Is "Rake" the only quality Australian fictional TV production at the moment?

[Wayne Morellini]

Is "Rake" the only quality Australian fictional TV production at the moment?

Saw this episodic comedy drama last night or the night before, and was thinking of posting this, and now I've just seen the main actor interviewed on OnePlusOne. Apparently he has been in Hollywood productions and does film production.

It is rare to see such a energetically controlled acting, and the guy really does shine and the rest of the show hangs off him like on a coat hanger and he drags them along.

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/rake/DR1405H001S00

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1587000/

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-...urgh-on-being-his-own-toughest-critic/7428994

 

[Tom Gleeson]

Wayne,

Good question. While Australian TV Drama has seen some huge improvements over the last decade it struggles to compete globally. Rake is wonderful as it is original and that is when Aussie drama is at its best. I can recommend "Glitch." Beautifully shot by Simon Chapman ASC but the scale of this and most Australian TV Drama is smaller than its American counterparts. I have been doing some work on a a major Network drama and its budget is just 1 million USD per episode. "Cleverman" looks really promising and is a take on the Superhero story but with an indigenous flavour and is on air in two weeks. This was an Australian/US coproduction.

 

[Wayne Morellini]

Yes, I'm waiting to watch that one. Glitch, I dont remember. But I had forgotten Jack Irish when I thought of posting, saw the latest series. Don't normally watch these self serving idealistic dystopia stories, no longer young and niave. Oh for the days when they could do a film like the Matrix here.

I studied acting under one of the guys that used to be on The Sullivans one of the classic serial dramas of all time. Was not that good at it, hence forth, I'm not an actor. The guy was too in your face up close video camera not a good way to develop focus, then let the distractions come in to be ignored. He didn't actually teach anything I would consider higher quality acting, just local quick grind mill serial and elcheapo low take indie acting. He actually placed a number of people up here as mains in the top soaps.

But now every time I see subpar acting I pickup on it and it grinds on me. Neighbors and Home and Away, should be a lot better. But one I think is up and the other seems down, compared to when I stopped watching them. I see better acting on Masterchef.

Rake, though a fantatist, is a pure joy compared to watching these. I'm sure there must be some poor acting in there, but the main character is played with such conviction I don't take notice. Complete detachment. Even in the opening scene when he comes through the dinning room glass window onto the table in amongst the upper class dinners, trapped on the end of a hot air balloon rope, before being cut loose with a Samaria sword, was done so well the absurdity of it didn't matter (except the physics of it). Hmn, yes, when the police commissioner enters into the interview room revealing she and the main criminal are old loves was a bit sleezy and tacky as they ussually are in a Aus comedy fashion. But a shame there are not more (without the sleeze).