Aussie Television

Aussies – They’re Just like Us!

Unlike, say, Greek or German television shows (don’t even ask me to describe the latter – this is a PG-13 blog, after all), Australian TV is remarkably similar to television in the US, and in fact, many American shows make their way here, although sometimes multiple seasons behind their US run.

My first night in Melbourne, I caught a “new” episode of “American’s Next Top Model” from a cycle (the 1,000th or something – I’ve lost count by now) that regularly re-runs on MTV. Of course, there is also “Australia’s Next Top Model,” which according to the newspapers (and confirmed by Cara), is much less “urban” than the US version, with more modeling and less model drama. This, I’m sure, is due partly to the apparent lack of diversity in Australia. Cara said that they pluck their contestants from the Australian countryside, so the girls are very young (in their teens) and farm fresh. On the other land, the latest winner of the Australian version is actually now a top model working around the globe, which says a lot about the “real” goals of American “reality” TV.

You can also catch both the US and Australian versions of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Australia’s “Dancing with the Stars” with its requisite mix of former athletes and washed-up actors, and of course, that reality juggernaut, “Australian Idol.” Australia’s version of “Make Me a Supermodel” begins soon here, complete with US host Tyson Beckford but swapping Aussie and former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins for the wooden American Niki Taylor. Of course, since there are only about 20 million people in Australia, the contestant pickings are slim and, according to Cara, the results are oftentimes laughable, with only two or three of each show’s contestants being remotely talented.

Of course, the international TV trading route goes both ways. The US recently imported “Farmer Wants a Wife,” a show that has already had a couple of runs here in Australia and is set to film its third installment in early 2009. Apparently, it is quite popular and has already produced two marriages, which is more than the US can say about all its reality dating shows, combined.

That’s not to say that Australia doesn’t have its own, unique television shows. Most popular are the daily and weekly drama serials like, “Neighbors,” “All Saints,” “McLeod’s Daughters” and the very popular, “Home and Away,” which has apparently included just about every now-famous Aussie actor including Guy Pierce, Isla Fisher and Heath Ledger. Cara shared that these shows are like “really bad episodes of One Tree Hill,” and after having caught a thankfully-only-30-minute episode of “Neighbors,” I’d have to agree. I guess some things are better left on this side of the Pacific.