Utopia (Australian TV series)
Utopia | |
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Genre | Comedy |
Created by | Rob Sitch Santo Cilauro Tom Gleisner |
Written by | Rob Sitch Santo Cilauro Tom Gleisner |
Directed by | Rob Sitch |
Starring | Rob Sitch Celia Pacquola Dave Lawson Luke McGregor Kitty Flanagan Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann Toby Truslove Emma-Louise Wilson Michelle Lim Davidson |
Opening theme | "Volare" by Dean Martin |
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 16 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Michael Hirsh |
Producers | Rob Sitch Santo Cilauro Tom Gleisner |
Production locations | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Production company | Working Dog Productions |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | 13 August 2014 present | –
Utopia, titled Dreamland in the UK, Canada, and US, is a Logie Award-winning Australian television comedy series by Working Dog Productions that premiered on ABC1 on 13 August 2014. The eight-part series follows the working lives of a team in the Nation Building Authority, a newly created government organisation. The Authority is responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, from announcement to unveiling. The series explores the collision between bureaucracy and grand ambitions.[1] The second series aired in 2015, beginning with the first episode on 19 August 2015.
Background
Utopia is written and produced by three of the founding members of Working Dog Productions: Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner. It is produced by Michael Hirsh, directed by Sitch who also stars as one of the main characters Tony, and casting managed by Jane Kennedy.[2] When casting, Sitch wanted to have actors that possessed a certain acting style, that appeared as if nothing absurd was going on. Sitch described the series as being about "the currency of grand dreams". He described that the idea of the "Nation Building Authority" was to portray it as one of those things that got set up in a bit of a mad rush and that under all the grand dreams there was a white elephant waiting to appear.[2] Utopia continues on the satirical themes of other Working Dog works such as Frontline and The Hollowmen. Sitch also noted that the series was more observational than satirical and that it depicted how organisations may or may not function.[2] When creating the show, Gleisner said the production team spoke to people who worked with government authorities and had experienced for themselves the daily unpredictabilities of working in these environments.[3]
Characters
- Tony (Rob Sitch) is the boss, and is constantly exasperated by his inability to achieve anything other than meetings and studies and reports. [4]
- Nat (Celia Pacquola), is Tony's second in charge. As the only other competent person in the office, she is equally as frustrated as Tony.
- Scott (Dave Lawson) is a nice guy who doesn't actually do much.
- Hugh (Luke McGregor) is Nat's personal assistant, and is constantly reminding her of how difficult it is to do things.
- Rhonda (Kitty Flanagan) is the media manager. She forcefully pushes her narrow agenda, often based on some new fad, despite more important priorities.
- Jim (Anthony "Lehmo" Lehmann) is the government liaison. He is unceasingly positive about new government projects, while being oblivious to the problems and chaos they cause.
- Karsten (Toby Truslove) always has a grand vision and is highly optimistic, and is an ally of Rhonda's.
- Katie (Emma-Louise Wilson) is Tony's personal assistant. She constantly tries to be helpful but is somewhat incompetent.
- Amy (Michelle Lim Davidson) is the office receptionist, who is always positive and chirpy, but is unable to see the big picture.
Plot
The series is set inside the offices of the fictional Nation Building Authority, a newly created government organisation responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects ranging from new roads and rail lines to airports and high rise urban developments. It follows the working lives of a tight-knit team of bureaucrats in charge of guiding big building schemes from announcement to unveiling. Throughout the series grand projects are frustrated by self interest, constant shifts in priorities and bureaucracy.
The series features a number of recurring themes. The office is continually focused on various fads. In one episode, staff become obsessed with exercise after a visit from a Heart Smart representative, practicing communal yoga in the office at regular intervals. In another episode, Amy (Davidson) hires an indoor plant consultant, making major changes to office air conditioning and lighting, after Tony's (Sitch) plant dies and he asks for a replacement.
Rhonda (Flanagan) frequently attends conferences or workshops on various forms of online media. She returns to the office enthusiastically and doggedly drawing priorities away from important projects to superficial online projects.
Episodes
Season 1
Episode number |
No. in series |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Wood for the Trees" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 13 August 2014 | 778,000[5] |
2 | 2 | "Protected Species" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 20 August 2014 | 597,000[6] |
3 | 3 | "Very Fast Turnover" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 27 August 2014 | 663,000[7] |
4 | 4 | "Onwards and Upwards" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 3 September 2014 | 566,000[8] |
5 | 5 | "Arts and Minds" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 10 September 2014 | 614,000[9] |
6 | 6 | "Then We Can Build It" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 17 September 2014 | 603,000[10] |
7 | 7 | "The First Project" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 24 September 2014 | 620,000[11] |
8 | 8 | "The Whole Enchilada" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 1 October 2014 | 620,000[12] |
Season 2
Episode number |
No. in series |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | 1 | "A Fresh Start" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 19 August 2015 | 779,000[13] |
10 | 2 | "Shovels Ready" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 26 August 2015 | 738,000[14] |
11 | 3 | "Keep Out - Public Property" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 2 September 2015 | 769,000[15] |
12 | 4 | "Dot Dot Dot" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 9 September 2015 | 845,000[16] |
13 | 5 | "Terminal Problems" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 16 September 2015 | 797,000[17] |
14 | 6 | "Starting the Conversation" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 23 September 2015 | 803,000[18] |
15 | 7 | "Reporting for Duty" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 30 September 2015 | 866,000[19] |
16 | 8 | "Summit Attempt" | Rob Sitch | Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Tom Gleisner | 7 October 2015 | 756,000[20] |
Reception
Anne Pender from The Conversation described Utopia as "light – but sharp and witty" political satire. She praised the talents of the writers and the cast of "exceptional actors". She also noted that it was an improvement from The Speechmaker, a stage show that Sitch and Working Dog Productions put together earlier in 2014.[21] David Knox from TV Tonight noted the show's similarity to Sitch's previous work, The Hollowmen. In addition to praising the performances of cast members, he opined that the city backdrop of East Melbourne gave the series a "fresh, contemporary feel" accompanied by a "driving percussion soundtrack" and "cityscape montages".[22]
Netflix purchased the rights to the programme in 2015 to broadcast the first two seasons under the title Dreamland.[23]
The series has found comparisons to the earlier and more cynical seasons of American workplace comedies The Office and Parks and Recreation. But it builds further on the mold, offering a "painfully funny satire that focuses on the interaction between the media and press friendly projects wanted by government administrations and the disparities it presents to those in the agency who would prefer practicality."[24]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 4th AACTA Awards[25] | Best Television Comedy Series | Utopia | Won |
Best Performance in a Television Comedy | Celia Pacquola | Nominated | ||
Logie Awards[26] | Most Outstanding Comedy Program | Utopia | Won | |
5th AACTA Awards[27] | Best Television Comedy Series | Utopia | Nominated | |
Best Performance in a Television Comedy | Celia Pacquola | Won | ||
2016 | Logie Awards | Most Outstanding Comedy Program | Utopia | Nominated |
See also
References
- ^ Knox, David (30 July 2014). "Airdate Utopia". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ a b c Enker, Debi (7 August 2014). "Working Dog productions hits Utopia jackpot". The Age. (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Thomson, Phillip (9 August 2014). "ABC finds Utopia is in the public service". The Age. (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Molk, Steve (11 August 2014). "This Is @WorkingDogProd's #UtopiaABC…". Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (14 August 2014). "Comedy debut tops Drama return". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (21 August 2014). "Ready for the ratings J-Curve". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (28 August 2014). "No Wonderland for TEN as Seven wins Wednesday". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (4 September 2014). "Wednesday 3 September 2014". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (11 September 2014). "Wednesday 10 September 2014". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (18 September 2014). "Wednesday 17 September 2014". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (25 September 2014). "Wednesday 14 September 2014". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (1 October 2014). "Wednesday 1 October 2014". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (20 August 2015). "Wednesday 19 August 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (27 August 2015). "Wednesday 26 August 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (3 September 2015). "Season high for Bachelor, Nine takes Wednesday". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (10 September 2015). "Wednesday 9 September 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (17 September 2015). "Wednesday 16 September 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (24 September 2015). "Wednesday 23 September 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (1 October 2015). "Wednesday 30 September 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ Knox, David (8 October 2015). "Wednesday 7 October 2015". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ Pender, Anne (21 August 2014). "Working Dog's Utopia is a welcome satirical treat". The Conversation. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Knox, David (13 August 2014). "Utopia". TV Tonight. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Idato, Michael (23 July 2015). "Netflix buys hit Australian comedy series Utopia from Working Dog". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ Journalist, Ahmad Khan Freelance; Strategist, Media/Tech (15 July 2016). "A Hidden Gem: Australian Comedy Dreamland is a Must-Watch". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "4th AACTA Awards Nominees & Winners" (PDF). Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ "Logies 2015: full list of award winners". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ Maddox, Garry (30 November 2015). "AACTA Awards 2015: first round goes to Mad Max:Fury Road". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 November 2015.