Bay Of Fires (Sunday on ABC), the new Aussie drama comedy, doesn’t waste any time in firing up. Co-created by Seachange legend Andrew Knight and actor Marta Dusseldorp, its Mystery Bay location is no Pearl Bay, and hot mess character Stella Heikkenen is definitely no Janet King.
Although this is set in yet another tiny town full of peculiar people, somehow Bay Of Fires manages to be its own beast. Sometimes it’s sweet and nutty, but it can also be dark and unsettling, with nods to Fargo, Ozark and maybe Twin Peaks and Wayward Pines too.
The sensational cast includes Toby Leonard Moore, Kerry Fox, Bob Franklin, Matt Nable, Pamela Rabe, Roz Hammond, Heather Mitchell and Mad As Hell’s Emily Taheny. Stephen Curry is there too, playing the dodgiest rural real estate agent since Green Acres’ Mr Haney (Pat Buttram).
Bay Of Fires is the latest TV series to be filmed in Tasmania, after series such as Deadloch, Rosehaven, The Kettering Incident and The Gloaming. This is the first one to be shot on the west coast and its rugged beauty makes for a great addition to Tassie noir. Two thumbs up.
Superpowered: The DC Story (July 20 on Binge) is a fascinating three-part docuseries about the history of the comic book brand. It begins by delving into its three most iconic characters, namely Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
DC Comics began to stagnate in the 1960s, and Marvel became a major competitor. The 1966 TV series Batman saved the company (with $75 million worth of merchandising) and Superman The Movie became a blockbuster in 1978.
Oddly, Superpowered is dismissive of Adam West’s Batman, calling the TV series “ludicrous”, “short-lived” and running for “only three seasons”. Only? Apparently, its campy humour wasn’t respectful of its comic book origins, but like it or not, it was phenomenally successful and hugely influential.
DC have often been accused of being too serious, and it could be why Marvel movies outperform them at the box office today. By all means, give every generation their own Batman and a new Superman, but how much darker and psychological can they keep getting? TV seems like a great place to have some more fun, but only if DC learns how to lighten up.
Read more Mercado on TV here.
Welcome to TV Gold: Mediaweek’s weekly TV podcast
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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.
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This week on the TV Gold podcast: Bay of Fires, Full Circle, The Betoota Advocate
TV shows reviewed this week are Bay of Fires (ABC/iview), Full Circle (Foxtel/Binge), The Betoota Advocate (Paramount+) and Superpowered: The DC Story (Binge/Foxtel).
Bonus episode: Marta Dusseldorp on Bay of Fires
A bonus episode of TV Gold as Andrew and James interview Marta Dusseldorp, co-creator and star of Bay of Fires. She talks about another quirky mystery set in Tasmania, and how the creators wanted to avoid the stereotypes. Marta also talks about moving the family to Tasmania and her life in the island state.
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