|
 ITV’s behind the scenes comedy kept one TV addict laughing, admits David Knox.
I really don’t often give much attention to the HD channels. Most of
the line up is repeats, crap, or the networks never send out a preview.
I figure if they aren’t going to take it seriously, why should we?
The truth is they apparently still haven’t worked out what HD is for. TEN uses it to screen cult shows it ripped off the SD channel (Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, Smallville), Seven treads water with faded lifestyle shows (the aptly titled Room for Improvement), Nine is trying to deliver most of its mainstream shows in a HD format – not a bad idea – and the ABC has completely alternative programmes.
Two of these comprise the bold British soap duo: Moving Wallpaper/Echo Beach.
This pairing aired back to back in the UK, but while one is a
traditional soap, the other is a bitingly-scripted comedy about ‘the
making of’.
In Moving Wallpaper we watch fictional characters creating the fictional soap of Echo Beach. Got that? The latter, set by the beaches of Cornwall, is a vapid clone of Home and Away.
Amusingly, it even has Jason Donovan in it. But it’s played completely straight and as a result is as bland as batshit.
But what a gem is Moving Wallpaper! Stuck in the production
office, we watch soap hacks argue and defend the merits of their work.
When new producer Jonathan Pope (Ben Miller) is brought on board, he’s
ruthless in his pursuit of ratings. He wants motorbikes, surfboards,
actors with hair, shirtless boys, busty girls – whatever it takes to
hit the demographic.
The results are like Ricky Gervais meets Summer Bay. The
dialogue is swift, cutting and self-referential. Pope even tosses out
casting plans and snares Jason Donovan and Martine McCutcheon. “I told
Jason we were going for Kylie and I told Martine she could sing,” he
sniggers.
When you then view Echo Beach you can actually see all the
changes made by the writers as a secondary gag. But watching it with
‘educated’ eyes it loses all meaning. Unsurprisingly, Beach has been
axed in the UK while Moving Wallpaper has been renewed (art imitates
‘art’).
Moving Wallpaper is hands down the funniest thing of its kind since Darren Star’s short-lived 90210 send-up, Grosse Pointe. Sob! I still miss that!
Moving Wallpaper/Echo Point premiere 8.30 Friday, May 30 on ABC2.
 |
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
