There can never be enough Aussie comedy on TV, so it’s good to see How To Stay Married (Tuesday on 10) back for a third series. Peter Helliar and Lisa McCune are joined by new cast member Casey Donovan, but it would be nice to see 10 joining in more to make it a bigger hit.
Comedy often needs extra love and support, and that applies double to local efforts. Many sitcoms languished in the ratings and only found their audience after being repeated and stripped five nights a week (e.g Frasier on Nine).
So why hasn’t How To Stay Married been rerun somewhere in an easier and friendlier time slot than 8.40 pm? You can’t even binge all the episodes on 10Play, because the first season is now on Amazon Prime.
There is barely any Aussie comedy on commercial TV, and most is relegated to their digital channels. 7mate has Housos and Fat Pizza, but Fam Time (starring Michala Banas and Rhonda Burchmore) is still sitting on a shelf, despite being made in 2019.
Nine’s last Aussie sitcom was Here Come The Habibs (2016) and since then all they’ve done is buy repeats of Kath & Kim, which is still going strong after 20 years. At least production soon starts on a second series of Metro Sexual for 9Go! The sexual health comedy is being co-produced by OUTtv, a Canadian streaming service that specialises in queer content.
That could be why Metro Sexual is now claiming to be “the first Australian sitcom with all LGBTI characters”, as played by creator Riley Nottingham and Geraldine Hickey. Problem is, it isn’t. The first all-LGBTI Aussie sitcom was Outland (2012, ABC), set in a gay sci-fi club and starring Adam Richard, Toby Truslove, Ben Gerrard, Paul Ireland and Christine Anu.
Young Rock (Sunday on Fox 8) is the latest US series to be filmed in Australia, but unlike Reckoning (Wednesday on Seven), this one is really good. The ambitious NBC sitcom stars The Rock and three actors portraying him in his youth, including Aussie actor Uli Latukefu from Doctor Doctor (Wednesday on Nine).
The self-deprecating premise has The Rock running for President in 2032 and looking back over this life. The show is filmed entirely in Queensland, with Brisbane and the Gold Coast doubling for Hawaii and other US locations. Wrestling fans should also love seeing supporting characters like Andre The Giant (Matthew Willig).