Comedy Showcase: Bleak

The second-last project in ABC’s Comedy Showroom is Bleak, by those Katering girls, Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney (who also directs).

The cast includes the return of Jean Kittson, plus Shane Bourne.

Anna isn’t having a great day. First she is fired from her job at a glossy women’s magazine because she digitally reduced Kim Kardashian’s ass and dared to ask for a 165% pay rise, then she discovers her boyfriend of 7 years, Simon (Dave Quirk), having sex with a circus performer. Simon informs Anna that he doesn’t love her anymore and that it’s best if she finds somewhere else to live.

When none of Anna’s ‘friends’ accept her call she is forced to rekindle a friendship with an old workmate and drinking buddy from her 20s, Fran (Zahra Newman). But upon discovering that Fran now has a 4-year-old child Anna decides that it’s probably best for her to go back to her family home in one of Melbourne’s leafy green suburbs. Anna’s mum, Noni (Jean Kittson), consoles her 32-year-old daughter with champagne and brandy before showing her the door, stating, as she sits in their cavernous living room, that Anna can’t stay because they don’t have the room.

Meanwhile The Katering Show Season 2 has notched up over one million plays, becoming the most watched ABC iview original series ever.

“1 million plays of The Katering Show Season 2 on ivue (sic). We can’t believe it. That’s over half the population of Australia,” the duo said.

ABC Head of Audience and Digital Rebecca Heap says, “We commission digital first content to build the audience for unique Australian perspectives on our culture across all platforms. The Kates nailed the brief”.

ABC Head of Comedy Rick Kalowski says, “To have shocked and appalled such a huge number of viewers with The Katering Show Season 2 is a dream come true”.

 

More of show is now in discussion with ABC and Screen Australia.

9pm Wednesday on ABC.