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Hercules Audits HBO’s
SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH!!

If Simon Pegg says it's brilliant... by amamo	Nov 9th, 2008 04:29:25 AM
...then it's brilliant! Check out his post on peggster.net a few weeks ago to gauge his immediate reaction to Lilley's brilliance
This showed in the UK earlier this year and is by Chopper3	Nov 9th, 2008 04:36:44 AM
wonderful - full of quotable lines. Like The Office (UK) it's the pathos that makes the show rather than just being gag-after-gag.
Great, great show by Mr_Sinister	Nov 9th, 2008 04:37:22 AM
Us Aussies are far too easily entertained? Ha! Anyway, I thought this was great stuff, though I still prefer his previous show, We Can Be Heroes. Ja'mie is excellent, but I hope he brings Ricky Wong back for his next project! 'Indigiridoo, indigiridoo, we're not just the people who eat kangaroo'
It was funny. But yeah, everyone here in Australia hyped it way by MMacKK	Nov 9th, 2008 05:09:24 AM
Watch it though. Far better than most shit.
it's not surprising SMH isn't meant for America. by Damien Chowder	Nov 9th, 2008 05:23:10 AM

Aussie sitcoms are not USA friendly by mothandrust	Nov 9th, 2008 06:16:47 AM
like Kath and Kym, this hits home for Aussies, but I'm glad to hear some positive reviews outside of our li'l island. For me, an Australian teacher, this show is drop dead, laugh out loud, funny. Much of it was ad-libbed and the out-takes on the extended dvd are hilarious. Quality cringe humour, and I don't know how they got handicapped and child actors to understand 'the joke' so well to deliver some of the gags. Amazing television.
watch the whole thing! by Smithys.Bark	Nov 9th, 2008 06:20:21 AM
I think, like "We can Be Heroes", is one of those rare entities that must be seen in its entirety hence the brevity of its length (6 eps's). Lilley is a very clever writer/performer. I loved this show, not sure whether you septics will like it though.
More on Aussie sit-coms by mothandrust	Nov 9th, 2008 06:31:40 AM
Most of our sit-coms are complete crap, but we do have exceptions... "Mother and Son" being one, umm, are there any others? We do mockumentries pretty well I think: Frontline, The Games, We can be Heroes. Kath and Kym is funny, but a bit tacky with it. Some recent sitcoms have been working for me, including "Very Small Business" and "Stupid Stupid Man". Kingswood Country was an old time classic, but would NOT translate well at all. Apart from these gems, Australian sitcoms suck to an embarrassing nth degree.
"Fuck off Miss" by kuryakin	Nov 9th, 2008 07:04:52 AM
Loved this show but I have to say I preferred We Can Be Heroes I watched both series' in one go and that's probably the best way. You do become pretty involved with the characters and to be honest when Jonah read out his bit in class at the end I found it quite moving.
Not seen the show by Lloytron	Nov 9th, 2008 07:09:36 AM
But if a US audience are most likely to find it not very funny, it must be a winner. I've seen the shows that they do like and they mostly stink, so this is worth checking out.
Wow, this looks even worse than Concords by GreatCzarsGhost	Nov 9th, 2008 07:09:45 AM
Predictable stupid dumb characters who aren't popular in high school so they do stupid things that really just prove how stupid and predictable they are. Be kind to yourself and skip the crap on HBO and watch just about anything on Showtime. HBO wants to be the CW Network of Cable.
Most Americans simply wouldn't "get it"... by The Grug	Nov 9th, 2008 07:28:06 AM
In much the same way that a lot of American comedy isn't the slightest bit funny to Australians (the US version of the Office? It's AWFUL, it makes me cringe but unlike the original it never makes me laugh). Which is a shame because it's not often that locally-made comedy shows down here are actually any good, but SHH is one of them... I think we can put this one down to "lost in translation".
CzarsGhost by SirFlibble	Nov 9th, 2008 07:36:38 AM
That description of the show is completely wrong. I wouldn't call any of the characters unpopular or doing stupid things. They do, but only from our point of view. And don't worry we don't expect you to undestand SHH or Conchords... we just have a different sense of humour.
Am I too old for today's Australian comedy? by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 07:37:06 AM
I'm in my 20s. I grew up with Australian comedy through the 80s and 90s, so I remember the Big Gig, Fast Forward, Late Show, Frontline, & The Games just to mention a few. Only the recent series The Sideshow was anywhere near as funny as those other shows, otherwise I'm just finding "the music's too loud" in Australian comedy these days. Although I do think Kenny's World is the best travel show on Australian TV (yes, better than Getaway and its ilk).
Pat on the heads of Americans who do 'get it' by mothandrust	Nov 9th, 2008 07:42:58 AM
We're very proud of you. The US Office is a joy to watch. It's a little less gritty than the UK version, and Michael is almost parodying himself after a few seasons, but it's still funny. We balked at the first season, but it came into its own. Is Conchords Aussie or Kiwi? It's set in NY... what's up with that? Is it a cross breed? There are people who don't think Conchords is funny? pfft
Conchords are kiwis by SirFlibble	Nov 9th, 2008 07:47:25 AM
but as with anything a successful kiwi is always considered an Aussie
Conchords are from N.Z. by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 07:48:50 AM
And they're brilliant. They remind me of what Tripod used to be like.
The Office (US) is fucking hillarious. (Im Australian) by MMacKK	Nov 9th, 2008 08:18:33 AM
Granted, at first I went fuck this. But I'm now at Season 3, and wow, it has really grown into something of its own. You must watch Season 2, when it begins to breakaway from the original and become its own series. Its development is fantastic. The scenes with Creed are hillarious.
SEEN THE WHOLE SERIES by The InSneider	Nov 9th, 2008 02:02:05 PM
And I quite liked it. I think Jonah is a brilliant creation and his relationships with his Dad, and the guidance counselor, are priceless.
Anyone remember... by chook chutney	Nov 9th, 2008 03:07:04 PM
In the Office U.S. when Michael drove his car into a lake because his nav system told him to turn right? It's poorly written shit like that that gets under my skin. Anyone who claims it's better than its UK counterpart doesn't know a damn thing about comedy. (That said, Ed Helms and Rainn Wilson are both fantastic on it.)
I have lost faith yet again with the american press by Damien Chowder	Nov 9th, 2008 03:08:02 PM
(never gained it back anyway) SMH is amazing and here in the UK it's garnered critical acclaim by our best source in Empire and some. All my friends love it and it surprises me not that america doesn't like it. You know what I thought it was a fluke that america took to The Office at all.
And as for SHH by chook chutney	Nov 9th, 2008 03:09:43 PM
I'm almost done with the series, and it's fucking spectacular.
Such an amazingly hilarious show by qbert455	Nov 9th, 2008 04:07:28 PM
I had never heard of this show before, and one day at the beginning of summer, a friend recommended I download it. It was one of the funniest things I'd seen in ages! Chris Lilley is genious. If you like this, check out We Can Be Heroes...so good!
It's flippin brilliant! by geekzapoppin	Nov 9th, 2008 04:34:20 PM
I just don't think Herc got it. My wife is a high school teacher and we both come from a Theatre background. Summer Heights High is the most realistic portrayal of both frustrated Theatre people and troubled teens that we've seen. It's amazing on many levels. Chris Lilley should become a real star in the U.S. if there is any justice in the universe.
^^^^^ Yeah agreed! by Damien Chowder	Nov 9th, 2008 04:39:27 PM
It's not supposed to be an all out comedy. There is quite a bit of drama in it. The show connected with me and my friends who have seen those characters and circumstances.
I really love this. But I'm British, what do I know? by performingmonkey	Nov 9th, 2008 05:16:15 PM
Seriously, Summer Heights High is one of my favourite shows from the past year. Chris Lilley is a fucking genious, without a doubt. The Mr G music/drama teacher character is so funny to me, maybe because he reminds me of so many real teachers I had at school. I imagine this will hit home more with a British and Australian audience. It's definitely closer to the Gervais Office than anything else (it's closer to it than the US Office). Ja'mie is a brilliant character too. I don't know how he does it but you really do believe he's this teenage girl. It's so funny when she pretends to do an AIDS awareness fundraiser to get money for the school formal. And she goes out with an 11-year-old ('I'd rather be a paedophile than a lesbian!') Like The Office there are also some moving moments, particularly in the last two episodes with Jonah. My favourite scene in the series is definitely this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =fUfpYBX6AXo
"cringe comedy/humour" by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 05:16:47 PM
seems to be for the noughties what observational comedy was for the nineties. I guess if you like shows like The Office and Kath & Kim, you'll probably like SHH. Much like if you liked Seinfeld, you'd also like, well, whatever other observational sit-coms there were around then. Not my cup-of-tea, but then I like Chuck and Big Bang Theory, so what would I know.
Some American comedy is funny to (most) Australians... by Mr_Sinister	Nov 9th, 2008 05:39:29 PM
Look at Two and a Half Men! Why? I don't know. Channel 9 shows that as much as possible, and the DVDs sell by the truckload.
Two and a Half Men by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 05:59:57 PM
is a traditional US sit-com done well. Like Home Improvement or Frasier (well, not as good as Frasier - but then that was a hard act to beat). There's so many bad sit-coms that you can understand when one works and gets popular, it gets more air-play and stands out (like channel 10's obsession with The Simpsons). I'd rather a week of regular TAAHM than a string of Do Not Disturb & Til Death type sit-coms, which seem to be the norm.
More Hollowmen, please by jbs0209	Nov 9th, 2008 06:57:24 PM
More Hollowmen please or Frontline Those two shows are fantastic They should redo make a US version of Hollowmen.
Chris Lilley is undeniably talented. He's also way overrated. by Paul T. Ryan	Nov 9th, 2008 07:18:25 PM
I think the success of Summer Heights High and its predecessor We Can Be Heroes really depend on your sense of humour. If you like cringe humour then this will be your thing. If you're like me and don't respond to that humour, you won't. Much has been made of how well-observed Lilley's characters are, but to me they're dead-on without actually being funny. Kind of like Kath and Kim in that respect. Then again, I'm also soured on Lilley from all the fawning hype from the Aussie entertainment press, so my judgement here isn't exactly objective.
Clever vs. Humorous by shellfishh	Nov 9th, 2008 08:09:15 PM
There have been a few American shows like that, where you don't have any doubt that they are clever, they just don't make you laugh. Currently we have the "Sarah Silverman Program" and for those that remember it, the old Ben Stiller show on Fox. They had a sketch of U2-the early years, where they were performing at a Bar Mitzvah. Clever, but it just wasn't funny. And I haven't seen much of it this season, but "Two & A Half Men" is the funniest sit-com to ever get completely and constantly shit on, usually by people who have never seen it.
Americans don't "get" underplayed comedy by scumbag	Nov 9th, 2008 08:12:47 PM
Just a cultural thing. They've been conditioned to need a punchline and an "exclamation mark" like musical sting or a canned laugh track to underline a joke. Comedy without punchlines, or delivered in a deadpan manner (perfectly done by Conchords) doesn't register as comedy, therefore the shows are perceived as not funny.
I don't believe that. by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 08:50:02 PM
Didn't Flight Of The Conchords just win an Emmy or something? Wouldn't get that if the Yanks didn't like it. Americans can get underplayed comedy. I really liked Little Miss Sunshine, and Rocket Science is the best high school love story ever told on film as far as I've seen. But the Brits do it best and to more universal appeal. Americans (and Australians) are a bit more yocalised.
Americans won't get this... It'll bomb like Kath'n'Kim... by Fleet	Nov 9th, 2008 08:54:01 PM
...And it's not because of "australian comedy" vs "american comedy" - It's simply because Australians can understand and appreciate the parody the characters present - Americans can't... Jonah saying things like "That's a nice dress, Miss - Did you get that at Suzannes?" won't even get a chuckle out of US audiences because they just won't get it... Ja'mai screaming "I am a Private School Girl!" into the phone to her mother won't mean the same thing as those who have experienced those exact girls in their schools (hell, I teach about 30 of them... it's amazing how accurate Lilley is with his portrayel...) But, like Kath and Kim... it'll get lost - Not because our humour is different, but because they simply won't understand the cultural references... We can laugh at ourselves because we get it... It'll fall on deaf ears elsewhere...
The biggest worry... by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 09:00:49 PM
How many teachers seem to be posting here... And during school hours! ;)
Generalizations by shellfishh	Nov 9th, 2008 09:01:34 PM
As an American, I list "Yes Prime Minister" and "To The Manor Born" as some of my favorite all-time shows. There are Americans who appreciate subtle dry humor. Having said that, let's remember that the UK is also the birthplace of "Benny Hill" and "Are You Being Served?", hardly monuments to wit. There are people in all countries who like different types of humor.
Arrested Development was a great underplayed sit-com. by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 09:18:45 PM
And more recently J-Pod and that show about the chemisty teacher who starts cooking crystal meth. Just off the top of my head.
I can't believe by Ruddy Heck	Nov 9th, 2008 09:39:41 PM
That people are defending 2 and a half men! Typical 'obvious setup, lame zinger' comedy - and yes I have actually seen it. Loved SHH, especially the Mr G musical. "When girls do drugs, and then they die... Who would've thought, at Summer Heights High? Days like this... it's a bummer heights hiiiigh.." Awesome.
2.5 Men and Benny Hill and SSH by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 09:58:19 PM
are fine for what they are. Nothing special.
'She's a naughty girl with a bad habit, a bad habit for drugs' by Mr_Sinister	Nov 9th, 2008 10:19:00 PM
'She was what you'd call a slut'. Did you like that one Ruddy Heck?? Chris Lilley is great. Who would have thought he'd go from Extreme Darren in the Big Bite (or whatever it was) to this stuff. And I don't think the show was too overhyped here. I knew more people that tuned in as it progressed because of good word of mouth. Anyway... 'Ecstasy, ectasy, e, e, e, ecstasy'.
I actually got many reports that SSH was crap. by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 10:27:50 PM
From friends that watch a lot more TV than I do, and they like The Office. I don't know where all the good word-of-mouth is, but I haven't heard any until this talkback. And after seeing an episode, I won't be a good word-of-mouth contributor.
Arrested Development was underplayed? by NormanJohnson	Nov 9th, 2008 11:45:45 PM
I guess jetpacks, hands getting bit off by seals, and lawyers pretending to be blind to win sympathy is "under playing" and subtle. Also, people who are literally retarded that other people think are... spies? Arrested was a great show, but please, it sure as hell wasn't underplayed. And Summer Heights High is genius. By the time the last few episodes roll around, and the emotional stuff kicks in, the trip is well worth it. Great show.
Arrested Development did dead-pan really well and by Amy Chasing	Nov 9th, 2008 11:51:33 PM
didn't do the one-liner thing like more main-stream sit-coms. It was more about the character's behaviours than gags.
He he he by Ruddy Heck	Nov 10th, 2008 03:51:45 AM
I certainly did Mr S! "She's a slut and she knows it. She likes to root all the boys..." Gold.
it was not a huge hit Down Under by Maniaq	Nov 10th, 2008 04:37:36 AM
and by all accounts absolute rubbish - hasn't the idea of an actor/s taking on multiple roles been done to death already?
Sheep by Joey17	Nov 10th, 2008 05:58:12 AM
Baa Baa Baa Baa Baa
HEY DAD by mothandrust	Nov 10th, 2008 09:01:04 AM
... still makes me dry reach. I almost feel like I'm intruding here when talking about Australian comedy. Mother and Son was the best 'sitcom' and so well acted. Sean Micallef's "Newstopia" airing atm is a good example of the Aussie style. Much of our sketch comedy has been high calibre.
Just posting to say it's incredible... by DanielKurland	Nov 10th, 2008 04:15:08 PM
Very, very funny.
Daniel Kurland by NormanJohnson	Nov 10th, 2008 06:47:42 PM
You my boy, mofucka. This is a great show. It's only 8 eps long, trust me -- worth watching all 8 eps. That's only 4 hours of your life. C'mon.
Her doesn't have much of a comedic compass. by SmarkJobber	Nov 11th, 2008 03:34:21 AM
So far this show is plenty funny. First you exclaim that "Bender's Game" is the funniest of the "Futurama" DVDs (it certainly is not), and then you shrug at "Summer Heights."
Futurama is to SHH like by Amy Chasing	Nov 11th, 2008 07:37:43 AM
Ghostbusters is to 40 Year Old Virgin. Apples and Volkswagens dude.
I wasn't comparing Futurama and SHH. by SmarkJobber	Nov 11th, 2008 08:03:42 PM
I was pointing out the fact that Herc doesn't know funny if he thinks that SHH is mediocre and Bender's Game is the funniest Futurama film. He's wrong on both counts.

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Hercules Audits HBO’s
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Hercules Audits HBO’s
SUMMER HEIGHTS HIGH!!