Best TV on.. uhm… TV: The Hollowmen
This is the 3rd in my series showcasing what I consider to be the best shows on TV. So far we have looked at shows that you were probably familiar with before. After all, both House and Prison Break are in TV.com’s Top 10 Most Popular Shows of All Time. But no more! As of this moment, I have no plans to cover anymore shows in their top 10. In fact, I have no plans to cover anything in their top 100. By which, I of course mean that I am stepping away from the swill that is most of American TV. Today’s stop, Australia.
The Hollowmen
I should start by mentioning that there are two television series called The Hollowmen. One is from Comedy Central and is something I have never given the time of day. The other is made by ABC. But not the same ABC that brings you Desperate Housewives and Dancing with the Stars. Not exactly, anyway. The Hollowmen is produced and aired by ABC Australia, who brought us such fantastic programs as… uhm, let me see.. well, there’s Blue Water High… Captain Cook… wow, a bunch of crap, it seems. But no matter, trust me when I tell you that Hollowmen is worth your half hour.
The Hollowmen is a comedy/drama about the Central Policy Unit for the Prime Minister of Australia. Basically, it is a comedy about how policies are created and the politics between the various government offices. I know, I know, that sounds boring, but it isn’t. Really.
From the show’s tagline…
We don’t vote for them, we don’t even know their names and we’re not quite sure what they do. But they weild enormous influence.
It is the kind of dry humor one might expect from a British tv show as opposed to the more wisecrack driven comedy US shows are known for. Much of the humor comes from the policy unit having to take what should be a perfectly fine situation (a budget surplus, for example) and having to spin it so the public feels the Prime Minister is doing something. They typically start with a Program name and a huge dollar amount to spend in order to impress the public, only later figuring out what the actual Program or Initiative is going to be about. One can easily believe that real politics works the same way, with this show merely showcasing the lunacy of it all.
On that front, I think that the show being about Australia and not the US makes it a better program for me. In the program, you don’t hear any talk about party affiliation beyond general comments about ‘the opposition’. Someone versed in Australian politics may pick up on things, but to this American, that there are no Democrats or Republicans in the show is fantastic. It also means that the show at no point reminds you of anything stupid going on in US politics. You can leave your political opinion at the door and the Hollowmen doesn’t do anything to bring it up again.
The show centers around Murph, played by Lachy Hulme, who is the Director of the Central Policy Unit. He also is about the only person on the show who seems to realize how stupid the entire process is. Despite this knowledge, he adeptly handles the fiscally minded Department Secretary and his love of Power Point, as well as the Principal Private Secretary, Tony… who does nothing that I can tell except get in the way and panic a lot.
I have a hard time explaining why I love this show, which may explain why people have never heard of it. I had a hard time hunting down clips that worked without more context, but here are two I found…
Oh, and to warn you… Australia doesn’t have the same language restrictions as the US does. Mostly the show is safe to watch around your kids, but every now and then some 2nd class character goes off…
All in all, this show is worth a chance. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but head over to their website and download a couple of episodes. The seasons are only 6 episodes each and they they are only part way through the second two. If you like it, eztv.it has all the back episodes last I checked.
If you still aren’t convinced, just note that there are no hott doctors in it and I still find it entertaining. Just saying. 
Related Blogs
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- The Hollow Men
- badtmy : i watched Hollowmen S01-E02 on the bus to work today …
