Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian

I love Miriam. But - this is not great. Setting out to capture Australia she really missed the mark. From rural NSW to Melbourne, Bondi, Alice, Darwin, and to finish on the Gold Coast (one of the worst places in the world!, made for Japanese tourists).

I was really disappointed. This ISN'T the true Australia- well.... She had some little gems mixed in but most of it was crap. A few Ockers here and there, farmers dealing with drought. Obviously this was filmed and distributed before Lidia Thorpe went totally feral, dragging the Aboriginal flag through mud recently when police tried to arrest her for breaching the peace, or her arrest outside a Sydney strip club, or her swearing in Parliament. They're changing Parilimentary process because of Lidia's behaviour so the can be dismissed instantly for undignified, disgusting behaviour. I also thought it was a bit weird for an old lesbian to be perving at her teenage daughter on the tranpoline. She literally missed half the country!!! This is in no way anywhere close to a true representation of Australia. The token remote Aboriginals was quite exploitative. The violence in the Alice was totally missed out. The alcohol problem in the Territory wasn't mentioned. She/the producers picked bits of Australia that showed a tiny part of our country and not very well at that. It's a great shame, as I expected better from such an intelligent woman. Please don't think this is a true representation of Australia, it really isn't. 🙄

Why they would have a female curmudgeon such as this woman take an amazing adventure across Australia I will never understand !?! This is an incredibly bitter woman who seems to take little pleasure in anything much outside her own comfort and this is possibly the worst travel documentary I could think of watching. There are many sad parts of any culture which need light shed on them, but this is a woman actively seeking the bitterness and contempt that seems to excite her very being. Shame on you Netflix for wasting your money on this series. I never paid this actor much attention in Harry Potter, but now I am just irritated that a woman of professed detest of children made money in a movie aimed at children...well, I think says a lot for her credibility....if I could give a minus review I would. -5.

Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian is a charming series about connection, culture, and country. Miriam is a delightfully no-nonsense woman who does not shy away from sharing her opinions. This personality type is understandably not universally-appealing but I find her authenticity extremely refreshing. Miriam has the moxie of a New Yorker and the refined speech of a Proper British Lady. In short, I was charmed. The stories of the people Miriam connects with on her travels are the heart of this docu-travel series. The audience travels with her as she forges meaningful bonds with various communities. She interviews many people from many different walks of life and always keeps and open mind and kind heart. The message is simple, maybe even at times reductive. However, this is an easy bump to navigate through the 3 episodes because of the level of genuine connection and engagement Miriam is engaging with the real people she meets along her journey. Finally, I was having a bad day today and watching this series helped make it just a little bit better. Overall score 8/10, highly recommend.

This show is much more about the self-important opinions of the presenter than it is about Australia. She spends much of the time interviewing indigenous people in Australia about wrongs of the past, but she doesn't happen to mention that she has accepted the "honor" of Officer of the British Empire (OBE). What hypocrisy! I invite you to look up the much more talented and famous people from the last century who REJECTED that so-called honor. She lectures a kid on a drought-stricken farm about global warming and decries the mine that produced the materials that built her house. She seems feel privileged to portray her opinions and values as superior to what presumably is the "typical" Australian. I'm disappointed that I didn't learn more about Australia.

I couldn't believe the initial 6 reviews entered for this series. It appears that there was a contest to see who could sling the most mud the quickest. Their political and cultural biases were easily apparent. It's a shame that they think this is the best forum to express their bitterness and lack of empathy.

Unfortunately, I've only seen the first episode. I really prefer to watch the whole series before rating or commenting, but the thought of people turning away from this brilliant show due to the unfairly negative scores prompted me to do so right away.

I'm familiar with with Miriam from the Miss Fischer series and several movies, so her celebrity enticed me to tune in, as well as being a fan of Australian movies & culture. But this was much more than a travelogue. Yes, she does cover a lot of ground (20,000 km in the first show), but it's her interaction with people that is really enlightening and endearing.

Don't know how they uncovered many of the subjects, but all are gems. Real people telling their stories as only they can. I don't care if they're representative or not; it's their individuality that matters. Dare anyone to watch this without misting up, unless you're one of those heartless sort, like the Original Six I mentioned earlier.

I find Miriam's personality to be very funny & very honest. Maybe some don't care for those attributes. I am looking forward to watching the remaining episodes, and I hope to track down some of the other series she's hosted.