Why Are You Like This is an Australian television comedy series that first screened on the ABC in 2018. It follows the adventures of best friends Penny and Mia, as well as Penny's housemate Austin. They are in their early 20s and socially conscious, and navigate the uncertainties of emerging adulthood.[2] The series was written by Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub, Mark Bonanno, with additional writing by Vidya Rajan, Michelle Brasier and Laura Davis.
| Why Are You Like This | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy[1] |
| Created by |
|
| Directed by |
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| Opening theme | "Big Shot" by Pearls |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Sarah Freeman |
| Cinematography | Shelley Farthing-Dawe |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC Television |
| Release | 27 November 2018 – 16 March 2021 |
| Related | |
| Fresh Blood | |
Production
editFirst series
editThe series began as part of the comedy anthology series Fresh Blood which screened in 2018. It was one of four new comedies screened in the series, which were seen as potential pilots for a full TV series. In September 2019, the series was picked up by the ABC.[3] It premiered on 16 February 2021 on ABC TV Plus,[4] with a repeat on ABC TV the following night.[5] The series is set in Melbourne.[6][7] The series was not renewed at the 2022 ABC upfronts.[8]
Cast
editMain cast
edit- Naomi Higgins as Penny
- Olivia Junkeer as Mia
- Wil King as Austin
Recurring cast
edit- Lawrence Leung as Daniel
- Shabana Azeez as Samara
- Rik Brown as Richard
- Roz Hammond as Julie
Guest cast
edit- Lara Robinson as Maddie
- Steve Mouzakis as Charles
- Tharanya Tharan as Nabonita
- Aadhya Wijegoonawardena as Munia
- Michelle Brasier as Sandi
- Dailin Gabrielle as Amira
- Darcy Brown as Benjamin
- Henry Torres as John
- Ra Chapman as Alma Chen
- Rhys Nicholson as Emcee
Episodes
editSeries 1
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "I Love Gay" | Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield | Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub, Mark Samual Bonanno, Michelle Brasier, Vidya Rajan and Laura Davis | 27 November 2018 | |
|
After being made redundant from her job, Mia (Olivia Junkeer) struggles to find another gig. Mia and Penny’s (Naomi Higgins) friend Austin (Wil King) performs as a drag queen at local bars and clubs and the two women regularly attend his shows. Penny’s attempts at her workplace to raise awareness about various social issues (a tech start-up) get derailed due to her co-workers’ disinterest. Penny is frustrated in particular by her co-worker Daniel (Lawrence Leung), who she perceives as homophobic due to his apathy regarding “International Day for Queer Visibility”. She invites her queer friends, Mia and Austin, to a work party because she wants to call out Daniel, but it turns out that Daniel is queer himself. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Pressures of Late Capitalism" | Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield | Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub and Mark Samual Bonanno | 16 February 2021 | |
|
Penny, Daniel and Richard (Rik Brown) go to a client’s office to help set up some new tech, and are shocked by the culture of misogyny there. Penny tries to help the women (who work in mostly administrative duties) improve their situation through collective action. The situation spirals, as it turns out the technology being introduced effectively renders the admin workers at the office obsolete. Meanwhile, Mia’s menstrual cup gets stuck. Because Penny is busy with work, Mia forcefully requests the help of Austin (much to his chagrin). | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "D*ck or P*ssy of Colour" | Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield | Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub and Mark Samual Bonanno | 23 February 2021 | |
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Mia decides she wants to hook up with another POC, as she is sick of dating white guys. She arranges a night out to an ethnically diverse nightclub with her other group of friends (who are all POC) and Penny. Mia strikes out at the club and gets rejected multiple times. She meets a girl, Grace (Tiama Martina), and they hit it off. However, it turns out that Grace wants to have a threesome with her boyfriend and Mia (which Mia is disinterested in). Penny feels alienated by the inside jokes and deep connection that Mia has with her other friends. Austin was also invited to join them, but he is struggling with his mental health and is unable to leave his home. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Hey Rich Baby" | Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield | Mark Samual Bonanno | 2 March 2021 | |
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Penny is de-cluttering her stuff, and Austin wants to reinvent his drag persona for an upcoming competition. Mia’s new co-worker, Maddie (Lara Robinson), is a cosplayer. Mia convinces Maddy monetise her hobby and online audience, mainly because Mia wants a cut of the profits. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Infinite Mercy of God" | Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield | Humyara Mahbub | 9 March 2021 | |
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Mia is fasting for Ramadan, and is compelled to reflect on her behaviour after several friends describe her as being self-absorbed and unkind. She is irritated by Munia (Aadhya Wijegoonawardena), her frenemy, befriending Penny. Austin spends money on skincare that he can’t afford, after running into an old classmate. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "I Will Not Speak for the Queer Community" | Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield | Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub, Mark Samual Bonanno and Vidya Rajan | 16 March 2021 | |
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Penny is on her way to see a performance by her favourite artist, Alma Chen (Ra Chapman). Austin works at the theatre where the show is happening. However, Alma Chen’s use of sweatshops and other problematic behaviour causes Penny to feel conflicted about attending the event, since she is 'cancelled' online. | ||||||
Reception
editCritical reception
editMarie Claire Australia writer Courtney Thompson described the three main characters in the series as being "very online".[6] Meg Watson of The Guardian wrote, "Why Are You Like This is perched right on the edge of those two ideas, never fully redeeming or condemning its awful" characters and their actions."[1] David Knox of TV Tonight wrote, "Dramatically I was a little unclear on just what these characters wanted -acceptance, money, understanding, sex or just more time to sleep in and eat the latest baos? The title feels deliberately ambiguous: why are they like this / why is everybody else like this….?"[5] Eddie Cockrell of The Australian wrote, "Surprising, profane and possibly culturally baffling to anybody without a 20-something in their own life, these purposefully exaggerated modern moral dilemmas will nevertheless prompt a high degree of proudly un-woke comedic satisfaction."[9]
Awards and accolades
editIn 2021, Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub and Mark Bonanno won the Comedy - Situation or Narrative category at the 54th Annual AWGIE Awards for their writing on the series.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b Watson, Meg (15 February 2021). "Why Are You Like This takes aim at Gen Z: 'This is the most humiliating thing I've done'". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
Why Are You Like This is perched right on the edge of those two ideas, never fully redeeming or condemning its "awful" characters and their actions.
- ^ Shaw, Catrin (4 December 2018). "Fresh Blood 2018: Introducing the four pilots". Screen Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ Knox, David (25 September 2019). "Why Are You Like This proceeds to ABC comedy series". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Knox, David (20 January 2021). "Airdate: Why Are You Like This". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ a b Knox, David (14 February 2021). "Why Are You Like This". TV Tonight (Review). Retrieved 16 June 2024.
Dramatically I was a little unclear on just what these characters wanted -acceptance, money, understanding, sex or just more time to sleep in and eat the latest baos? The title feels deliberately ambiguous: why are they like this / why is everybody else like this….?
- ^ a b Thompson, Courtney (11 March 2021). "Meet the Future of Australian Comedy Television". Marie Claire. Are Media. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Ng, Brian (16 April 2021). "Is America Ready for Australian Sensation 'Why Are You Like This'?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Knox, David (25 November 2021). "Upfronts 2022: ABC". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ Cockrell, Eddie (12 February 2021). "Modern moral dilemmas in Why are You Like This?". The Australian. Sydney: News Corp Australia. ProQuest 2488848780. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
Surprising, profane and possibly culturally baffling to anybody without a 20-something in their own life, these purposefully exaggerated modern moral dilemmas will nevertheless prompt a high degree of proudly un-woke comedic satisfaction.
- ^ "Writers of Cursed!, The Dry, New Gold Mountain, The Great and Nitram among winners at the 54th Annual AWGIE Awards". Australian Writers' Guild. 8 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
Other 2021 AWGIE Award winners: ... Mark Bonanno, Naomi Higgins and Humyara Mahbub won the Comedy – Situation or Narrative category for Why Are You Like This [original emphasis]