Sunday, October 3, 2010

The end of the season (finally!)

This has been a momentous week. My little one turned 1 (my god, where did that year go!) and no one won the AFL Grand Final. WTF?????

Yes, it was a draw and while for many Collingwood and St Kilda fans that meant their dreams were still alive, for the rest of us that it means ANOTHER week of boring football shows. Really, how many people are being employed to just talk about football? If they pulled half the shows off the air, the national unemployment figures will go up a percent. Really, it's true!!

Much to the relief of many people out there the Grand Final was replayed and Collingwood won (go pies!) and the season is finally over. YAY!! So onto the real tv.....

I've been having a bit of a 30 Rock revival week and, boy, its been pulling me through. It's been a crazy work week and a bit of old Lemon and Donoghy was the only thing pulling me through! There is something a little disturbing about my admiration of Liz Lemon. Such dysfunction. Yet so cool. (And she is a fellow lover of television!).

In my desperation to get an even better Lemon fix I went and got season 3 on the weekend. Now I have to admit it does begin to loose a little something here but there are still some moments of comedy. The Oprah episode. The high school reunion. The retreat to move forward. G-O-L-D!

On the flip side, something that is generally not funny but is having a roaring 3rd series is a favourite of mine, True Blood. I have spoken much about this before so I won't go on, but OMG Eric, Bill and Alcide (werewolfs now apparently). Another level has been reached.

So onto this week's main feature and my new love, Spirited (W, 7.30pm Wednesday). It has this amazing combination of things that to me say 'stay away' - its a Foxtel production (eek!), post Secret Life of Us Claudia Karvan and there's a ghost - but all together they work. They work so well it makes me slightly emotional.

Let me bring you up to speed. Suzie Darling (Karvan) is an anally retentive dentist who decides to leave her cheating chauvinist husband Steve (Rodger Corser) during a dinner party. She and their children, Elvis and Verity, move into a luxurious apartment in the building above her practice which used to be a hotel. As it turns out they are not alone. The hotel is haunted by the ghost of a British 1980's punk rocker called Henry Mallett (Matt King) who can't remember how he died and only Susie can see. The story has the dual focus of Susie trying to build her life while everyone around her thinks she is going slightly mad, while Henry tries to remember what happened to his. It combines a sublime mix of comedy, drama and incredibly touching moments, in particular those where Henry is slowly reconnecting with his past and in doing so realises what and who he has lost. TV magic!

Now, I have to apologise cosmically about this one. I was prepared to hate it. I was prepared to say 'geez Claudia Karvan has lost it'. I prejudged. I thought I knew it all. I did not. And for that I am sorry.

It has beautiful writing (on and I realised it is in part written by one of be most loved TV writers Marieke Hardy), fantastic acting and the spot on period punk tracks are fantastic.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out. While I hate the ending of a good series too soon, I also think it is important to know when to call it a day. Will it be a one good series show, or will there be a cliff hanger to take us to the other side (so to speak).

Stay tuned!





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