Outrageous Fortune

This is undoubtedly one of the greatest Kiwi drama's ever created.

The acting is brilliant with a "who's who" of Kiwi actors (Robyn Malcolm, Frank Whitten) and also some great newcomers (Siobhan Marshall, Antony Starr) This show lets Kiwi's laugh at themselves, it's something that we can all relate to. An old 70's style house. A funeral party with a BBQ and heavy drinking.

Although it's hard to determine whether some parts of the show are comedy or drama, it's fairly easy and enjoyable to watch.

Thankfully it's been commissioned for a second season, a rare thing that happens with New Zealand TV. TV3 has finally seen that people enjoy homegrown shows, lets hope TVNZ does the same and would STOP CANCELLING ALL HOMEGROWN SHOWS! Overall - 9.5/10

We are lucky in the Solomon Islands to have Outrageous Fortune broadcast here on Australia Network on Monday evenings. This has become one of my favourite shows. This is the type of show that one either loves or loathes. It reminds me of what the late American/International film reviewer Pauline Kael would have fallen in love with. It is fresh and ultimately realistic comedy/drama. Realistic not in the moronic sense of a "reality show", not even in the not-lifelike continual effing. It is realistic in that the characters are deeply flawed human beings. Each one of the them bears deep scars from society, from family, from themselves. Everyone from Granpa to Loretta. This is so unlike most programes where the Good practically wear white hats and the Bad black. The director lets this paradox of the good in the bad show forth by centreing the show around the criminal Wolf and his wife Cheryl, their twin sons, one smart and one stupid--viewer has to decide who is the smart son and who the stupid (played by a look-a-like of a young David Cassidy), and two very lovely daughters, one acutely intelligent and one acutely sexually earthy. Again, the view has to decide who is who. In Outrageous Fortune, hasty character judgements are bound to leave the judge with egg on the face.

The Wests are a family of criminals, adulterers, whoremongers, safe-crackers, deceivers--just like you and me. They are the least judgmental TV family I have seen portrayed, and in my time I have seen many. They indeed are a model for every family. Again, first judgements can be deceiving.

This show borders on the theatre of the absurd, borders on isn't. I don't think they've come up with a name for this genre. It is bound to radically disappoint viewers who think TV should stay at the level of All Saints or Friends.

And not the least best parts of the show is that they producers and actors are outstanding in that they make middle aged people absolutely sexy! The characters of Cheryl, Wolf, Judd are brimming with sexuality, a rarity on television for motherly and fatherly characters. Most directors assume interest in sex stops around around age 30. Outrageous Fortune shows it doesn't. Happy viewing!

Where do I start > The acting is extraordinary. The plot-line is both heart warming and heart breaking. There is not a single episode that rates less than an 8 in 6 years of shows. The story revolves around a NZ mother whose husband is going off to prison for 3 years, Fed up with the whole family being criminals, she decides to play it straight. Let the fun, high jinx and trauma ensue. There are 4 kids led by the oldest twins, Jethro and Van, Polar (both played by renowned actor Antony Starr) opposites 1 a clever lawyer , the other a sweet simpleton. Next is beautiful model Pascale and then the youngest the smartest, most devious of all the family Loretta. Throw in the multitude of hilarious side characters, Eric, Falini, Sparky to name a few and you have the best TV show ever created. Don,t believe me? I dare you to watch it and tell me I,m wrong!

Re-watching this show makes me appreciate why it was such a hit in New Zealand and makes me wonder why it hasn't been more heavily promoted in the U.S. Binge watchable for sure.

All the cast is just perfectly cast.

A few of the main actors in the show have gone on to U.S. productions, like Antony Starr (Banshee, American Gothic), or Grant Bowler (Ugly Betty, Defiance), but leading lady Robyn Malcolm, has unfortunately not made the jump across the ocean.

I'll keep the review short. This is my first review but this show deserved it.

Every kiwi i've watched I eventually lost interest, possibly due to culture differences? I'm not sure. I work from home and usually turn some sort of show on from netflix while i work for background noise. So Outrageous Fortune was a show i was to leave on in the background, peak at here and there while i work.

The first episode caught my attention a little bit but i was distracted with work, second, then third came on and i was hooked. Paying more attention to the TV then my own work.

I in my entire life have never found a show that has such an amazing cast. You eventually begin to like the cast, then love them. Feel apart of their lives. The show just takes hold of you and doesn't let go until the very end. Not once did i find a single episode boring.

The highs, the lows, the emotional twists really take hold. Van and Loretta were my favourites. Loretta would smile and you knew something cheeky was going to happen. I won't give any spoilers but this show is a must for everyone.

I was truly sad when it was done. For the first time i really truly loved a show, and couldn't wait to watch the next one. What an amazing job the whole team involved did with it. Kudos to Antony Starr for his dual role. Bravo with an amazingly well done job, especially as Van.

In short: Give it a chance, this is one show that will grow on you and you won't regret watching. I wish it would come back for some more seasons, i'm already missing my daily dose of it.