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Bitesize comedy a first for Presto

Matilda Brown's very intimate comedy Let's Talk About becomes baby-steps for Presto.

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While TV’s landscape continues to evolve and Streaming favours binge drama, there are also opportunities for those at the other end of the spectrum -short form or even “bitesize” TV arrives on Presto today in the form of the new 10 part series, Let’s Talk About.

Written, directed and starring Matilda Brown, the series looks at a couple thrown together by a moment of passion, resulting in being “up the duff” (so says the press release!).

“A couple of years ago one of my best friends got pregnant to a guy that she’d only just met, and that was the situation,” Brown explains.

“She wanted to keep it and he wasn’t ready to do that. But they kept it and they’re very happy and now the baby is my godson!”

While any similarities are purely inspirational, Let’s Talk About consists of stories just 4 – 6 minutes each. Traversing a nine month period, they serve as vignettes of the couple’s relationship, with Brown performing alongside Richard Davies (Offspring).

“It’s Comedy with pathos. It’s about a couple who, very early in their relationship, become pregnant. He doesn’t want to keep it but she does,” she continues.

“So that takes the romance out of it.

“It takes place over the 9 months, but we skip parts. There is romance, there is love between them, but they in the beginning they are so under pressure that it’s hard to see the romance. They’re on the rocks for a bit.”

Also appearing is her father Bryan Brown, also the project’s producer, plus Lisa Hensley, Bruce Spence and Steve Le Marquand.

While the concept may echo similar themes to the UK series Catastrophe, Brown has only seen one episode.

“From what I saw it’s a very different show. Because Let’s Talk About is 2 characters for 4-6 minutes, with guests, it’s very intimate. You really get into their relationship, and the things they talk about. I think it’s a little darker.”

The project also marks Presto’s first local commission, as a ‘baby-step’ pardon the pun into local projects. Brown enjoyed free rein in the creative process.

“I wrote the script and I was going to make it a web series. But I thought about talking to Presto to see if they would take it on. They read the scripts and they really loved them, and they’re really interested in supporting Australian stuff and young peoples’ work,” she says.

“They were on board from the get-go. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. They’ve been so encouraging.”

All 10 episodes of Let’s Talk About are now streaming on Presto.

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