Cleverman

I've never written a review on IMDb before, but I felt compelled to write one for Cleverman since so many people have rated this show so low, unfairly low in my opinion.

I'm sure many people watching this show who are not familiar with Australia's past treatment of our Indigenous peoples, will want to call Bullsh**t on the way the treatment of the Hairies is portrayed in this drama. One other reviewer stated that they didn't understand the, "overt discrimination and prejudice shown" seeing as, "The Hairies are not particularly dangerous nor do they seem very detrimental to society as a whole yet are treated as slaves". And there in lies the point of the entire show. Cleverman is drawing parallels (and successfully so)between the government's treatment of the Hairy's and the past treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

So for those who still think that the prejudice and discrimination in the show is baseless, here's a quick fact check for the times the show parallels the treatment of Indigenous Australians. When the Hairy family is separated and the children are forcibly removed from their parents - that happened to our Indigenous Australians. When the Hairies are restricted to a compound and can't move in and out - that happened to them too. When the Hairies are seen as animals and the government's laws reflects that and treats them as sub-human - yep, that happened. When the media keeps citizens ignorant and misinformed by pushing their own agenda - that sure happened and sadly still does. I could go on and on, and that's only a handful of examples found in the first 2 episodes alone.

For some, the fantasy elements may be a turn-off, but I think putting the fantasy twist on Cleverman was an ingenious idea by the creators. It softens the amount of prejudice and discrimination the audience can swallow by allowing them to oh-so-slightly distance themselves from the realistic atrocities committed against Indigenous Australians by placing the story in a non-realistic setting. Which I know, sounds hypocritical of my above points, but I think it allows people to access this show at a level which isn't so confronting that they are put off from watching it and can thereby experience the messages at the show's core. That being said, obviously it's still not subtle enough for many of the first episode's viewers!

Look, I get it, in terms of production value, yes it is lacking in some areas like CGI and set design. But that can mostly be put down to the small budget. This show definitely does not deserve the 1 star rating that some reviewers have given. I can only assume that they're unable to look past Australia's uncomfortable history (or perhaps their ignorance of this history?) and enjoy this show for its clever premise and it's subtle execution.

In summary: At the end of episode 2, the story line of this show has definitely caught my interest. The main character's acting is spot on as 'the dude you kinda hate', and I look forward to seeing how the show develops his character. There are so many individual stories that have been set up, ready to be woven together. That I'm waiting in excited anticipation to see how all of the characters interact and affect one another. Do yourself a favour and go into Cleverman with a willingness to see beyond the small budget and to enjoy the story line as it slowly builds. Who knows, it might even prompt you to learn a bit about Australian history.

It's a solid 8.5/ 10 from me so far.

I skimmed thru the first episode and was unsure if I wanted to continue.

After deciding to give it a try I was unable to remove myself from this series. Sure, we may be used to blockbuster budgets and desire every TV show to spend 6 million dollars per episode (ie. the OTHER TV show Ian Glen/JARROD SLADE is in)however I found myself drawn to the story and stopped my "I.L.M." special effects hunting.

AMAZING. That is all I can say. This show gets a solid A in my book.

Sure - there are some things I did not agree with, but how many TV shows do I agree with 100% in full? Almost none (if that many).

EXCELLENT.

I hope to see a season 2 !!!

I'm amazed at how divisive this program is with some people saying it's absolute rubbish and some singing its praise.

The truth is in the middle. It's not war and peace or any sort of deep moral analysis of a racist society. it's simply a story to entertain, you know, a TV series.

so if you watch it with an open mind you could well enjoy it. the characters aren't 3d with solid personalities but neither are they in Home and Away or Neighbours.

remember tho it is science fiction which isn't everyone's cup of tea but if you accept a little mythology it's really not bad.

The tense atmosphere, the talented diverse cast, and the fascinating plot all worked for me, so I'll definitely keep watching this. One of the best things of this show is it explores the rich Aboriginal culture, mythology and history in Australia, something I feel is largely untold so far in mainstream media, and thus has much to contribute to the world.

And yes, there are many parallels in the experiences of Australian Aboriginal communities, the asylum seekers in offshore detention camps, and the "subhumans" in the show, which makes it feel somewhat all too real at times. The social issues and the politics explored in this show makes Cleverman one of our more important shows.

Even if you don't care for all the stuff I mentioned so far, the show performs very strongly as a superhero series with a dark and gritty atmosphere. The acting is solid, the shots are gorgeous, and the mystery is gripping. I highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys a serious drama.

Oh, also, Cleverman is already renewed for a second season.

I don't usually write reviews on IMDb but felt compelled to, considering that Cleverman really succinctly questions modern Australia's political, social and racial climate. In fact, the nature of other reviews, positive and negative, are actually a testament to how well this series has done in exploring key concepts. Namely, Cleverman is actually serving its purpose very well, considering the number of racist reviews!

Cleverman is telling a story about how Australian's (and perhaps more broadly, general society) are fearful of those that they don't know and minority cultures. In the series, a society is afraid of the insinuation that another culture might be different to theirs and feel the need to put them "back in their box". It is truly poetic how the actions of many of the antagonists in Cleverman, are so well mimicked by the negative reviewers here on IMDb.

Xenophobia is still relevant and Cleverman clearly explores this theme effectively and strikes a chord with a number of viewers.

I would recommend this series for those looking for something different and who are knowledgeable of the science fiction genre (and that speculative fiction sits within it!) It is a really unique show that explores some aspects of Aboriginal folklore from well respected artistic groups. It's also excellent for its consideration of political rhetoric around tolerance; exceptionally relevant viewing.