Glued to the Screen

Have you managed to catch up with #GlitchTV? If you’re behind on it all, never fear. I’ll bring you up to speed.

Glitch is one of the many zombie resurrection shows to hit our screens, however it’s done with great subtlety and explores numerous ideas beyond the gore and horror of death, dying and eating flesh. Directed by Emma Freeman, the show passes the Bechdel test as the characters drive the numerous narratives of the show, including life after death, grief, the migrant experience, social justice, sexual orientation, colonisation and domestic abuse.

On the ABC website, you can watch the behind the scenes footage, where numerous people involved with the show explain their roles and the artistic direction of the show. This clip explains the small details which drive the show, and further how a lack of gore and special effects keep the show in a specific genre. It was definitely one of the reasons I loved it so much. Compared with Dexter or Buffy, there is very little in the way of blood, melting demons or exploding corpses. This lack of gore and horror makes the audience focus on the relationships and challenges faced by the characters. Additionally, as an audience, you’re also drawn into the landscape and the backdrop of the series. Set in a small country town, Yoorana, outside of Shepparton, the location by its vastness and constraints, adds another layer of complexity and subtly. It’s also great to see home-grown tv, with Australian accents, towns and realities (except, that they still have phone reception in this middle-of-nowhere-town).

By passing the Bechdel test, the show has a broader scope for character development and plot lines. There is a love story, and SPOILER ALERT a love triangle, however the typical narrative of boy-meets-girl or manic-pixie-girl-saves-boy-from-himself is completely avoided. And the male protagonist, while he is shown as strong and in a role of power and leadership, has a more human side which is close to the surface, as opposed to hidden and shameful. I even spoke to the director about this ↓

#GlitchTV makes for an innovative tv experience

Yeah, I was so excited about the series that I both live tweeted and asked questions. Which brings me to my final point about why this show was so. damn. good. After the first episode was first broadcast, the ABC bravely put all of the episodes available on iView and they will be there until August 27. I tottaly binged on this, and I cannot WAIT for series 2. When free-to-air is battling both Netflix/On demand services and piracy, it is imperative that the industry looks into alternative viewing methods and platforms. Australia is behind in technology (yeah, thanks Mr. Abbott!) and for many shows it really is simpler to illegally download the show. The technology and corporations have not caught up with consumer demand. And while I am incredibly sympathetic to all the artists who create these exciting shows, I cannot stand to wait for shows, simply because a multi-national corporation decrees it to be so.

If you have 6 hours to kill, enjoy Australian made drama, and are interested in life after death, then this is the show for you.