C*A*U*G*H*T (Stan) is a wildly original satire about government, celebrity and social media. An international cast, including Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the debut project of creator-writer-director actor Kick Gurry.
There is nothing else like C*A*U*G*H*T on TV right now, and maybe never has been before. The Aussie contingent includes Lincoln Younes, Alexander England, Bella Heathcote, Erik Thomson, Rebecca Breeds, Fayssal Bazzi, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Justine Clarke, Rob Carlton, Silvia Colloca and Bryan Brown as the trakky dack-wearing Prime Minister.
See also: A-list cast walk Stan’s blue carpet for premiere of Kick Gurry’s C*A*U*G*H*T
One of the images of Lincoln Younes from C*A*U*G*H*T we are allowed share
The revelation, however, is Ben O’Toole with a performance that anchors the heart of the story. Amongst all the craziness, he’s the character that brings it all back into focus. It’s great to see everyone pulling off something so ambitious. 5 stars, massive thumbs up.
Big thumbs up also for While The Men Are Away (SBS), a fabulous and sumptuous queer revisionist history based on the Australian Women’s Land Army, the city girls who travelled to rural farms to help out during WWII.
Gwen (Max McKenna) and Esther (Jana Zvediuk) travel from Sydney to a farm run by sensual Italian widow Frankie (Michela De Rossi), and her helpers, Indigenous cook Kathleen (Phoebe Grainer) and Robert (Matt Testro) who is branded a coward for not going to war.
Along with great performances from Ella Scott Lynch, Gemma Ward and Tara Morice, Sacha Horler plays the on-screen mother of Max McKenna and the resemblance is amazing. However, the non-binary trans actor is actually the offspring of Kath & Kim’s Gina Riley and exec producer Rick McKenna and they are superb in this.
Sometimes you need to watch at least two episodes of a show to decided if it’s worth your time. Far North (Paramount+) is one of those shows. The first episode is pretty slow setting up the premise, but it just gets funnier and more ridiculous from the second episode onwards.
When a boatload of Chinese drugs and smugglers breaks down off the coast of New Zealand, a group of inept Tongans and Maoris plan a rescue. They need help from unassuming local couple Temuera Morrison and Robyn Malcolm, and things begin to spiral out of control. Hilariously, it’s mostly true too.
Read more Mercado on TV here.
Welcome to TV Gold: Two new episodes of Mediaweek’s weekly TV podcast
Our name is newish and so is the email address asking for feedback and questions – [email protected].
Listen now on your favourite podcast platform for 30 minutes of TV reviews and recommendations every week from Mediaweek’s Andrew Mercado and James Manning.
This week: C*A*U*G*H*T, While the Men Are Away, Sex Education
We start this episode with a detailed review of the new Stan Original C*A*U*G*H*T from creator and star Kick Gurry. Next up is the wonderful new drama While the Men Are Away (SBS) which details life in a country town during the Second World War. Lastly, Andrew has a look at the new season of Sex Education (Netflix). There is also discussion about what series we have recently finished, ads on SBS and Binge, we list our Show of the Week and tease some of the great TV coming in the weeks ahead.
BONUS EPISODE: TV Gold with Kick Gurry on C*A*U*G*H*T
Our latest bonus episode features Andrew and James talking to the writer, producer and director of C*A*U*G*H*T, Kick Gurry. All episodes are now available to watch on Stan. Just how did Gurry get some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, who appear alongside Australia’s finest, to work on this Aussie independent production? Don’t miss his story about how Sean Penn became involved in the project.
Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.