When you grow up hearing," Yeah, but you're one of the good ones"...
May 27, 2016 9:21 PM   Subscribe

You don't choose to be the Cleverman. You get chosen. The similarities in Australian politics, literature, cinema and television to the United States are striking at times. One man's erasure has become inspiration for a tv show with the first ever Australian Indigenous superhero on the national broadcaster. Youtube link
posted by taff (17 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
Wow, I was totally expecting that to be an intro to Saturday Night Live or a weird extended Geico commercial.
posted by sammyo at 9:55 PM on May 27, 2016


You lot may well laugh at Trump but Australia is only cosmetically better. The Australian racist redhead...
posted by taff at 10:11 PM on May 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


This series looks amazing
posted by chapps at 10:38 PM on May 27, 2016


The Australian racist redhead...

I had a weird moment where I thought I'd missed the fact Abbott was a redhead somehow.
posted by solarion at 2:09 AM on May 28, 2016 [2 favorites]


I'm so glad to see indigeneous fantasy elements in a mainstream TV production. I just wish the trailer looked more promising. It has a very District 9 feel, with a voiceover that sounds as though it came from Buffy. Still, I'll be looking out for it.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:17 AM on May 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm looking forward to it too. I'm hearing some good buzz. And I'm excited for Aussie TV to branch out again from reality shows and Serious Drama. A bit of sci-fi/fantasy will be a refreshing change.
posted by harriet vane at 4:10 AM on May 28, 2016 [2 favorites]


The Australian racist redhead...

...is not racist enough for some.
posted by flabdablet at 7:07 AM on May 28, 2016


When I read the Guardian article, I thought this was going to be some kind of whitewash; brave, Noble Savage Aboriginal superhero protects the good people (white and black) from unambiguous villains, politely introducing Aboriginal narratives to the table that is “Australia”. I was surprised how hard-hitting and black-armband it looks to be; it approaches the table and flips it.

I imagine the Liberal Party and Murdoch papers will be howling blue murder, demanding purges of the “Cultural Marxists” at the ABC who approved this any moment now.
posted by acb at 7:47 AM on May 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


If they do, it's a bloody success. The more controversy, the better for ratings! I'm so excited to see it. And can't wait for Bolt, Bernardi, and Murdoch to have coronaries.
posted by taff at 8:11 AM on May 28, 2016 [1 favorite]


If they were half smart, they'd say nothing.

I expect they'll say quite a lot.
posted by flabdablet at 8:37 AM on May 28, 2016 [2 favorites]


Promising reviews in the Guardian and Den of Geek. I hope this show is great, and is wildly successful both in Australia and abroad.
posted by retrograde at 11:01 AM on May 28, 2016


One of the stories we were given permission to use comes from outside Katherine in the middle of the Northern Territory – so it was a four-hour plane ride and four-hour drive for me, before I sat in the river for another four hours, discussing the story with an elder. These were, for me, the strongest and most spiritual moments of the Cleverman journey. I sat in the river where the songline travelled for that specific story; it was an absolute privilege to be there and to be given the permission to bring that story to the screen.

No wonder this looks good, it's building on 60 000 years of continuity.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 4:23 PM on May 28, 2016 [12 favorites]


I'm excited for this for so many reasons. Glad to hear it's getting good reviews already. That trailer looks superb.
posted by crossoverman at 8:07 PM on May 29, 2016


I enjoyed that first episode. I could have done with a little more exposition about the Hairies, but I assume they were trying to avoid that kind of information dump. Will definitely tune in next week.
posted by harriet vane at 7:56 AM on June 2, 2016


Crikey, looks good. Although that corporate logo looked somewhat unsubtle.
posted by quinndexter at 8:16 PM on June 2, 2016


Also enjoyed the first episode; will look forward to seeing it continue.
posted by sibilatorix at 11:27 AM on June 9, 2016


FanFare thread
posted by flabdablet at 1:15 PM on June 9, 2016


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