Offspring

So, one day my friend makes a comment about Offspring and how she loves it. I then say, I love them too-wish I could see them in concert. She says no, it's a t.v. show we have here (in Australia) and here's a link to "Six at best" on Youtube. And just like that I was hooked . . .I've had to download an i-tunes version to watch season one and was forced to watch season 2 segment by segment on Youtube.Why? Because is it freaking amazing. Imagine Allie McBeal meets Grays Anatomy. The show follows one woman specifically, but branches out to follow her family as well as co-workers as well (who have some how ended up kin of like her family as well). It is the perfect balance of hilarious, endearing, heart wrenching, and wonderful. I can't say enough about this TV show. PLEASE RELEASE THE DVDS IN THE U.S.A. AND PUT THIS ON A CABLE CHANNEL I CAN GET!!!

Seven full seasons of this awesome, addictive Aussie series couldn't have come at a better time. Our protagonist, hardworking OB Nina Proudman, lives within shouting distance of her extended "nut bar" family members in a scruffy/trendy Melbourne suburb. She may remind you a bit of Elliot on "Scrubs"--gorgeous but socially challenged, "neurotic, often obsessive" (says her admiring boss, quite the nut bar himself) and frequently trapped inside her own head. The workplace comedy stuff is entertaining, the tale of Nina's search for love with a series of "moody, damaged" colleagues is quite relatable, and the show has lots of insightful things to say about the difficulties and rewards of family life.

Plot lines are suspenseful and involving, sometimes melodramatic (casual sex often results in the titular offspring; season 5 is a lot more like "Parenthood" than "Scrubs" ), and the writers do resort to some shameless romcom shtick to keep things moving, esp. In the earlier episodes---panting lovers kept apart by doofy misunderstandings and cell phone glitches and whatnot---but I'm guessing you're not going to mind any of that very much. Btw, who- or whatever (Beta-release voice-rec software?) transcribed the CC doesn't have much of an ear for the elusive Aussie accent: "my way" (pron. "my why") comes out as "my wife" in the captions, "Tongan chick" as "tongue in cheek" and "feeling wretched" as "feeling rat sh*t."

This is a spectacular series - about relations in a core(?)family, whose members fill almost all existing niches of personalities and characters in human relationships. It is unique that the lead role, this time, is from the perspective of the person who is more introvert and introspective, less self-assured in her own place in the micro-macro-cosmos, concerned character, harassed and needy at the same time for the extrovert, bold, ego-centered, impulsive characters around her - who usually create endless drama. It makes cry, laugh, love, hate, feel empathy or frustrated - but mainly evokes introspect on human relations and our always unique role in them. Each season presents much sincerity, clear and sharp understanding of the writers and producers. Exquisite!

Offspring is such a good watch. Discovered by accident on Netflix I've watched all 7 seasons twice. The show manages to combine comedy, with romance and heavy tragedy so well. Absolutely none of the characters are miscast and do work plausibly as an extended family - which is what the majority of the main characters are. Asher Keddie as main character Nina is just brilliant, as is Kat Stewart who plays her sister Billie. My absolute favourite character I think is actually their mother, Geraldine who can quite often steal a scene with just a look or a cutting one liner.

Series 1-5 are probably Offspring at its best, with some incredibly moving scenes around a death of a major character later on. Series 6 is possibly where the show does start to feel a little tired. It's still good, but you do feel like you've begun to have seen all of this before. Series 7 is the final series and actually pulls the show back up to a satisfying conclusion. It wasn't an official series end as such, but no further series have been made and they could just leave it without a series 8 because everything kind of ties up. Everyone living their lives in scruffy/trendy inner suburban Melbourne.

This show is Grey's Anatomy meets Brothers and Sisters so if you like these shows definitely start watching Offspring! It's really great - the cast are amazing and so diverse and it's really well written to the point where even the bitchy sister is endearing (at times). She's definitely lovable. The show has great potential, especially with there being so many different story lines working simultaneously and the fact that Nina's work allows for more story lines to be written in. On a whole I am finding Offspring so enjoyable to watch. The characters and funny, quirky and complex and each episode delves into the complexities of life. I'm extremely excited to watch this show flourish and hope that it makes the most of what it can be! Asher Keddie is absolutely amazing... the whole cast is, but she deserves extra credit!