While The Men Are Away - fabulous new queer TV series on SBS

 

Oh what a wonderfully witty, clever, funny, moving, lesbian, queer, feminist queer, and super queer-queer TV series While The Men Are Away is! Oh and sexy, I forgot to mention across-the-spectrum sexy - and that too is very cleverly portrayed. This really is one out of the box and congrats to SBS, Australia's Special Broadcasting Service, for choosing to back this project and the vastly experienced team behind it.

The plot is based on a simple premise: While the men are away fighting in WWII, gorgeous Frankie, an Italian immigrant married to an Australian farmer who is 'away', enlists two Women's Land Army recruits, a (bi-sexual?) draft dodger, and her Indigenous farmhand to help run the family farm. What could go wrong? And indeed, what could go queerly right?

The story is told in eight 28 minute segments, and they pack such a lot into that small space! The series premiered on 27th September 2023 and can be viewed/binged on demand here: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/while-the-men-are-away

The first two episodes are a bit shaky while the style and characters are being established and then the series really takes off. It has 'diversity' writ large, with contemporary winks and feminist commentaries that are a joy. I've never seen anything quite like it - especially done with such skill and panache on every level. The production values are excellent, cast, direction and script superb - this has to be a winner - and I gather that it's tipping into the number one slot of most viewed on SBS as I write.

Here's some more info about the creative team: 

While The Men Are Away is created by acclaimed writer Kim Wilson (Wentworth, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Alexandra Burke (Sissy) and Monica Zanetti (Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)). The series is written and developed by Kim, Alexandra and Monica, alongside Magda Wozniak, Enoch Mailangi, Jada Alberts and Sam Icklow (- more about Sam in a later blog post).

The Director, Elissa Down says “I’m thrilled to...direct While The Men Are Away. The scripts are like nothing I’ve read before - irreverent, absurd, funny and also incredibly heartfelt and moving. Our team, like the characters in the show, are a beautiful band of misfits. Huge kudos to SBS for commissioning the series.

A stella cast features: Michela De Rossi (Many Saints of Newark and Netflix’s upcoming Italian epic Briganti), Max McKenna (Jagged Little Pill, US Tour of Dear Evan Hanson), Phoebe Grainer (Tiddas, Black Cockatoo), Jana Zvedeniuk (Bump, Yentl ), Matt Testro (Jack Irish, The Gloaming), Shaka Cook (Hamilton), Benedict Hardie (Nautilus, The Invisible Man). 

Plus terrific back-up cameos from Gemma Ward (The Great Gatsby, Black Balloon), Sacha Horler (The Dressmaker, The Letdown) and Tara Morice (Dance Academy, Strictly Ballroom) - and many more.

View with Subtitles in: English, 繁體中文, 简体中文, العربية, 한국어, Tiếng Việt


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