The British television series Dead Ringers shows just how close the British and Australian senses of humour are. The Brits would deny it, but here's proof.
Dead Ringers - Series One gives us compelling impersonations of George Bush as he horrifilates the English language, and of Tony Blair preparing to do a flit from the UK as soon as he is exposed as a cheap conman. Here are great take-offs of some of our favourite television characters, including Michael Parkinson and Tom Baker as Doctor Who.
And we also focus on three characters closer to home - a devastatingly accurate lunatic Germaine Greer, the professionally avuncular Rolf Harris and our own pugilistic, talented and totally obnoxious Russell Crowe.
The scriptwriting is as funny as the characterisations. There's some stuff here which is too topical to Britain to carry across successfully, but there are more than enough winners to keep you laughing throughout if you like this sort of comedy.
It's not better than we can do; it's in fact very similar. And it would be pointless to buy this if you don't already have our own local DVD issues of The Champagne Edition of the Best Bits of the Late Show, or have ordered the forthcoming Best and Second-Best of D-Generation.
But when you have the local product under your belt, give this import a go. Here are all six episodes of the first series of Dead Ringers including a Christmas Special, along with the original pilot episode. Yes, it's at times juvenile, immature, rude, irreverent and totally disrespectful - everything good satire and comedy should be.
This is a great widescreen anamorphic presentation.
Production values for this series were pretty high, and the quality shows in a clear, crisp and bright image which is better than the best broadcast quality.
Sound is clear and dialogue always precisely delivered. Being a television series based on comic dialogue, there are no special effects to speak of; basic clear sound is all that is needed for this one, and that's what we get.
