Aussie sitcom Fam Time was made by Seven in 2020 but has only just been released on 7Plus. Sitting on the shelf for all this time means that the show, and all of its pop culture references, are now woefully out of date. Like the in-house plug for Sunrise featuring Samantha Armytage and Kochie as the hosts.
Fam Time was and still is a good idea for a sitcom. Families used to spend a lot of time together, but these days each member of the family is off doing their own thing on a device. That could be funny, but Fam Time gets off to a clunky start thanks to a poorly written-opening episode that fails to explain the fractured family’s motivations.
Fam Time was shelved because then-CEO James Warburton didn’t think it was funny enough. Seven could have burnt it off back then by streaming it during Covid lockdowns, but instead, they did nothing because it didn’t tickle someone’s sense of humour.
In the past, Seven had success with long-running Aussie sitcoms like Kingswood Country (1980, 89 eps) Hey Dad (1987, 291 episodes) and Acropolis Now (1989, 63 eps). That tradition continues today with shows like Fat Pizza and Darradong Local Council which screen on digital channel 7mate to a niche audience.
The “failure” of Fam Time probably means that Seven will never again attempt another local sitcom, although they will probably let Paul Fenech keep making bogan comedy on the smell of an oily rag. Comedy is extra difficult in the age of social media, but even though Fam Time isn’t great, it’s far from being Bob Morrison Show dreadful. And compared to Hey Dad, Fam Time is cutting edge.
Spare a thought for the cast of Fam Time who have been sitting in limbo wondering if this show will ever screen. During the five years they’ve been waiting, Michaela Banas became an intimacy coordinator, Duncan Fellows made Deadloch (Prime) and Rhonda Burchmore came third on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! (10).
Benson Jack Anthony, who became a star in Seven’s 800 Words (2015-2018), seems to do voice work these days.
Seven couldn’t see the potential of having guest star Aaron Chen before he became a hugely popular panellist on Have You Been Paying Attention? (10). Since Fam Time, he has also become a regular on Fisk (ABC), an Aussie sitcom that now has a worldwide audience thanks to Netflix.
Kitty Flanagan in Fisk
Fisk isn’t an expensive show to make, and it’s good to see the ABC’s dedication to Aussie comedy is paying off for them, along with their dedication to children’s TV like Bluey. Australia’s commercial TV channels seem uninterested in copying any success they have with worldwide hits as they almost totally abandon drama, comedy and kids’ TV.
One way being tried to woo back viewers to FTA TV is adding horoscopes to the evening news. Who says Aussie comedy is dead?
This week on the TV Gold podcast:
The Twelve, Let the Canary Sing, Fam Time
New TV series and movies reviewed this week include:
• The Twelve (Foxtel/Binge, 8 episodes). Sam Neill is back as one of the defence team in the court case this season. He is joined by Frances O’Connor while the prosecution is headed by Fayssal Bazzi
• Let the Canary Sing (Paramount+, documentary) tells the story of Cyndi Lauper in her own words with loads of her hits and insights from Cyndi, her first manager and a number of musical colleagues including Boy George and Patti Labelle.
• Fam Time (7Plus, 6 episodes) is a fascinating study of how a sitcom can go wrong. Made by Seven in 2019, the series has only now popped up on 7Plus. It’s not all bad though and listen to our viewing guide about how to get to the good stuff.
Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.
Read more Mercado on TV columns here.