National Lampoon: At Home with Julia
At Home with Julia’s executive producer, Rick Kalowski is confident, his show will remain relevant for its full four week run on ABC1. Despite calls for Gillard to step down as Prime Minister after the mess of the ‘Malaysian solution’ Kalowski told Encore, “It would be annoying to see the PM replaced in the next four weeks, but I don’t see it happening.”
The show, a political satire dressed up as a household sitcom sends up politicians but also looks at the way politics interferes with politician’s private lives. “It’s not a mean-spirited show,” said Kalowski, “but we do have a go at politicians and media reps, but above all it’s got a fun tone, that’s the intention.”
Some media and political commentators have suggested it’s disrespectful, but Kalowski is quick to point out, they aren’t taking sides, lampooning Tony Abbott, Bob Katter, Julie Bishop, Alan Jones and Tony Jones along with the PM and her partner Tim Mathieson.
Leading up to the show’s premiere on Wednesday night, Kalowski said “In the social media the show has been accused of being pro-Labour by some, while others accuse it of being anti-Labour. There’s all types of crazies who think News Limited have infiltrated the ABC. People from their own division will think their politicians are being attacked more. [But] we haven’t got an axe to grind. I don’t think people watching the show will reasonably see it as pro- or anti-Gillard.”
Kalowski, whose background is sketch comedy is best known for working on Nine’s The Late Shift and was co-creator of Double Take on Seven. It was there that Amanda Bishop’s impersonation of Gillard came to be known, singing karaoke ‘9 to 5’. A year after it aired Gillard became Prime Minister and the video was posted online. It received one million views before being “mysteriously being taken down”.
The show was originally scheduled for six episodes on ABC2, as per the ABC and BBC’s comedy model, Kalowski explained, but after the ABC saw the pilot they offered Kalowski either six episodes on ABC2 or four episodes on ABC1 – he opted for the latter.
So could we expect more At Home with Julia? “We have lots of ideas for more episodes,” He said. “It’s been a very hard exercise and we’re still in the middle of post production but it’s been a very fun experience. I’d certainly do more – I loved it.”
And should we need to revert to At Home with Kevin, or progress to At Home with Penny? “I won’t rule it out but without saying I’m an expert I don’t think we’ll see a change in Prime minister any time soon.”
Kalowski hopes the show reminds people that politics can be fun. “I would like it to improve the country mood to debate about politics. I think we should be able to disagree without being disagreeable and add to the fun of politics and take away from the sting and hysteria of politics.”
At Home With Julia premieres on ABC1 on Wednesday 7 September at 9.30pm.
RK obviously not aware of “weeks a long time in politics”?
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What a great show – funny and irreverent! cannot wait for more!
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