Plonk

I am not sure what Chris Taylor was thinking in being part of this project. The comedy is very poor, relying on slapstick setups that do not work. I only endured the first episode of the three-part series (available on Stan) but have no reason to believe that the rest of the series would get any better. The show didn't seem to know what it was trying to achieve. The writing was all over the place, and the acting was appalling. It is interesting that some of the great names in Australian wine-making agreed to be part of this farce because it did not do them any favours. Neither did the appearance of Nathan Earl as an actor rather than a producer. Perhaps the writers and production crew should not have done so much research in drinking the plonk, and spent more time in preparing a funnier script. 2 out of 10.

After watching both seasons I can assuredly say that this is comedy gold. The genius editing and writing really spoofs the lifestyle genre in Australia whilst also showing some wonderful characters leading the wine industry. It is a beautifully shot piece with stunning views of NSW and South Australia's wine regions. I found Chris Taylor's performance of a very egotistical version of himself hilarious and very on point. Josh's character is fun and light hearted - lovely contrast to the Nathan character who is the selfish every man. Too serious and self involved. The music gave a great depth to the scenes - Herb is bird will live on in my head for quite some time. Great musical writing especially for the show. I hope to see more groundbreaking Australian satire and comedy!

There is no doubt that Plonk isn't for everyone. If you loved This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind or most other mockumentaries, you will find a lot to enjoy in this home-grown version of the genre. If none of those appealed to you, then Plonk probably won't either and I get the feeling that other reviewers, including riccoh68 fall into the latter category. It's OK not to like something because it doesn't work for your sense of humour (or lack therefore) but not OK to pan it outright because of that. This is a show for people with a more cerebral sense of humour, and, dare I say it, a more mature audience. For one thing, you need to know something about wine, weekends away, touring regional Australia and enjoying (or laughing at) the whole winery experience, and let's be honest, there is a lot to laugh about on all those fronts. It's not supposed to be "well acted" - quite the opposite. Plonk pokes fun at so many things, on so many levels, that you'd probably have to watch it more than once to get all the gags and nuances. It takes a swipe at everything from wine-wankers to making a marginal TV show for an elite audience, so it can seem esoteric to some people. We watched both seasons in one sitting - we enjoyed it that much - with many laugh-out-loud moments, and were genuinely sorry when it ended. We especially wanted them to come to the Southern Highlands and take on our own "cool climate" wines. It's good to know that the humour and incisive intellect of the Chaser team is finding new outlets, and we look forward to seeing more from them, whatever industry they decide to take on next.

I couldn't agree more with the other positive reviews of this show. It's important to be aware of just how seriously the wine industry takes itself in order to get the most out of your experience. Even if you're not a wine drinker, haven't been to a cellar door, or don't get away for weekends with friends, the utter hilarity of this show still shines through as evidenced by the main trio as a blend of bumbling, controlling and laissez faire: the perfect recipe for a working road trip where you're trying to produce a 'serious' wine show! Highly recommended.

Actually stumbled onto this through stan 'you might like' suggestions and it turns out I did. Thing that stuck with me wasn't necessarily wine culture satire which I think was over my head (heathen over here) but that this show was quite a funny and effective skewering of film making culture. Really enjoyed a show where the leads weren't pristine and quaint do-gooders but more anti-hero types, I find these shows more reflective of real life and ultimately funnier... the TV backdrop and the hilariously narcissistic characters brought up strong comparisons to Larry Sanders for me, in a good way. A good entry into the genre of 'films about film making' imo.