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At Home with Julia

Amanda Bishop's Julia Gillard is a vernacular neighbour to Kath Day-Knight in her new ABC comedy, while Phil Lloyd steals the show as the hapless Mr. Julia.

Is Julia Gillard split from the same cell as Kath Day-Knight?

She sure was in ABC1’s new comedy At Home with Julia.

Amanda Bishop’s portrayal of the PM may have seen her living it up in The Lodge but she was a bogan fish out of water, rising above her Altona (or possibly Fountain Lakes) station.

As a premise it’s admittedly pretty cruel, but it’s also a tried and true concept that has served many shows very well. In this sense, At Home with Julia was The Beverly Hillbillies meets Kath and Kim and that’s not such a bad thing.

There was a lot to like here: some great one-liners, some terrific cameos, the capacity for the story to take aim at our political landscape and last, but by no means least, Phil Lloyd as Tim Mathieson.

Lloyd was utterly brilliant as the hapless, silent partner of the PM, giving a performance full of pathos and subtlety. Unrecognised at the checkout, dubbed Mr. Gillard by the newsagent, taunted for a Mr. Julia haircut by the kids outside the gate -he upstaged his profile partner by doing nothing at all.

The role as partner to a politician is dramatically fascinating -charged with being someone and no-one all at the same time.

The dinner date plot perfectly sets up Mathieson for an outburst in the episode’s crescendo scene in front of the Independents. Gillard’s inspired pet names for him, ‘T-Rex’, ‘T-Cup’, ‘T-Pot’ and ‘TV’ will become a running gag that will live beyond the show.

By contrast Bishop’s performance leaned towards the other end of the spectrum. As two-tone as her striped jacket this walking duck caricature may be better suited to a shorter sketch comedy or stage performance. It may have matched the supporting players, but is it right for the central character? It was so harsh that I felt like I was laughing at her rather than with her, which in a half-hour narrative is pretty important. But at least I was laughing.

Not for a minute do I susbcribe to the theory that to undertake this comedy is disrespectful. If the Greeks and Shakespeare could take aim at authority, so can we. In fact in this country, affectionate mocking is a national sport. Gillard can wear it like a badge of honour. Amanda Bishop might even deliver her a poll boost.

The cameos were great fun, especially Drew Forsythe as Bob Katter, huffing and puffing under his trademark hat. Paul Keating’s voice on the phone was terrific. The three independents were a wicked comic trio bickering over decafs and sugar (what, no Three Amigos gag?). I’m looking forward to seeing Kevin Rudd and Alan Jones soon.

Kudos too to Bill Shorten the dog. Nice to see he is getting more work since Frasier.

And any comedy that has enough nerve to take an 80s icon such as Craig McLachlan and put him back in the garden deserves some credit. The absolute hide….

The script wasn’t far from The Hollowmen in tone, with some timely gags such as the secretary offering Rupert Murdoch the mobile phone number of Tim Mathieson, the dig that Kevin will start the meetings without her if she’s late and the dozing Federal Police security.

Like Frontline, At Home with Julia is nicely poised to take the news landscape and put it through the comedy grinder. It’s not there yet but it’s a very good start.

Do they wear thongs in Tokyo?

At Home with Julia airs 9:30pm Wednesdays on ABC1.

63 Responses

  1. I enjoyed it alot more than i thought i would. The writing was very good, there was alot of sly comments and jokes. I liked when Tim was surprised to see her show for dinner and she said “you know i always keep my promises” – thought that was a nice dig at the pm. And the line about Alan Jones immigrating was pretty funny. Jim Russell was the standout as Oakshott. Looking forward to seeing McCarthy as Kevin Rudd.

  2. I think some people are missing the point. Bishop as Gillard emphasizes the contrasting lives her and Tim live whilst still overcoming such differences to be a couple. Tim is portrayed as a somewhat inferior man who feels this sense of hopelessness and guilt. His outburst shows his frustration as he feels it’s other politicians to blame for Julia not giving him more attention like date night.

  3. i liked everything but the title roll of Juliar … agree with a lot of comments here…would have liked the polish of a working dog production…they do the political stuff really well…may give it one more chance….any idea on how far forwrd they shoot this show…. it would to stay a little topical to have alot of success…

  4. Was’nt expecting much from this show but was pleasantly suprised. Very Aussie, just like Kath and Kim. If we did’nt know the characters it woul’nt be so funny but i think the audience will only grow and become a massive headache for the commercial stations. Wonder how long it will take them to poach or copy this show.
    Maybe they should try other aussie comedies themselves. We had frontline, how about a radio version whith all the shock jocks. Give them a taste of their own medicine.

  5. It has been done before Elizabeth, although not as an entire show. It might have been before your time but The Naked Vicar Show had skits every week with Mal & Tammy Fraser in bed.

  6. The Katter/Windsor/Oakshott part was pretty funny, I loved that the terrier was named Bill Shorten and the Paul Keating phone “advice” segment was well done. I also agree that the Craig McLachlan moment was inspired. However, Bishop’s caricature was over the top and didn’t fit with Lloyd’s well rendered and subtle performance. And while I think we need more political satire on our TV screens, this doesn’t really fit the bill for me. If it is appropriate to lampoon the personal life of the leader of the country in a sitcom, why hasn’t it been done before?
    What concerns me mostly is that Lloyd’s Mathieson is reduced to an emasculated doormat; the suggestion being that a man in a relationship with a powerful woman is open to all kinds of ridicule (including the local kids make fun of him, and the newsagent deciding to call him Mr Gillard) and is somehow less of a man. I think that says a lot about the current state of gender politics in Australia.

  7. I loved the first episode last night, practically every scene was funny. Drew Forsythe as Bob Katter was ausome he got his voice and actions on target. I cannot wait untill Paul McCarthy as Kevin Rudd gets on it will be a hoot. Also calling the dog bill is genious. I wonder what the reaction from the politician will be at this, thats asuming they watch any tv at all.

  8. Loved it!

    Bob Katter was brillant. Paul keating never shutting up hahaha.

    It kinda made me feel sympathy for J.Gillard haha.

    They did it so well they werent to harsh on here but just a bit of fun.

    As for Tim…well hahahahaha

    4 stars!!!

  9. I quite liked it. It was better than I was expecting.

    The way it put the head of a country into domestic sitcom situations reminded me of “That’s My Bush!” (which was itself as much a parody of sitcom conventions as it was of President Bush)

    And if the USA can have a sitcom about their leader while he was in power, why are some people in Australia being so precious?

  10. Hadn’t planned to watch it but I’m glad I did. I thought there were only a few laugh out loud moments but it was still very clever. I’ll probably give it another go next week.

  11. @Natasha – you can always see the show on iview (one of the great services ABC has over the other channels). Not sure if it will get a re-run on TV.

    Oh and have always wondered if Julia lived with any pets. I know Kevin has a cat and Golden Retriever, and when I first saw the terrier on the show last night, I thought that was actually based on reality until she said his name. Will be checking out the show again next week.

  12. Good that it’s only gong to be 4 eps. Had a laugh and a cringe at times. The independents are spot on and as has been said Keating nailed it on the phone. The voice is a touch overdone, but that “is” the paradody.

  13. I watched some of it last night and will be watching the full episode tonight. It was exactly as I expected it to be: while I found it to be entertaining it did not change my view that it was inappropriate and disrespectful, not the caricatures in particular but just the general concept of making a sitcom centred on the sitting PM.

  14. I thought it was abit hit and miss. It had moments of sharp witty comedy ( the dog called bill shorten) and moments of unrealistic nonsense( Tim Matherson chucking a tantrum at Katter,Oakshott and Windsor…in reality im sure Mr Matherson would be more calm and controlled infront of his Julia’s peers.). I also agree that Amanda Bishop’s portrayal of the PM is more of a fast forward than a four part series perfromance.

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