is an Australian show that you bought wholesale and are re-airing unchanged because the writer/creator/star of the show, Chris Lilley, didn't want to make you a new one, so I don't know how accurate it is to call it "your" show. But it looks good is the point, so, you know, baby steps.
Lilley plays three different characters on the show.
Mr. G:
Ja'mie:
Jonah:
OK! Sure, it's mostly just Christopher Guest meets The Office meets Hamlet 2 meets Half The Comedy Of The Past 10 Years, but whatever. Laughs are laughs, right you guys? I also like how it's taped with actual children. It's like when TV Funhouse would have puppet dogs have sex with actual dogs, or whatever. You know, it's like that. Also, according to a New York Times article on the show earlier this week, America will be ready for it in a way that Australia was not:
The latest example of a minitrend that might be termed comedy vérité, "Summer Heights High" was filmed and edited in a documentary style that left some Australian viewers feeling that it was perhaps too authentic. "People kept saying, 'Oh, it's too close to reality, and we don't want to see this in entertainment,' " Mr. Lilley said by phone from Melbourne, Australia. "Well, why not? If that's what schools are really like, I took that as a compliment."
Wait a second, Australia doesn't have reality TV? Oh man. Heads up, Australia. You are in for some wild times when you catch the fuck up to the rest of the world.
Posted by Gabe at 2:50 PM in What America Wants
Tags: Australia | Chris Lilley | HBO | Summer Heights High
It is very good. I've had the dvd rip on my computer for a little while. Chris Lilley is pretty talented.
Score = 2
I;ve seen the full eight episodes and it is an amazing show! Funny and thoughtful
Score = 0
This had me lawling across my floor.
Score = 0
i had to order this from australia and its money well spent, you should also check out WE CAN BE HEROES, the charecter ja'mie was taken from it and chris is a genius with everything!!
Score = 0
hooray for the body sock... that first video was every high school drama teacher or intro to improv class COMBINED to the millionth power.
i can DEFINITELY relate to Jonah... on a smaller, less comedic level.
HBO has to stop coming up with awesome shows...
Score = 0
I LOVE THIS SHOW! the episodes get pretty serious towards the end, but these characters are really great all throughout.
Score = 0
Yeah great show! yourtooslow is right though - the original series, We Can Be Heroes is also great, if not better than Summer Heights High.
Score = 1
This show is great, they showed it in the UK during the summer.
Score = 1
OH YES, YES, YES.
Score = 0
As an Australian, I can say two things: this is the best show; and nice fake controversy, Chris, but everyone I know loved it. Which, considering our population, means everyone in Australia loved it. Everyone.
Also, when does HBO officially become the Australasia Network?
Score = 0
It's totally true. I think they revoked the citizenship of anyone who doesn't love Chris Lilley. Also, does this mean we are now forgiven for Baz Luhrmann's tourism commercials?
Score = 0
what's up with this website trying to stir shit up all the time? you guys are like a group of grade seven girls trying to make fun of the dumpy girl who can play pantera on her violin.
Score = 1
I have to agree as well, everyone loved it here and it had great ratings, I was so surprised when I read that quote, Chris Lilley is talking some major shit. Oh and "Australia wasn't ready for it"??!? That's just a low blow!
Score = 1
I'm an Aussie. It is seriously hilarious. It's massive down under :)
Score = 1
Everybody now! "She's a PARTY GIRRRRRL with a BAD HABIT! BAD HABIT FOR DRUUUUUGS!"
Score = 1
I think it looks like it's going to be a cool show. If only I got HBO.
Score = 0
Summer Heights High is hilarious - actually, anything Lilley does is good. He's a talent and a half.
Also, I'm Aussie and I'll have you know we have reality tv. We very much have reality tv. God we're not in the bloody stoneage... Project Runway Australia was shot with FAR better quality cameras than Project Runway USA. Maybe we're even ahead?
Score = -2
Project Runway Australia was an abomination! Replacing Heidi with the hideous offspring of a foul, corrupt, redneck Nat was a majorly stupid move.
Reality TV in Austraila sux. It needs a Rock of Love with Barnesy.
Score = -2
Also, p.s. It's nice to see you guys buy an Aussie show and NOT remake it. Kath and Kim was one of the funniest shows on television, but the USA Kath & Kim is so boring. They're not even dysfunctional, they talk normally, they dress relatively normally and they do normal things. I'm so glad Chris Lilley made HBO air the real thing, because it just wouldn't work under American humour.
Score = 0
THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD I SINCERELY HOPE EVERYONE LIKES IT
Score = 1
mate you can keep your pox ridden reality tv.Catch up well no more like been there and fucked it off.
Score = -2
LOVE LOVE LOVE this show.
Kath & Kim US version totally sux. There's nothing compare to the real version.
Project Runway Australia was good... although the designers are just too nice with each other.
Score = 0
I can assure you all that we definitely DO have reality TV in Australia. Since way too long ago. I hate that stuff. Chris Lilley is very funny though.
Score = 1
yo wat u talkin about life and times of tim is helerious and tru blood is addikting...watch it from the beggining ulle see..two episodes left..cant wait till sunday night...yeah yuh ..www.myspace.com/redeyez88
Score = 0
yo wat u talkin about life and times of tim is helerious and tru blood is addikting...watch it from the beggining ulle see..two episodes left..cant wait till sunday night...yeah yuh ..www.myspace.com/redeyez88
Score = 0
great show with HEART...Jonah's story is the best - didn't expect it to be AWESOME at the end...
West Covina, CA
Score = 0
I have no idea on where the writer of article got his sources but Australia has had reality TV for far too long. And I very much so doubt that Australia wasn't ready for it, I more so say that Australia had seen reality TV and gone past it.
The fad of reality TV peaked years ago in AUS and now with only a few decent ones remaining. So to say we wern't ready to "Summer Heights High" is rediculous, we were more than ready and loved it.
Score = 0