Slings and Arrows (12 Jul. 2005)

Director:

Vanessa Alexander

Writers:

James Griffin (creator), James Griffin,

Stars:

Robyn Malcolm, Grant Bowler, Antony Starr

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Robyn Malcolm	...	Cheryl West
Grant Bowler	...	Wolfgang West
Antony Starr	...	Jethro West / Van West
Siobhan Marshall	...	Pascalle West
Antonia Prebble	...	Loretta West
Frank Whitten	...	'Grandpa' Ted West
Kirk Torrance	...	Detective Sergeant Wayne Judd
Brian Sergent	...	Eric
Tammy Davis	...	Munter
Katrina Browne	...	Caroline
Rohan Glynn	...	Glen Hickey
Dane Dawson	...	Kurt
Michelle Ang	...	Tracy Hong
Trevor Sai Louie	...	Mr. Hong
Roy Ward	...	John Stierson

Storyline

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

New Zealand

Release Date:

12 July 2005 (New Zealand)

Company Credits

Did You Know?

Trivia

'WINZ' is the acronym for "Work and Income New Zealand" which is the government department responsible for handling all matters relating to financial and employment search assistance for beneficiaries (largely the unemployed, sickness, single parent families, retirees etc), within NZ.

User Reviews

Not exotic but decent fun and even a little inspiring

When I read a New Zealand series had been remade my curiosity was intrigued. A dramedy about a family of criminals trying to play it straight sounded both entertaining and interesting. Moreover the original is often better than its remakes and in fact I generally disapprove the idea of adaptating foreign productions. Instead let's open our mind and appreciate their unique flavors and educative differences !

A creative title sequence is always an exciting way to dive into a fictional universe. Characters turning into sketches ? Let's get ready for some serious comedy ! In that department the pilot didn't kill me but delivered a few funny scenes. As the production is cheap they're more reminiscent of sitcoms but when it ended my heart was already asking for more. She has what it takes ! It's what you should think of Cheryl West after the energetic and inspiring speech she gave her family. Taking the decision to respect the law when you had always done the opposite wasn't easy and overall Robyn Malcolm's performance was good. I also sensed a feminist vibe after what her husband, Wolfgang West, said. What's next ? That women can't buy drinks ? The character is played by Grant Bowler and I was quite surprised to see him as these days he's Joshua Nolan in Defiance.

As for the other characters they can be seen as ultimate clichés and if I was Shrek I would point out their onions don't have enough layers. The hot blonde with the brain of a bird ? The yin-yang twins ? The smart daughter skipping school ? In an other context I would probably hate them but their respective arcs made Happy TV™ and I enjoyed how they all fueled the main story. Moreover the goofy brother made so many dumb moves that you can only laugh.

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.