Aunty Donna's Coffee Café

You love to see it.

Aunty Donna previously took the absurdity of their stage and web shows and cranked it up to 11 in BOHOF for Netflix. While I thoroughly enjoyed that show, its pure chaos could have potentially isolated new viewers and those not fully invested in Aussie specific absurdist comedy ricocheting from sketch to sketch.

Coffee Cafe fixes a lot of those problems for me. It brings the absurdity, the outlandish surprised laugh, and the spooky episode hijinks together in a more polished and pointed product.

Each episode plays out a sitcom structure to some extent, and allows cutaways and gags to take over the whole show for anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or two, but always gets back on topic. And for me, this thread of narrative holding the silliness together just worked harder than anything else the boys have put out.

Episode 2 is likely a favourite for most, and is the strongest for me, staying on topic and cutting away for very high quality goofs.

If you can forgive the odd joke that stays a few seconds too long, the 99 other gags coming at you in 25 minute blocks all land way harder than anything else the Boys have done so far.

Also Cowboy and Frogman tho.

This groundbreaking documentary provides an intimate look at the challenges that baristas, roasters, and coffee shop owners had to overcome to keep their doors open during one of the most trying times in modern history. From adapting to new safety protocols to navigating supply chain disruptions, the mini series delves into the daily struggles that threatened to upend the very fabric of the specialty coffee industry. With stunning visuals, compelling storytelling, and raw emotional honesty, this documentary provides a vivid and intimate look at the inner workings of specialty coffee shops in the face of unprecedented challenges. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in the coffee industry and the people who make it thrive.

Must watch TV, brilliant from start to finish.

There is so much to love about this show so I'll try to summarise its strengths as best I can:

• Laughs per minute: The show is so often funny at such a consistent pace that you find yourself holding in your laughter to ensure that you don't miss a step, and then at the end of the scene letting it all out at once.

• Physical and visual comedy: Under-utilised nowadays, Aunty Donna are masters of incorporating both physical and visual cues to heighten the viewer experience. I can only imagine that there were still plenty of things I missed on this front, which only makes me keen to watch the series again.

• Narrative structure: Compared to the Netflix series, I really enjoyed the fact that (while still absurd and boundary-pushing at all times), this felt like a genuine sitcom. The B-plots in each of the episodes were really effective in breaking up the high intensity of everything else going on, with the Episode 2 subplot a standout.

• Characters and Performers: Needless to say the array of characters featured were so ridiculous yet relatable throughout. Having Gaby Seow's character as more of a straight man and allowing the three boys to do their thing was a great choice. As usual, the extended cast of Donna-adjacent performers were brilliant, with a special shout out to Michelle Brazier and Patrick Durnan Silva. In addition to the usual suspects, the guest stars were a very welcome addition and added another dimension to a few of the episodes. Sally-Anne Upton in particular was outstanding.

• Music: The theme song and the catchiness of all of the musical numbers show the depth of talent within the Donna crew and deserve a mention.

• Production: The refinement in the production of the show while capturing the essence and absurdity of everything happening on screen is a difficult balance to find I imagine, though it was done to perfection.

• Self-awareness: The inclusion of Zac breaking character on a few occasions, poking fun at themselves by implying a bit or a joke only to abandon it as not funny, and the many deep cuts included for the fans shows that they aren't taking themselves too seriously and allowing themselves and their audience to have fun and be in on the whole process.

The only criticism of mine is perhaps that the first half of the first episode was a bit heavy with exposition as well as introduction to the boys and the concept, though I can understand that for viewers not familiar with their work, this sort of thing is pretty important.

It's great to see the ABC supporting genuine Australian talent and very clearly giving them the creative license to do what they do best.

This is comfortably one of the best television shows produced in Australia in a long time. This show and Kitty Flanagan's "Fisk" are helping to revive Australian comedy on TV in a manner it has so desperately needed for the last 10 years. Aunty Donna deserve all of the success and notoriety that the world can offer them, and hopefully enough people watch this for that to happen.

I'm a fan of Aunty Donna, and I love their work, but this is by far the best thing they've done so far in terms of both the original material and the production quality.

Loved that callbacks were included here and there but that the series had its own unique story and original vibe, coming out with a good balance of feeling Aunty Donna without being too samey or feeling repetitive.

I also really loved just how Australian this was, especially compared with the Netflix series; so many cameos from great Australian talent, as well as little in jokes and cultural references.

Obviously, the humour isn't for everyone, but for me this was pretty on point.

Only downside was it was too short! Keep it coming, boys!

I moved to Australia in late 2022. I've been struggling with learning the humor and slag here and honestly this show and the Aunty Donna boys have helped me learn it. I have to say I love Broden, Zack, and Mark. And I definitely love the show.

Now the show is funny and definitely binge worthy. I've watched this season atleast 7 times by the time I'm writing this review. It also has some really catchy song that get stuck in your head. As well as some random characters that just make you laugh.

The guys really worked hard on the show and it shows but at the end of the day it's for you to watch. The Aunty Donna boys have definitely helped adjusting to living here easier and they are really amazing. I can't wait for hopefully a season 2.