124 •Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM
CRITICAL FAILURE:
THE ABC’S2"1$$-3(,$
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episode was watched by a metropolitan viewing audience of
726,000 – a testament to the popularity of these illustrious crit
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features and documentaries. It’s for this latter category – Australian
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In our small (and potentially insular) industry, the relationship
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of impartiality are always up for discussion – whether it be a case
of a critic infected with severe cultural cringe and thus seeming
too tough on their compatriots, or of being overly generous to
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thing they were never accused of was ignoring Australian cinema.
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refused to review, if widespread media reports are to be believed- had only praise when they retired, calling them ‘a genuinely
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In the years since S SGD ,NUHDRĺQLVKHG XS WKHUH KDYH EHHQ
many rumours of a replacement, with whispers of young, telegenic
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tion and test out their screen chemistry. Finally, in October 2017,
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out what’s worth your time’. Accompanying him during the show’s
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WXUDO FRPPHQWDWRUV2BQDDM 3HLDwas clearly sending the message
that it was not to be considered a platform forSQ@CHSHNM@KĺOPDQG
television review coverage.
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an institution that had decades to build its audience and credibil
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tion of audiences that we see today. Indeed, Taylor himself told
#@HKX 1DUHDVthat ‘the way people watch and what we watch
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air’. He added that he didn’t expect his show to have the same
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Clearly modelled on the ABC’s popular and informative panel
show3GD&QTDM 3Q@MREDQ,2BQDDM 3HLDhas little of that show’s
insider expertise or depth, but retains its insistence on humour at
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episode, the2BQDDM 3HLDSDQHO GLVFXVVHG WKH QHZO\ UHOHDVHG ĺOP
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tion turned serious and analytical, Taylor quickly brought it back
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from the BBC series/QHCD @MC /QDITCHBD, her broad nasal accent
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asked for a quick recommendation. In the only mention of a local
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themed Australian romantic comedy KHR 6DCCHMF -HIIUH\:DONHU
2017). It would have been nice to hear more.
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shows that give coverage to the arts in Australia and thus meet
their cultural charters as public broadcasters, while also rating
highly enough to justify the expenses involved in creating such
shows. In hindsight,2BQDDM 3HLDwill likely be seen as another
example of a program that didn’t work as serious criticism but
didn’t rate well as popular entertainment, either. This means it will
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with the explosion in screen content – means that now, more than
ever, we need fun, smart coverage and analysis to inform Australian
viewers about the screen productions available to them.SCREEN INDUSTRY VIEWS
Scope
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