Our household was recently felled by a particularly nasty lurgy. One by one we succumbed until it was my turn to take to my bed, Victorian lady-style, where I daintily coughed into a hanky in a darkened room while my worried family gathered on the other side of the door talking in hushed tones with the visiting physician. Jokes! As IF that happened.
No, what actually transpired was this: I disappeared under a doona to rot in bed while watching episodes of this deliciously bonkers new doco series, while my family got steadily more annoyed that nothing was getting done around the house. Here’s the thing: I wasn’t so sick that I couldn’t have done the odd domestic task. The truth is: I didn’t want to — because I simply couldn’t tear myself away from watching this spectacularly nutty four-part series from the makers of Tiger King.
It tells the story of an American woman (they’re always American) called Tonia Haddix, whose obsession with raising chimpanzees as “children” (she calls them “humanzees”, because of COURSE she does) sees her life spiral dramatically out of control. This story truly has it all: a celebrity chimp named Tonka, a clown-turned-documentary-director, a court case, ethical ambiguity, a fugitive on the run — heck, even British actor Alan Cummings! To tell you even a skerrick more about what transpires would be to entirely ruin the fun. Trust me: you won’t be resuming normal household duties until you’ve binged every last second of this five-star piece of inspired insanity.
You’re in for a treat. Those Olympics Block promos made it feel as though Nine’s reality renovating series was headed to some sort of tropical oasis. Alas, it’s just Phillip Island, a place better known for its bracingly icy winds than swaying palm trees.
I care not: I love this show so much, I’ll go anywhere those canny Block creators take me, including to an ex-holiday park nestled among suburban surrounds on a freezing cold rural Victorian island. 20 years on and I’m still as obsessed as ever with the show. Can’t wait to watch this all unfold.
I love The Logies. I’ve been to dozens of them over the years, and there’s something magic about being in the room at TV’s night of nights. This year I’ll be heckling from home which, honestly, is almost as much fun.
Follow along online tonight as I blog live for Perth Now. Every day, Coke sells 2 billion units. Yep, you read that right — two billion .
With this comes a raft of environmental implications — this will feel particularly pertinent for WA audiences. This sweeping multi-generational drama returns for another eight episodes. And if it’s anything like the first season, viewers can look forward to some spectacularly beautiful storytelling.
Can’t wait for this one..
