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The Strange Calls

  • TV Mini Series
  • 2012
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
859
YOUR RATING
Barry Crocker, Katherine Hicks, Toby Truslove, and Patrick Brammall in The Strange Calls (2012)
Comedy

Hapless city cop Toby Banks is demoted to night duty in the sleepy beachside village of Coolum, only to find himself investigating strange late night phone calls that reveal the bizarre trut... Read allHapless city cop Toby Banks is demoted to night duty in the sleepy beachside village of Coolum, only to find himself investigating strange late night phone calls that reveal the bizarre truth of the town.Hapless city cop Toby Banks is demoted to night duty in the sleepy beachside village of Coolum, only to find himself investigating strange late night phone calls that reveal the bizarre truth of the town.

  • Creator
    • Daley Pearson
  • Stars
    • Barry Crocker
    • Toby Truslove
    • Patrick Brammall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    859
    YOUR RATING
    • Creator
      • Daley Pearson
    • Stars
      • Barry Crocker
      • Toby Truslove
      • Patrick Brammall
    • 10User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Episodes6

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    TopTop-rated1 season2012

    Photos3

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    Top cast39

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    Barry Crocker
    Barry Crocker
    • Gregor
    • 2012
    Toby Truslove
    Toby Truslove
    • Toby Banks
    • 2012
    Patrick Brammall
    Patrick Brammall
    • Sgt Neil Lloyd
    • 2012
    Katherine Hicks
    Katherine Hicks
    • Kath
    • 2012
    Peter Marshall
    • Constable Johnson
    • 2012
    Joe Feeney
    • Clem
    • 2012
    Michelle Knibbs
    • Ambulance Officer
    • 2012
    Carol Burns
    Carol Burns
    • Gwen
    • 2012
    Joff Bush
    Joff Bush
    • Musician
    • 2012
    Nicolas Dunn
    Nicolas Dunn
    • Tim
    • 2012
    Ami Barrett
    • Kirsty Corella
    • 2012
    Lilian Harrington
    • Nancy
    • 2012
    Linda Furse
    • Rhonda
    • 2012
    Monette Lee
    Monette Lee
    • Mrs. Sheen
    • 2012
    Nicholas Boshier
    • Doug
    • 2012
    Pauline Davies
    • Madge
    • 2012
    Harry Humphreys
    • Theatregoer
    • 2012
    Greg Chiapello
    • Musician
    • 2012
    • Creator
      • Daley Pearson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    7.3859
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    Featured reviews

    10narellejoyc

    Delightfully quirky.

    Have to love Toby Truslove's sympathetic portrayal of Officer Toby Banks, perhaps the only sane person in the eccentric town of Coolum. The series manages to be very funny and truly bizarre, at the same time as evoking real empathy for the hapless Toby.

    Barry Crocker and Patrick Brammall don't hold anything back in their deliberately off-putting characterisations of Gregor and Sgt Lloyd, creating great foils for Truslove to work with/against.

    The sections that show Toby responding to the miscellany of inane, strange calls are a highlight.

    The show reminds me of a grown-up "Round the Twist. It also has shades of series like "Twin Peaks" and "Northern Exposure".
    5Amazing_Wizard

    A weird show, with lots of heart and ambition but lacking funds and plot.

    The first thing that hits you upon watching the pilot is how strong their accents are. You know instantly where this is set and the tone of the show.

    To label it as a comedy would be inaccurate, but thats the closest genre it fits in. There is no laughter track, and the music is subdue. You can tell they are trying to be funny with the situations and plot, but then the ruin it with ridiculous character actions that a police officer, or even a fellow human being would not do.

    It feels very much like a Tuesday afternoon cable TV show, shot on a tight budget with a limited cast and crew. The beach surroundings are given limited screen time, as shooting at night they found was cheaper and had less problems. Thats fine, I suppose. But makes the show dark and the world quiet. Its hard to get absorbed into a world that you barely see or hear.

    But our main character is barely interesting enough to hold your attention, being depressed for most of his scenes. His night guard / partner has his moments though and together they make the show watchable. But the way they portray the police department is embarrassing at times and how they disrespect their fellow officer is not funny.

    I will say this show deserves a chance. Watch the pilot and decide for yourself whether its your cup of tea or not. I have to give the show a rating, but honestly this is one of those shows thats like marmite. Some people will love it, while others simply wont "get" it. But it ticks a lot of the right boxes and you can see the people making this have ambition to at least try and make it work.
    8amlcart0y

    Funny

    I love this type of humor. Outside the USA like the U.K. ,Australia and NZ they seem to be able to catch this humor on screen very well. Once in a while Hollywood USA is able to capture a similar feel like in the tv show Battlecreek. But then they canceled the show.... I wish this was a tv series instead of a mini series so it went longer than 6 episodes. Oh well, I enjoyed it. I only gave it 8 stars because of the occasional vulgar language that's seems to be no big deal in other countries outside the USA, in a show that is otherwise family friendly. Well done.
    9dugdal

    Brilliant, creative, would love to see more!

    I loved the series and can't imagine anyone who could watch without laughing! I am no fan of "Hot Fuzz" or that type of humor however the majority of the humor in this series is witty enough to actually be funny! The 'strange' is the best part! I think I can say that the show seamlessly weaves together spoofs of some epic classics in a manner that is unique, brilliant, hilarious and genuinely entertaining! Plus the characters are quite well developed and portrayed, especially Toby but also the "strange" characters and entire cast IMO! I agree the budget could have been increased yet I never found it lacking... the show would be ten stars if there were more episodes/seasons and a bit less of what I consider unsavory language/humor (though to be clear on that last thought it was still so much better than so much of the 'popular' shows out there... short stints and not nearly as much to endure, also more relevant to character and not just crammed in to gain ratings of the skin flick seekers, which is definitely refreshing) Overall this show is a rare little jewel, so sick of overdone nonsense and glad to find this! We all laughed and enjoyed it then disappointing to see it just ended! Looked it up here to see if new seasons were coming and find it doubtful. I am intrigued to see the "Strange Calls" movie (2015) but the main character, Toby Banks, is played by a different actor...so just won't be the same without the original lovable Toby!
    8m_winship

    Americans love 💘 this too! Murf the Surf

    My Aussie buddies recommended this new Aussie show to me. Haven meets Hot Fuzz as a young constable arrives in town bootless and tasting chicken blood that tastes like BBQ sauce. I know! Crazy enough to be an American show, right? He then proceeds to analyze the late night happenings from a trailer with an old man side kick, that is into DnDragons as a detective. The insanity makes sense, as a new show this gains ground as a 7.5 already. Good reviews too, pax, Murf

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    Storyline

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    • Connections
      Follows The Strange Calls (2011)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 16, 2012 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Also known as
      • Странные звонки
    • Filming locations
      • Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
    • Production company
      • Hoodlum Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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    Barry Crocker, Katherine Hicks, Toby Truslove, and Patrick Brammall in The Strange Calls (2012)
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