Mumbrella video hangout with Utopia co-creator Tom Gleisner
Working Dog’s Tom Gleisner joined Mumbrella in a video hangout and discussed the launch of its new comedy series Utopia on ABC.
The satire is set inside the offices of the “Nation Building Authority”, a newly created government organisation responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, centring in the challenges that occurs when bureaucracy and the grand dreams of politicians collide.
Working Dog and its team of writers Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Rob Sitch were the creators behind some of Australia’s best known satires including The Hollowmen and Frontline.
During the discussion with Mumbrella deputy editor Nic Christensen Gleisner revealed some of the inspiration behind the show, as well as explaining it is hard to parody the civil service and make it funnier than real life.
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Was it difficult to satirise when the reality is almost beyond satire? As Mark Twain said:
“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”
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What was behind the decision to put full episodes of Frontline on YouTube recently?
https://www.youtube.com/user/FrontlineAustralia
Part of the promotion for Utopia?
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Any thoughts to the use of a series name that’s already a series in the UK, and has been picked up by HBO (and David Fincher) for a US remake? (“Utopia”)
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