There have been some brilliant Aussie dramas so far in 2021 (Bump, Wakefield, The End, The Unusual Suspects, RFDS) but Fires (Sunday on ABC), about the devastating bushfire season of 2019/20, might be the most important of them all. Warning though, it may not be for everyone.
In a Mediaweek podcast with co-creator Tony Ayres (LISTEN HERE), he confirms the production was very aware of how Fires might trigger some who lived through it. Hence any discussion or viewing of the show should include details of Lifeline’s Dedicated Bushfire Recovery Line (Ph 13 43 57), Beyond Blue (1 300 224 636) or abc.net.au/fires which has further information and support.
Fires has been made because straight after those horrific bushfires, Australia was plunged into a covid crisis. It’s important that we don’t forget about what happened to better plan for the future. And this moving and sensitively made drama, from some of our greatest writers and actors, wants to help make things better.
The continuing thread is this anthology series will be two volunteer firefighters, Tash (Eliza Scanlen) and Mott (Hunter Page-Lochard) who are introduced in the terrifying first episode. They are in the background in the second episode because it’s more about the devastation on a fire-ravaged dairy farm. Playing the two stoic farmers are Richard Roxburgh and Miranda Otto and their gut-wrenching performances are as good as television gets.
Aussie and British comedy Frayed (Wednesday on ABC) is back for a second season and the good news is that Sarah Kendall’s 80s hair is still hilarious. All year, the ABC has rolled from one local comedy into another, what with Fisk, Aftertaste, Why Are You Like This, Superwog and Rosehaven which just had a beautiful send-off after five glorious seasons.
Sarah Kendall in Frayed season 2
Rosehaven (iview) ended with an unexpected wedding which must have surprised Home and Away (Monday on Seven) where they are about to have “TV’s Wedding of the Year”. Such events used to be big budget affairs, but these days they are done on the cheap, meaning Tori (Penny McNamee) and Christian (Ditch Davey) get hitched in a backyard.
Summer Bay weddings have sometimes ended with bomb blasts and multiple deaths but this time the biggest dramas are Justin (James Stewart) not wanting to cry and Jasmine (Sam Frost) running late. Hopefully fans will enjoy the happy ending, but I prefer a bit more excitement.
How about Days of Our Lives (FoxOne) then which is returning to its most outrageous storyline of all time with Dr Marlena Evans (Dierdre Hall) now re-possessed by the devil after 25 years.
That is almost as good as the Melbourne Demons playing in this year’s AFL Grand Final (Saturday on Seven) and The Tony Awards (Monday on 10Peach) celebrating the best of a re-opened Broadway.