Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (October 3, 2008)

THE AUSSIES ARE COMING! THE AUSSIES ARE COMING!
We Americans have always been big consumers of British comedy. The Brits have a reputation for being funny. In most cases it is deserved (Monty Python, Ab Fab, but sometimes I think we’re giving them the undeserved benefit of the doubt. I mean, Mr. Bean? Seriously?

Australia doesn’t have quite the same reputation for humor. We may turn to our friends down under for cute gay Olympic divers and bloomin' onions, but rarely do we turn to them for laughs. That may be changing. A major influx of Aussie comedy will soon be hitting our shores. It might just be the biggest Australian pop culture invasion since Crocodile Dundee.

First, NBC is launching an Americanized version of Kath & Kim. I've been a longtime fan of the original Australian sitcom. It owes a lot to Absolutely Fabulous in terms of its comedic sensibility, only in Kath & Kim the fashion-challenged, self-deluded characters are set in a middle class Melbourne suburb. Kath & Kim are sort of like Patsy & Edina in tract housing and on a budget.

Left: Gina Riley (Kim) & Jane Turner (Kath)
Right: Molly Shannon (Kath) & Selma Blair (Kim)

I'm worried the American version starring Selma Blair and Molly Shannon will be sanitized a bit and thus less funny, but the original at least (which covers 4 seasons and a special made-for-TV movie) was brilliant. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for American audiences to see the original. You can buy it on DVD — but only in Region 4 PAL format, so you’d need a region free DVD player to watch it. Bummer. Still, if you're a big fan of Absolutely Fabulous then the original Kath & Kim is just your cup of tea and definitely worth tracking down if you can.

To give you a taste of the original, here's a brief highlight reel….

The other big Australian comedy import is Summer Heights High.

Unlike Kath & Kim, this one is not a remake. HBO has picked up the original show which was written by and stars comedian Chris Lilley. The show parodies high school life and has Lilly playing three main protagonists: the effeminate and megalomaniac "Director of Performing Arts" Mr G (think Corky St. Clair from Waiting for Guffman); self-absorbed, privileged teenager Ja'mie King (think Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl); and a misunderstood school bully named Jonah. (Sorry, I’ve no one to compare him to except that dumb lug who always beats up on Bart on the The Simpsons). The show is filmed in documentary style and all the supporting parts are played by actual high school teachers and students.

I've only seen a few episodes of Summer Heights High, and I can't wait to see the rest when it airs on HBO. Lilley has an amazing ability to disapear into his three disparate characters. My personal favorite is the girl, Ja'mie, but all three have their charms. Chris Lilley has taken a little bit of flack for the effeminate drama teacher character — complaints that Mr. G reinforces unflattering stereotypes. Personally, I didn't have a problem with the flamboyant Mr. G, but I'm curious what others think after seeing the show.

Definitely worth tuning in for. Premieres on HBO November 9^th.

 Next page! Reverse gay-baiting generates uneasy laughs.