So, it’s kind of difficult to write a post about Australia without slipping into some sort of Australian cliché. I’m warning you off the top: we won’t instruct you to “throw another shrimp on the barbie” or crack jokes about kangaroos or boomerangs. We will, however, warn you not to get too close to koalas, because as cute as they look, they’re vicious little buggers.
We’ll also let you know that Australia has joined the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and France as the sixth country to feature television content. Shows are coming from the Australian Broadcast Corporation, the Disney Channel, Nine Network, MTV, and American’s own ABC Network. You’ll find perennial American favorites like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, and Scrubs as well as Australian programming such as McLeod’s Daughters, Sea Patrol, Summer Heights High, Sleek Geeks, We Can Be Heroes, and more.
Shows go for AUD$2.99 apiece (about US$2.85), but unlike some of the other more recent country additions, there doesn’t seem to be any variation—they’re all priced the same. Seasons vary in price depending on the length, with some going as high as $65. The launch itself has been pretty quiet—Apple Australia doesn’t even have a press release up yet. I blame the International Date Line. I don’t know how, but I’m sure that it’s at fault here.
As an American who has gotten hooked on Sea Patrol I have to say I just laugh at how non-American it is.
Of course it is non-American as it is made of, by and for Australians, so I wouldn't expect or want it to be anything but Australian in mentality. And I do appreciate the realism that they approach how the Australian Navy actually does things.
But what I mean about laughing at how non-American the show is it like you have them go after some ship that they suspect is doing something like I don't know drug running, running guns, illegal fishing or whatever and they yell out a warning for the ship to stop so it can be boarded. And, then if they are “really” serious they might fire some warning shots 20 meters or so in front of the ship but after that if the ship doesn't slow down it's like oh well we have tried, guess that's all we can do.
Why would the people on the suspected ship be afraid of some warning shots if they know that the ship won't take it to the next level? They would know it is a big bluff on the part of the Australian Navy
At least during the first season when they do board a ship the boarding party didn't even carry firearms. I found that hilarious.
Again, I appreciate the realism in how they really respond but if it was the American Navy or Coast Guard we wouldn't stop at “warning shots”.
I remember one show where they retreated from boarding an illegal fishing ship just because the crew was throwing stuff at them and pushing them away with sticks.
Trust me, try that with a US Coast Guard ship and you will get a boatload of bullets.
And it so often seems that to have drama in the show they have the Navy personnel do some of the dumbest of things. For example when they have civilians on board they give them the run of the ship without any supervision or at the very least don't watch them as closely as they should.
I think I enjoy the show just because of the stupidity shown in it. Again, I am glad they do show how the Australian Navy really works, but their “stop or we will yell stop again” attitude just makes the show so damn funny.