The Other Guy

"The Other Guy" is not a feel good, packed to the rafters, clean-cut, Australian "dramedy".

What it is, is a well thought out character study that clearly comes from a real place in Matt Okine's mind/past. The themes here are heavy, highlighted by extreme yet believable characters; people we have all dated, bumped into, or shared a house with at some point in our lives.

AJ acts as a lens through which the audience can watch, and the show does an excellent job of making the viewer empathise with him. As such, the constant blame and misfortune that falls on AJ is angering, making the actions of those around him feel personal to the viewer.

Clever writing with an understanding of Australian culture is what grounds "The Other Guy", the relationships are painfully real, and the supporting cast reflect very much the duality of relationships in the modern day.

If you want a great new show to watch, this is a great one. Just be prepared to have a huge gaping hole in your chest by the end of season 1

If you like Australian social theme television series which identities contemporary icons and subcultures then you will easily enjoy this story. Each of the two seasons are only 6 episodes, and I easily did the entire series as a weekend binge. Very enjoyable. Think Please Like Me in writing style - Lovable characters which you can relate to. Well written, well film, well acted. Worth watching.

Great balance of drama and comedy that has moments of sharp humour intertwined with heart wrenching moments that draws you into the characters. Recommeded by a friend and pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. Highly recommend.

Australian television is 99% garbage, most of it unrelatable/unrealistic drama and endless reality TV shows. The Australian Film and TV industry sucks, hence most people these days either stream or download their TV shows and movies.

"The Other Guy" bucks the trend and is one of the few gems that shines through the rest of the garbage. It is actually of a comparable quality to American TV, however based in Australia with Australian actors. Granted, some of it is unrealistic and exaggerated, it is still worth a watch as it is based around an interesting, realistic scenario.

Good character development. Good quality video, filming and editing. This was really refreshing to watch. If you're after something Australian, it's definitely worth a watch. Recommended age range 18-40, I'd say. I'm eagerly awaiting season 2.

Matt Okine has always been a charismatic and likable comic. Really great to see himself go all out and give a great performance in a show that is a welcome relief considering the poor state of Australian TV. Not a one liner marathon and instead relies on well written characters and insightful messages about the breakdown of relationships, while also being funny. Manages to echo the best parts of American shows such as master of none while still managing to have its own style. Harriet Dyer is also hysterical and thankfully is given depth instead of just being silly sidekick. Beautifully shot with high quality cameras and showing off how cinematic Melbourne looks, this is a great show that hopefully goes round for another series.