normksis First IMDb review. Sick of shows plagiarising other shows. This is a copy of The Almighty Johnsons, a great show from New Zealand; but modified to fit some kind of Australian theme and failing miserably.The Almighty Johnsons was a brilliant show. This copies it all the way to the ways in which the powers are revealed, and even the 'Hairies'.Pathetic.For those who would like to see what this show could have been, I suggest you watch The Mighty Johnsons.Shows that are poor, rehashed copies out for f other shows, should be singled out for what they are.Viewers have a right to know that there's another show out there, that has all the qualities that this copy attempts to realise and pretends to have conceived.

Mal What do you get when you cross BabaKiueria with BeDevil (google is your friend)? An illegitimate child called Cleverman and a tired old trope in search of a meme to promulgate.Season one has come and gone and I stuck it out to the end of "Schindler's Yowies" aka Cleverrman, but I am left with feelings reminiscent of that time when I was gagging for a refreshing cup of coffee only to discover the milk is past its use by date.When Andrew Macfarlane made an appearance I perked up in the vain hope that this meant Paul Cronin, Tony Bonner and James Laurenson might be about to make a comeback. Surely, in a show of cross-border cooperation, Paul could have called in VKC Matlock to have Tony fly his ranger chopper to the rescue with James (as boney) using his detective skills to fix the mess with the help of Cleverman conjuring the spirit of Ed Deveraux for advice. Now that would have been entertaining! I mean, if you are going to regurgitate ancient stereotypes why not go the whole hog?I didn't mention Skippy, as I have far too much respect for her non-partisan acting credentials and character depth. But I digress. I have to worry when concept creator and producer Ryan Griffen states in interview: "The premise of the show, I guess, is…is…umm..." I can empathise with his desperately juggling hand gestures and know how he feels because I'm trying to guess that there's meant to be more to it than the thin platitudes on offer. The cast makes no apologies; it is a metaphor for perceived attitudes toward aboriginal people and minorities, although Ryan apparently just remembers watching "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and wanted to make a similar film his son could relate to culturally. This offering, however, unlike the Marvel/DC crossover, finds itself sequestered in a laboratory somewhere having its DNA probed for meaning and direction along with the rest of the clones. The only Cleverman here is the one who suggested there were tax credits available for arts funding in Australia.It's time to pack some fresh laundry in our "ten canoes" and portage them over the "rabbit- proof fence" to a more productive and enlightened destination.

s3276169 What to say about Cleverman? Its not exactly an entirely new concept but what it does, it does well.Certainly its a brave and very relevant series, given the sometimes awful treatment of Aboriginal communities, at the hands of Federal and State authorities, in Australia. It can also, in one sense, be viewed as a unapologetic commentary on the plight of asylum seekers, in Australia's contentious detention centers. Looking beyond these factors how does Cleverman stack up as entertainment? Its a thoughtful series and its pacing, may not hook hardcore sword and sandals fantasy fans. Indeed, its fair to say this series is probably going to appeal most to viewers who enjoy slow burn fantasy dramas, where things take time to develop and secrets are revealed by degree.The acting is of a mostly good, if not exceptional, standard too. There are some well known Aussie actors who have taken up roles in this series, who sit alongside fresh faces I have not come across before. In summary, whilst Cleverman is not for me (I'm more of a sci fi/futurist buff) I can see it appealing, in particular, to fans of the fantasy genre. Especially those looking for a refreshingly different departure from your standard US/UK fare. Seven out of ten from me.

orangutansRcool I've never written a review on IMDb before, but I felt compelled to write one for Cleverman since so many people have rated this show so low, unfairly low in my opinion. I'm sure many people watching this show who are not familiar with Australia's past treatment of our Indigenous peoples, will want to call Bullsh**t on the way the treatment of the Hairies is portrayed in this drama. One other reviewer stated that they didn't understand the, "overt discrimination and prejudice shown" seeing as, "The Hairies are not particularly dangerous nor do they seem very detrimental to society as a whole yet are treated as slaves". And there in lies the point of the entire show. Cleverman is drawing parallels (and successfully so)between the government's treatment of the Hairy's and the past treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. So for those who still think that the prejudice and discrimination in the show is baseless, here's a quick fact check for the times the show parallels the treatment of Indigenous Australians. When the Hairy family is separated and the children are forcibly removed from their parents - that happened to our Indigenous Australians. When the Hairies are restricted to a compound and can't move in and out - that happened to them too. When the Hairies are seen as animals and the government's laws reflects that and treats them as sub-human - yep, that happened. When the media keeps citizens ignorant and misinformed by pushing their own agenda - that sure happened and sadly still does. I could go on and on, and that's only a handful of examples found in the first 2 episodes alone.For some, the fantasy elements may be a turn-off, but I think putting the fantasy twist on Cleverman was an ingenious idea by the creators. It softens the amount of prejudice and discrimination the audience can swallow by allowing them to oh-so-slightly distance themselves from the realistic atrocities committed against Indigenous Australians by placing the story in a non-realistic setting. Which I know, sounds hypocritical of my above points, but I think it allows people to access this show at a level which isn't so confronting that they are put off from watching it and can thereby experience the messages at the show's core. That being said, obviously it's still not subtle enough for many of the first episode's viewers! Look, I get it, in terms of production value, yes it is lacking in some areas like CGI and set design. But that can mostly be put down to the small budget. This show definitely does not deserve the 1 star rating that some reviewers have given. I can only assume that they're unable to look past Australia's uncomfortable history (or perhaps their ignorance of this history?) and enjoy this show for its clever premise and it's subtle execution.In summary: At the end of episode 2, the story line of this show has definitely caught my interest. The main character's acting is spot on as 'the dude you kinda hate', and I look forward to seeing how the show develops his character. There are so many individual stories that have been set up, ready to be woven together. That I'm waiting in excited anticipation to see how all of the characters interact and affect one another. Do yourself a favour and go into Cleverman with a willingness to see beyond the small budget and to enjoy the story line as it slowly builds. Who knows, it might even prompt you to learn a bit about Australian history.It's a solid 8.5/ 10 from me so far.