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Ep 339: Sabour Bradley’s Head First

Sabour Bradley is the writer, director and host of the new ABC2 factual series, Head First, but can it be called documentary? He takes us through the mind of a daredevil in search of the truth.

Also, splendid chap and Graeme Garden impersonator, Ben McKenzie comes on board with a slew of facts to be checked and man of passion, Glenn Peters expresses his unchecked opinions on the Checkout.

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Ep 338: Mr Selfridge, Chris Rankine

Mr Selfridge is a period drama starring Jeremy Piven and a bunch of English people. We reach deep into our reviewing hole to investigate a show that has no urgent shouting nor any blood splatter.

Chris Rankine is an advertising creative who worked at Campaign Palace in the 70s and 80s and was adamant that a sheep dog not be in a commercial for paint. He talks to us about how things have changed.

Hear the magic that makes us one of Time Out‘s top 10 podcasts.

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Ep 337: Utopia and Sketch Comedy

There’s a UK show from Channel 4 that aired earlier this year called Utopia. We review it at the risk of being discovered and chased through England.

Also, is sketch comedy still as relevant as it used to be? We make a clumsy attempt to answer that question.

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31 Lamest Reality TV Back Stories

Talent will get you nowhere in a reality TV talent show.

It’s not even about how you look.

It’s all about the back story.

Have a great back story and you’re halfway there to the shopping centre showcase tour of your life.

Being blind. Fantastic.

Losing your cousins in a house fire. Brilliant.

Going to war in Iraq, surviving an improvised bomb explosion, coming home to find the explosion made you impotent and then miracle upon miracles, you get your wife pregnant and then I want to do this power ballad for my miracle baby. Incredible*.

But some back stories don’t cut it. I was inspired to write all this when I saw a kid on The Voice who couldn’t sing. Her back story was that her grandmother died a few years ago. And last year there was another girl whose back story was that she used to have a big nose. No really. She used to have a big nose.

So coming up after the break, exclusive to Boxcutters, here’s The 31 Lamest Reality TV Talent Show Back Stories I Could Think Of.

(Note: I’ll happily take three points of your first recording advance if you want to use one of these back stories for your own TV appearance) Continue reading “31 Lamest Reality TV Back Stories” »

Ep 336: Top of the Lake, Logies

A co-production between three countries about a small town in New Zealand that first airs on US television? It’s not some make-believe parallel universe. It’s Top of the Lake, the new TV show by Jane Campion and friends.

Also, are the Logies now just the blood stains on the handkerchief that betray Australian television’s consumption? Come with us as we discuss it all and play some Devil’s Avocado.

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Episode 335: Songs with TV, The Americans

Everybody’s favourite human, Ben McKenzie talks to us about songs, singles and albums tied to television shows. Then we review the FX show, The Americans.

Also, Dave Lawson continues to be hilarious.

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Ep 334: The Following, Big Reunion

Look, I won’t lie to you. This episode might be a bit messy. We make some great points about the Kevin Bacon series created by Kevin Williamson, The Following, but they might not all be in the right order. And we say good-bye to Brenna. Sad face.

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Guests and controversial discussion: that’s what you get from this episode. Kirsten Drysdale is part of the new ABC TV show The Checkout, Steele Saunders is the host of the I Love Green Guide Letters podcast and we review the Ricky Gervais series, Derek.

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Ep 332: Con Frantzeskos, House of Cards

You’ve heard a lot about House of Cards but you haven’t heard it from us. So put your little earbuddies in and check it out.

Also, Con Frantzeskos of the Penso Agency tells us all about how TV advertising works, how networks can best use the concept of the second screen and what everyone is getting wrong.

Glenn Peters and Brenna Courtney Glazebrooke fill out the panel and a good time is had by all.

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Ep 331: Girls, Reducta

Sure, we’re looking at Girls for the second week in a row. Maybe because we think the show is worth it or maybe it’s because we’re all out of ideas. You decide. We’re too busy concentrating on what makes good TV. Meanwhile there’s also terrible ads to talk about and letters to read out. That’s alright, you sit right there, we’ll do everything. Courteney Hocking is in this episode. You like her.

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