Making us Laugh, Keeping us Entertained: Comedy and Light Entertainment Nominees
Mockumentaries and music are making us laugh and keeping us entertained when we sit down in front of our small screens. Two of the programs nominated for this year’s Best Television Comedy Series embrace the mockumentary format made famous by British TV comedy, The Office, while half of the Best Light Entertainment Series nominees revel in the world of music.
Mockumenting reality
'Mockumenting' the ups and downs of a 13-year-old delinquent breakdancer; an ego-driven drama teacher, and a bitchy private school exchange student is Best Television Comedy Series nominee, Summer Heights High.
The ABC co-production stars the man hailed as 'Australia's own Ricky Gervais', writer/co-producer Chris Lilley, in all three lead roles. The triple effort has also earned Lilley a nomination for Best Performance in a Television Comedy.
Series director Stuart McDonald, whose previous directing work includes The Secret Life of Us and SeaChange, has also received a Best Direction in Television nomination for episode eight, the series finale in which the curtain rises on "Mr G: The Musical – An Arena Spectacular".
Also embracing elements of the mockumentary style is Best Television Comedy Series nominee Chandon Pictures. Rob Carlton stars as Tom Chandon, a man who is driven by the dream of making "films that matter". Working in a fictional video production company, Chandon Pictures, he’s a wedding and corporate video producer with visions of grandeur. Carlton, who also wrote and produced, has picked up a Best Performance in a Television Comedy nomination for the role.
Chandon Pictures was based on the 2006 Tropfest-winning short film Carmichael & Shane and premiered on the Movie Extra channel last year.
Leading a nation and a library
Helping the Prime Minister in the most important job of all – getting re-elected- is the raison d'être for The Hollowmen, another Best Television Comedy Series nominee.
The satirical comedy-drama, set in the offices of the Central Policy Unit, was created by Working Dog, who also brought Frontline, The Panel and Thank God You're Here into our homes.
Co-Producer Rob Sitch plays the Prime Minister's Principal Private Secretary, Tony, a role which has earned him a nomination for Best Performance in a Television Comedy. He is also nominated alongside collaborators Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner for the Best Screenplay in Television award.
The biggest event of the library calendar, Book Week, looms in fellow Best Television Comedy Series nominee, The Librarians.
The comedy drama stars Robyn Butler, whose previous performing credits include The Eric Bana Show and Shaun Micallef ‘s Welcher and Welcher. In The Librarians, Butler plays Frances O’Brien, an uptight Head Librarian whose life unravels when she is forced to employ her ex-best friend, Christine. The role has earned Butler a nomination for Best Performance in a Television Comedy for the role.
The Librarians was co-produced, co-written by Butler and her husband, Wayne Hope, who also directed and performed in the series.
Real life versus ad life
The real-life stories of people including Heath Ledger, Jerry Seinfeld, Cate Blanchett, Al Gore and George Miller have all been revealed on Best Light Entertainment Series nominee, Enough Rope with Andrew Denton.
ABC’s “talk show that listens” has been enlightening audiences since 2003, but after six seasons and nearly 200 episodes, the series will come to an end this year.
Executive Producer and presenter Andrew Denton will move on to other projects within his production company Zapruder’s Other Films. One of these could include The Gruen Transfer, a Zapruder stable-mate and fellow Best Light Entertainment Series nominee.
Named after the man who designed the very first shopping mall, Victor Gruen, The Gruen Transfer is an innovative panel discussion/game show about how advertising works and the tactics used by its most brilliant minds. Hosted by comedian Wil Anderson, The Gruen Transfer made full use of its interactive website to engage with its fans.
Sing me a song…
Comedian Adam Hills hosts fellow Light Entertainment nominee, the weekly music trivia/tgame show Spicks and Specks.
Each week Hills is joined by two music buffs – radio DJ Myf Warhurst and comedian/actor Alan Brough – plus guest contestants. 2008 saw a Geoffrey Rush drum solo, a showstopper from Lorna Luft and an unforgettable costume mishap from Frank Woodley.
This year’s only non ABC-screening Light Entertainment award nominee is the SBS broadcast, RocKwiz.
Hosted by Julia Zemiro and produced by Renegade Films, this music/quiz show is recorded live in St Kilda’s hallowed Gershwin Room, deep in the bosom of the legendary Esplanade Hotel.
Watch the Nominees:
Chandon Pictures - Download one free episode at http://www.movienetwork.tv/chandon/
Enough Rope With Andrew Denton - Screening on ABC 1, Mondays 9.35pm. Various DVDs also available through Roadshow.
Gruen Transfer - On DVD through Roadshow.
The Hollowmen - On DVD from Thursday, 04 December 2008 - distributed by Roadshow.
The Librarians - On DVD through Roadshow.
RocKwiz - Screening on SBS, Saturdays 9.20pm. DVD - The RocKwiz Duets, Vols I and II, distributed by Warner Vision.
Spicks and Specks - Screening on ABC 1, Wednesdays 8:30pm. DVDs - Spicks and Specks Interactive Quiz and A Very Specky Christmas. Available Thursday, 06 November 2008 - distributed by Roadshow.
Summer Heights High - On DVD through Roadshow.
Click through to read about the other Television Nominees:
For Television Drama, Telefeatures, Mini-Series and Short Run Series click here
For Children’s Television Drama click here
A full list of the television nominees can be found here.