Bro' Brats Are Cool, Man

Newcastle Herald

Monday October 2, 2006

Michael Gadd

BRO'TOWN8.30pm, SBS

NOTHING is sacred for the folk of Bro'town, which features animated brats a bit older than Kyle, Cartman, Stan and Kenny in South Park. The show has coined its own vernacular and trades in low-brow cheap shots. Naturally, the show has spawned a merchandise line and has a movie in development. Vale, Valea, Sione, Mack and Jeff da Maori are everyday teenagers in Auckland. They are used by the show's creators primary for laughs, but apparently also to promote tolerance. I can only assume they do this by reclaiming stereotypes, racial and cultural, similar in a small way to Nick Gianoppolous's Wogs Out of Work and Wog Boy. Anyway, in this series opener world famous designers discover Jeff da Maori and decide to make the laconic lad a star on the catwalk. Celebrities around the world emulate him by dressing in school uniforms, no shoes and strapping guitars to their back.

WHAT A YEAR

8.35pm, NBN

HAND up if you're sick of networks reeling out file footage and calling it a new show. Anyone? Anyone? As the tumbleweed rolls by my desk the finishing touches are being put on this new series hosted by Mike Munro and Megan Gale which will recall pop-culture and events which made the year special. Cheap and sure to be popular.

JAKE IN PROGRESS

11.30pm, Prime

SCRUBS fans should take offence to its replacement in this timeslot. John Stamos. Just the words should strike fear into any funny bone. But alas, Seven has decided devotees of late-night Monday TV need to watch the guy from Full House as a publicist to the stars. I'd rather watch the creepy arthritis ad than this.

Michael Gadd