HOSTAGES
New series
★★★★
Wednesday, August 13, 8.30pm, Studio
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Often, remakes are fascinating. Each time a new country or culture takes on an established story, they inevitably bring their own sensibilities and priorities to it. In the case of Prisoner of War/Homeland, what we got was two distinct but equally gripping tales that tapped into the distinctive paranoias of the two countries. Sometimes, though, that cultural influence can completely ruin its source material, and it looks like that’s precisely what happened with Hostages. We’ve seen the US version on free-to-air (starring Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott), in which the efforts to render it prime-time-friendly were disastrous: obvious in its characterisation and flashing arrows at every plot “twist”, yet still weirdly incoherent. Now Studio is screening the Israeli original and while the basic plot points are the same, a host of small but crucial differences make this compelling. For a start, the whole idea that an Israeli patriot – who is not a nut job - might want to assassinate the prime minister is much more plausible. The family dynamic is set up with considerably more subtlety, from the structure of the narrative to little details like costumes and set dressing. Here, the dog isn’t an adorably fluffy mutt who goes missing - but then turns up okay. (Phew!) It’s a German Shepherd who – minor spoiler – does not turn up okay. In short, there’s an intelligence and toughness here that creates genuine suspense and genuine thrills.
PLEASE LIKE ME
Series return
★★★½
Tuesday, August 12, 9.30pm, ABC2
Josh Thomas presents as a bit of a nong, being fey and maybe not all that bright. And if most of us accepted that is at least in part the comedic character he has created for himself, there was also the general perception that it was kind of the real him, too. Until early last year, that is, when we saw the first season of Please Like Me. Even the title seemed a continuation of that familiar character but what Thomas had actually created was a clever, honest, tender and deceptively sophisticated comedy. It was certainly amusing rather than riotous, but still an absolute joy. What’s more, it was as likely to make you cry as laugh, in the best possible way. It’s instructive that the show was picked up by new US cable channel Pivot as the face of its self-described “disruptive TV”: television focusing on social advocacy. It’s certainly a wonderful platform to launch a conversation about coming out in the twenty-first century. Not that there’s anything even slightly medicinal about Please Like Me. More that it embraces being young, gay - and not entirely confident about either of those things - with frankness and affection, and completely without hysteria. Pivot also co-funded this second series (along with the ABC) and fans will be delighted to know that everything we loved about season one, appears to be very much in evidence in season two. As we rejoin the action, mum Rose is clearly off her meds and undergoing a makeover. Josh is still bumbling around trying to figure out where he fits in the bigger gay picture. And Alan and Mae have had a baby, providing Josh with a baby sister - whether he likes it or not. Once again the humour – and the performances – are deliciously low-key and that overarching gentleness continues to disguise some pretty sharp insights into life, love and family.
SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA
Series return
★★★½
Tuesday, August 12, 8.30pm
This likeable local series is back, once again helping families find their dream homes. Or not, as the case may be. One of the pleasures of the show is the way in which – within the confines of the format – we see some fair-dinkum house-hunting, with all its difficulties and disappointments along with its thrills. And expert casting means both our hosts and their clients are always fun to spend time with. Tonight we’re looking for a family home in Sydney, where two million doesn’t get you a heck of a lot; and an empty nest in Adelaide – where 20 minutes to the CBD is considered a commute.
ANZAC GIRLS
New series
★★★
Sunday, August 10, 8.30pm, ABC
Before the avalanche of WW1 programming swamps us next year, with the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, the ABC has got in early with this glossy melodrama about nurses serving in Egypt, the Dardanelles and on the Western Front. Handsomely produced and with a wonderful cast (including Anna McGahan and Caroline Craig), it’s clear a great deal of both love and money has been poured into this, and despite a somewhat soapy feel and regular moments of unlikely speechifying, it’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser.
LEGALLY BROWN
Series return
★★★
Monday, August 11, 10pm, SBS One
With rather more of the sketches and less of the stand-up than season one, Nazeem Hussein is back with his always-enjoyable take on race relations in sunny Oz. Some of the familiar set-ups (how many non-whites can he be mistaken for?) are starting to feel a bit tired but there’s still plenty of fun to be had. And just when you’re thinking, ''well, yes, this is all pleasantly amusing'' – he does something that makes you shout with laughter. Tonight, it’s when he “plays the race card”. Very clever.
UTOPIA
New series
★★★½
Wednesday, August 13, 8.30pm, ABC
Subtitled Nation Building – One White Elephant At A Time, this new satire from the Working Dog crew does all the things we expect of them. That is, assemble a cracking cast (including Celia Pacquola, Luke McGregor, Kitty Flanagan and Toby Truslove). Have them lead by Rob Sitch as the put-upon and not-entirely-competent head of the government department responsible for infrastructure. And pack the script with wonderful observations on all the lunacy that sort of job invariably entails. And, like Frontline (to which this will inevitably be compared), some of those observations are so close to the bone you don’t know whether to laugh, or cry.