Optics

This had so much potential. I had high hopes as Im a big fan of The Chasers. The first three episodes were ok, but the last three were awful. My biggest problem with this is the two female characters Nicole and Greta, they speak way to fast (especially for Australians) and they sound like they are at double speed. They also talk over each other making it difficult to understand them or hear any of the 'humour'. They are so unrealistic as characters that they are unwatchable. I actually liked the male character Ian and found him funny, the show would be much better if it just focused on him and how he ran the PR company. Some of the references to typical Australian PR problems with airlines, telcos, footy players etc were good, but the delivery wasn't great. It's a shame this show wasn't any good.

There are some comedies so bad that you feel sorry for the people involved. No private investment would have come within a 100 miles of this shocker. The industry in Australia is so small that the writers and performers could rely on their friends giving it good reviews in the expected places but - like a children's eisteddfod - the only people watching will be the cast and their families. I think they are aiming for farce but its hard to tell. Charles Firth is just appalling but its not his fault. Did the director actually give any direction? Or just say "go" and "cut". If production standards were lower it could have succeeded as car-crash entertainment - Plan 9 From Outer-space style. But it even fails at that.

This is 'comedy' made by po-faced public servants that have studied comedy as one would the distant history of a foreign culture.

The writing and acting of Optics is as incompetent as the character Ian in the show.

It is a good concept. And the PR industry provides plenty of opportunities for comedy; clearly the farcical issues, people and business the PR industry deal with is ripe for a satirical comedy show. And the difference between traditional PR approaches compared to PR in the new social media world provides plenty of comedic tension that could be exploited.

But unfortunately it is very badly executed and a missed opportunity. The comedy and jokes are clumsy and mostly the set-ups are stupid and boring. The actors playing the main characters have no comic timing or rapport and are just bad.

It is a pity this wasn't done by working dog team who would have taken the opportunity this provides and created something g actually funny.

I thought that I was going to enjoy this. Actually, I was quite sceptical about enjoying it. Rarely does Australian comedy hit the mark for me. Usually it's a problem with the scripting, not enough money going into development, and this shows. I think there is a lot of telling rather than showing, and some basic problems which could easily be fixed with a good edit. For example, a small point, in the first episode, we know the sports person is called Bundy, but just about every time someone talks to him, his name is used in the line, he knows his name is Bundy, we know his name is Bundy there's no need to keep repeating it. If you were having a conversation with someone, say John, you wouldn't say, 'John how are you, John?' No, you would just say, 'How are you?' This kind of basic stuff brings the quality down. Having said that, some of the observations and lines are very witty and sharp, but the lead actors are unfortunately not experienced enough to pull it off. The comedic timing is off, something that could be adjusted with better editing, and I found it annoying having the two main characters in the same shot side by side all the time, echoing each other's thoughts, it would work better if the two characters were condensed into one. They seem to have the exact same job, do they? It is a double act, but for me, it doesn't work. And why would they promote two women if they are reluctant to even promote one?

I'm sorry to say but Optics does not compare to top of the range comedies, unfortunately the Australian industry is too small for those inside it to be honest about the quality of some of the shows. So, a cycle of average gets churned out and everyone slaps each others' backs, at the expense of honest criticism. I don't think it's a lack of talent, it's a lack of money, and the way the industry is funded, grants awarded by bureaucrats to those who have already received grants. That combined with the fact that many of our talented people leave the shores for America.

There was some enjoyable bits in it, and the writers are clearly extremely observant and intelligent, but this does not necessarily translate into good comedy.

It's a big shame that this wasn't better, the premise is very promising.

Expect some reviewers to be as blind to the world of Nicole and Greta as Ian is. Ian doesn't realise the world has moved on. But - and this makes this series loveable -it doesn't rely on boring tropes. Nicole and Greta soon learn that they need to call on Ian's experience when they find themselves out of their depth. Over time they form a grudging respect for each other.

Nicole and Greta are perfect, their dialogue, their fashion, their relationship. So good. Their faces when Meredith has forgotten her wallet and phone and they ask how she got coffee on the way to work 🤣

Love the references to the captains lounge, prayer rooms, and other Aussie political hot potatoes.

There's also a gradual realisation of the difference between the two generations. One is so tolerant of corruption that it's just business and usual. The other is constantly blindsided by it, and has to find a way to navigate the moral dilemmas. Can't wait for the second series.