A Perfect Pairing (Netflix) is the latest movie about an American girl (Victoria Justice) coming to Australia to fall in love with a hunky local (Adam Demos), while also having madcap adventures with local wildlife like snakes, kangaroos and sheep.
In the 80s, such telemovies were commonplace. There was The Last Frontier (1986) with Linda Evans falling for Jack Thompson, The Facts Of Life Down Under (1987) with Cloris Leachman falling for Noel Trevarthen, and Outback Bound (1988) with Donna Mills falling for Andrew Clarke.
A Perfect Pairing
Now we have A Perfect Pairing, and the difference these days is that we can make our own cheesy movies, rather than some random American network. Having already scored with Christmas on the Farm (Stan), Hoodlum Entertainment has found a way to dial down the cheesiness while making it more authentically Australian.
Having said that, rom coms demand some cheese, meaning Victoria Justice must stomp around in inappropriate footwear, before then falling into sheep dung. She can also belt out a tune around the campfire, and the rest of the soundtrack includes great Aussie bands like The Vines, Jet and Sheppard.
Sadly, there is no eye-pooping nude scene from Aussie lead Adam Demos, but at least the scenery is stunning. Filmed in the Numinbah Valley hinterland behind the Gold Coast, this is the most lush “sheep station” you will ever see outside of New Zealand.
Speaking of which, Travel Guides NZ (Wednesday on Nine) is the Kiwi version of Nine’s hit show, and also narrated by Denise Scott. Their travellers include a group of boys from Wellington, two girlfriends from Opotiki and a family from Hamilton, so let’s assume they are as funny as the Aussies.
Bob Downe with Courtney Act
Courtney Act’s One Plus One (Thursday on ABC) is back for a second series and her first guest is Mark Trevorrow. There is a fascinating discussion about young Shane Jenek seeing Bob Downe on Good Morning Australia, which goes to how important it is to see yourself on TV, even if they do wear polyester.