|
Unless you’re reading from the other side of the world,
the show probably doesn’t need much of a preface. But
in short, it’s an idiosyncratic, humorous, yet, still
dramatic ABC effort that gave Australians a reason to press
the ‘On’ button on the Idiot Box every Sunday night.
Starring Sigrid Thornton (again, if you’re reading from
the other side of the world – she’s one of this
country’s finest actresses, you may remember her from
the “Snowy River” films), the hour-long dramedy
centred on a big city notary who leaves her job in polluted
Melbourne for the fresh air of Pearl Bay, a small coastal
town, in need of their own magistrate.
In the first couple of seasons, Laura (Thornton) was still
feeling her way around the town and getting to know a lot
of the off the wall, ever-so-distinctive locals – namely,
amiable kook Diver Dan (David Wenham), the owner of the local
bait shop, who’d ultimately take just as much a shine
to the faltering Laura, as she would to him. But alas, it
wasn’t to be, and Dan packed his bags for the colder
fodders of the Galapagos Islands.
Last season, Season Two, we were introduced to roving journalist
Max Connors (William McInnes), the new owner of the Bait shop,
and another who’d get Laura’s heart thumping and
pumping. He’s just as implicated and vacillating as the
hoity Laura is though, and they play more games than anything
else. But as Season 3’s the last hurrah for the landmark
series, there could very well be a match made by series end.
Finally.
The third series is just as sublime as the two that preceded
it – there are plenty of laughs, plenty of drama, a nice
dose of romance, and most of all, some stupendous performances
in haul. Thornton’s a delight, as always, playing the
character Laura, but McInnes deserves equal praise - totally
in his element as the boastful, dry-witted Max. Together,
they make a great match.
As for the large support cast, John Howard’s still one
of the finest elements of the show as the indubitably uproarious
Bob Jelly, Kevin Harrington’s a delight as the local
yokel Kevin, and Kerry Armstrong’s multifaceted performance
as Bob Jelly’s resigned wife, Heather, is one of the
best turns an Aussie series has seen.
It’s a delight to have the third series of “SeaChange”
on DVD – it’s been quite a wait too, a good year
or so since the last season hit disc – to revisit again
and again anytime you need a good chortle or cheer.
Now how about canning some of the rubbish on TV and bringing
back this baby?
Conclusion: Movie 90%
|
