Tricky Business

I rarely really enjoy pilot episodes of shows. The writers are always so concerned with trying to chuck as much information at you - and "set the scene" - as possible, rather than just creating a good episode of television. On that note, I thought Tricky Business held up quite well. I grew up watching Farscape so I'm a Gigi Edgley fan - though she certainly is not Chiana here. I'm also quite fond of Antony Starr due to his wonderful work in Outrageous Fortune. What I'm trying to say is, I was predisposed to like the show, but I still felt in spite of my bias that it met my expectations very soundly.

I like the way Edgley's character is being crafted, with a clear contrast between the way she is perceived by those around her, and her reality. I think the "family business" is an interesting one. I have never really seen this kind of work portrayed in television before - though they do seem to stumble quite luckily on many of their marks.

Starr's character, obviously designed to construct the 'love triangle' is the most interesting though and again, there is a contrast between perception and reality - though this one is external, not internal. Rick, the current boyfriend seems much more mature and together and safer, but perhaps below the surface, a 12-year-old's messy bedroom waits.

I have enjoyed the show so far and look forward to seeing where they take it. It is certainly more enjoyable than that Channel 7 Packed to the Rafters nonsense that makes me what stab my eyes out with a blunt knife. Undoubtedly there are going to be many viewers (particularly Australian ones) that will immediately dismiss this show, partly because of that tall-poppy-syndrome that so many Aussies seem to suffer from, and also because most Australians have become so used to American television that nothing else quite hits the heart. Well, if you're one of those people, leave your predispositions at the door and give it a crack!

This Aussie PI genre show has all the hallmarks of being a Home and Away spin off. And the cast is so dazzlingly white I was tempted to reach for my sunglasses 15 minutes in. Don't get me wrong. These are good, professional actors. The familiar, generic types you get on Aussie made TV shows. And the technical production values are good. In fact they prop up the whole thing. The big problem is the makers of Tricky Business know we love icecream and position the show to be our new fat reduced treat. You want icecream? the show screams at us. We got low fat VANILLA for you here, and with all the sugar brain-dead TV consumers are used to! Tricky Business is so self consciously vanilla, I bet they'll introduce the token ethnic/ coloured character before the end of the second episode. Any takers? I could tell you about the script and story so far, but I'd be repeating years of white TV character culture, and plot lines you already know. Some reading this may feel my tone and criticism is a bit harsh. You're right. It's how I respond to cynical efforts like Tricky Business. A show whose air of sophistication meekly cloaks a product choc full of preservatives, artificial colouring and flavouring. A product a halfwit wouldn't choose from the supermarket shelf, but something to be mindlessly consumed because it's served over the airwaves. First and last episode of this show for me.

For those to whom sitting in front of the TV isn't a never ending fast food moment, and you'd like to see how this TV genre does work Aussie style, go to your local video shop and rent the Good Guys, Bad Guys series from the late '90's. Marcus Graham, Alison Whyte and Travis McMahon reveal how characters and the genre is done with class, wit and humour. A genuine treat that wont rot your teeth.

It starts out good. But I started out disliking Kate from the get go. The lady playing her is a lousy actress. She played the same, type of self entitled person on the tv series called special ops. She over acts, and that's funny cause she can't act. The guy rick her boyfriend is a loser and really has nothing going for him. No personality, and so so looks. The daughter is spoiled and out of order. She's as bad as her mother. The only good actor is the father who was on city homicide and he did a great job in that. On this series he's more like a comic relief. All in all I see why there was only one season.

Great show - would have turned out to be a wonderful t.v. show if it would have had 3 or more seasons.