Queen of Oz

Catherine Tate seems to be an 'all or nothing' performer to me. Sometimes her characters are very funny, sometimes they fall flat as a pancake. She does have a tendency to stretch a one-joke character so thin that eventually it snaps and the original joke becomes so overworked that it just isn't funny any more.

"Queen of Oz" doesn't seem to have a joke or a character that hasn't already been bent out of shape to fit into a shaky framework that just isn't funny. Some will love it I guess, but it's not for me.

The whole premise is so far-fetched as to be ridiculous, it's neither based in reality or interestingly surreal, it's just one of those ideas that seemed funny when you were drunk one night, but really can't stand the harsh light of day.

Halfway through s.1 and getting funnier by the episode. Just when you think this is cheerfully broad clowning, and all the better for being Catherine Tate leading the circus, the snappy one-liners kick in and keep on coming. Royal caricatures destruct-tested in an unlikely Aussie parallel universe. The unfinished koala joke from episode 1 is capped by the traumatic kangaroo event of ep.2 (which, shamefully was even funnier). Before the end of this first series, will there be a regal cock-up with the prawns at a Palace Barbie? An unspecified Vegemite Scandal by Royal Appointment? Will - and already I wouldn't put it past Her Australian Majesty - we see her Christmas Speech on the beach? More please.

Pleasantly surprised after the first episode, it's not as hackneyed or cringey as I expected. As a not easy to please viewer, I found a couple of laugh out loud bits and, compared to the other fare Auntie offers us currently, that's a decided plus. Also, any comedic material in the capable hands of Catherine Tate has a more than average chance of success. And, a good point made by another reviewer about not bingeing but going old school on the episodes - definitely recommended in this case. Let each episode percolate.

Now, to fill up the quota.

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An unwanted, ginger haired member of The Royal family has become a national disgrace, and to spare The Country and family any more torture, she's packed off.....

.....and so begins the reign of Queen Georgiana of Australia.

Catherine Tate where on Earth do you get such weird and wild ideas, I can only imagine.

Already this show has been fairly unfairly maligned, but if like me you're a big fan of Tate, you'll enjoy it, it's typical of her brand of humour. How nice to sit down to something funny on a Friday night, it's been a while.

It's a bumpy opening, but it develops well as the series progresses, there are some fun characters and great one liners, lots of jokes about Britain's standing on the world stage.

It won't be to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it, a funny take on the madness of The Brits abroad.

7/10.

Ive not been a Catherine Tate fan in the past. I didn't think I would like this at all but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. In fact, I very much warmed to her character by the end and really hope for a series 2. I don't find shouty and rude humour funny but with the dynamics of our own royal family unraveling over the last few years, I think its very cleverly wrote. As a royalist who has an interest in the families dynamics, this had some very clever hidden references to many generations of the Royal Family. She depicts different royals in just one character. You'd automatically think it was Harry acting like a spoiled brat and he was probably the inspiration but I could see multiple people coming through. Fingers crossed for season 2. Marc is a total dish.