KID NATION (Fri Jan 18, Ten – 7:30pm)
Reality TV show that asks the question: what happens if you take all the adults away from a small American town and let the kids fend for, govern and educate themselves? I was under the impression Stephen King had already answered that question in the 1984 film CHILDREN OF THE CORN. I’m sure KID NATION will bring out the evil child preacher and ritual adult sacrifices any episode now.
FRIENDS (Sun Jan 20, Nine – 7pm)
Bland (Joey), annoying (Phoebe) and sickly-sweet (Ross and Rachael), this damn show – even in repeat – keeps pulling me back in with its ‘Are they or aren’t they lovers?’ sly asides about Joey and Chandler. (Phoebe: ‘It’s so obvious! Like Monica being obsessive compulsive, or Joey and Chandler being secretly gay!’ Rachael: ‘What?’ Phoebe: ‘Oh c’mon, she’s always cleaning everything!’)
PIZZA (Mon Jan 21, SBS – 9pm)
The guiltiest guilty pleasure you’ll have outside of an all-whale topping at a Japanese Dominoes, PIZZA continues to be lewd, crude, politically incorrect, full of nudity, profanity and violence… and really quite funny. I also find myself unable to look away from Jabba (who plays Davo) as I hope he does another nude scene each week. I know, I’m as shallow as a thin-pan crust.
THE VICAR OF DIBLEY (Wed Jan 23, ABC – 8pm)
For a comedy featuring a female priest played by Dawn French and the oldest gay character yet seen on television (79-year-old John Bluthal playing Frank Pickle), this show plays its laughs fairly safe and inoffensive. Still, Dawn can do no wrong – the acting is top notch and the show is not afraid to kick the pope up the backside now and then.
TWO MUMS AND A DAD (Tues Jan 22, SBS – 7:30pm)
Whilst the title suggests either a sitcom in the TWO AND A HALF MEN vein or a Reality TV show Ten would love to get their mitts on, it’s actually a cool Aussie queer documentary (should be more of them! Where are you Aussie queer documentarians?!). It’s about two lesbians, Kelly and Fiona, who have a baby via gay friend Darren and the various trials and tribulations (alimony, legal rights, etc) that come with.
