Life Support (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Life Support was a comedy programme on Australia's
SBS
network which satirised
lifestyle television programs. It ran for three seasons. On Australia Day
2006, a Life Support Marathon was shown on the Comedy Channel showing the first series and half of the second.
; and young person Penne.
Much of the show's humour derived from political incorrectness and black humour. For example: Penne explains that roadside tributes are an ideal place to get fresh flowers; Dr Rudi endorses fattening up one's daughter to prevent boys from wanting to have sex with her because "It's better to have a fatty boombah in the family than a filthy slut"; Sigourney recommends that if you have a bad haircut, shave your head and tell your friends that you have had chemotherapy.
. As no episodes of Life Support have been made since, this plot has never been resolved.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
network which satirised
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
lifestyle television programs. It ran for three seasons. On Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
2006, a Life Support Marathon was shown on the Comedy Channel showing the first series and half of the second.
Concept
A satirical, sometimes dark look at Australian life as seen through the omnipresent lens of the Television Lifestyle Show. The series' lifestyle experts included Sigourney, a home economics guru who always wore a fresh frock and was a firm believer in the doctrine of "pleasing your man"; Todd, a DIY whiz; Rudi, a South African general practitionerGeneral practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
; and young person Penne.
Much of the show's humour derived from political incorrectness and black humour. For example: Penne explains that roadside tributes are an ideal place to get fresh flowers; Dr Rudi endorses fattening up one's daughter to prevent boys from wanting to have sex with her because "It's better to have a fatty boombah in the family than a filthy slut"; Sigourney recommends that if you have a bad haircut, shave your head and tell your friends that you have had chemotherapy.
Characters
- Penne - an independent, often aggressive, stereotypical university student-style young woman, always trying to find a way to make a quick buck and make life easier for overwhelmed young adults. Played by Abbie CornishAbbie CornishAbbie Cornish is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, particularly her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault, and internationally for her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star and her appearance as Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch.-...
(season 1) and Alison Barnes (seasons 2-3). - Sigourney - a ditzy blond and busty young woman who taught the art of landing a wealthy husband. Played by Rachael CoopesRachael CoopesRachael Coopes is an Australian actress, best known for her character Sigourney in the SBS cult parody series Life Support...
. - Todd - a parody of 'do it yourself' home-handymen blokeBlokeBloke is a slang term for a man. It is commonly used in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It is however used in French speaking parts of Canada as a derogative term for the English speaking population.Bloke may also refer to:...
s. Played by Brendan CowellBrendan CowellBrendan Cowell is an Australian actor, screenwriter and director. Cowell was born in Sydney. He stumbled upon acting by accident while waiting for his sister to come out of a rehearsal; he was then cast in a commercial at age 8...
(seasons 1-2) and Duncan Fellows (season 3). - Dr Rudi - an amoral South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n doctor with a strong Afrikaner accentAccent (linguistics)In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
. His catchphrase is "Howzit, Dr Rrrrudi here". Played by Simon Van Der Stap (seasons 1-3) and Jack FinstererJack Finsterer-Early life:Finsterer grew up in Ainslie, Canberra, where he attended Daramalan College, before going on to study drama at the Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne.-Career:...
(season 3).
Dr Rudi vs Dr Rudi
Throughout the third series, there were various hints that the new Dr Rudi, who was explained as having surgery, was actually an imposter. During the usual letter time, instead of answering mail, they would instead continue the plot that the old Dr Rudi was out for revenge, and to get his life back. During the final scene of the last episode of the series, Sigourney and Dr Rudi's (Jack Finsterer) wedding was taking place, and from behind the bushes came the original Dr Rudi (Simon Van Der Stap) to try to end the wedding. The pair got into an argument over which Dr Rudi Sigourney would marry, and they started a fist fight. This led to the closing creditsClosing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
. As no episodes of Life Support have been made since, this plot has never been resolved.
DVD release
Life Support has developed a cult following; this led to many calls for a DVD release of the series. The first series was released in 2006 and the second series was released on 5 February 2007. The final series was released on the 3rd of September, 2007.External links
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/18/1063625083852.html
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/25/1027497373193.html