Audrey_L
This show is really out there. It takes risks with seriously dark topics (murder and drug trafficking - to name a couple) and deals with them humorously.I've found out about this show thanks to its American counterpart. Needless to say, the original is so much better, it's edgy and controversial. US version is a much safer, watered down version of this and it's already getting repetitive and banal.In the Australian version, we see Myles Barlow as the host of a show-within-a-show, reviewing different life experiences at the request of people who write to him. He often comically misinterprets the letters - i.e. a woman wrote to him that she fancies her friend's boyfriend and Myles concludes that her main dilemma is whether or not to steal. Consequently, he decides to explore stealing and progresses from petty shoplifting to an armed robbery.Myles uses a lot of metaphors while describing different situations and emotional states, his figures of speech are very witty and they give this show some extra charm.I really hope that this show will gain cult status it deserves.
davidstratton-53931
Dear Myles,Your show is the worst program to appear on our screens in some time.There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to your ratings system, and your hand-held "shaky cam" style of filming only succeeds in making me physically sick. Why not do us all a favour, and find another career.Sincerely,David S.-Reply:"David's letter, though riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, raises an issue that all of us must face in our lives:How does one cope with criticism?"
smacktalker62
This show first appeared two years ago, it is one of the greatest examples of black comedy and satire to appear on Australian television, and there are always great cameos from local celebrities and actors. The premise of the show is that Myles Barlow (Phil Lloyd) receives problem letters from viewers, and then investigates the merits of an element of their question and gives it a score out of five. Make sense? For instance, in series one he received a letter that involved the theme of risk, so to test out its' merits he went to Thailand to mule drugs back into Australia. Things that have been reviewed include divorce, racism, addiction and murder, these sequences are shot like short mockumentaries and are always messed up. Another highlight are the ridiculous analogies and metaphors that he uses to describe the experience he has just undergone. The humor is deadpan and twisted, the direction always note-perfect. Definitely worth checking out if you like black comedy and are not averse to being offended. I can only hope that once production ceases (hopefully not for a while) this show will really gather a cult following and thus reach a greater audience on DVD.