Welcome to Shitsville – population: You.
At least that’s what host Joe Hildebrand would have you believe. And he’s not far wrong.
Australia has always considered itself the lucky country but over the past 5 years we’ve let ourselves down. Clancy of the Overflow has been replaced by large billboard advertisments reminding us which feminine product to get on heavy flow days, Caroline Chisolm has been replaced by Kim Kardashian, and when it comes to a quiet drink with mates after work a lot of us find it’s better to get tanked at home and then go out (and wonder the next morning how we got punched in the head, or worse).
Following on from 2012’s successful Dumb, Drunk & Racist Hildebrand returns with another series of controversial discussion points and dry, self-effacing humour in Shitsville Express. Across the six episodes he’s tackling six big societal issues that are having more of an impact than you may think – or that you may have first hand experience with: Assault, gambling, coal seam gas, transport, housing & vision (or lack thereof). Each week he loads up the Express to a different part of the country with four young & aspirational politicians to reveal to them the nature of the beast so that they can learn from those who have been affected by each issue first hand. Then, at the end of each ep in a public meeting, the young pollsters have 3 minutes to present their/their party’s view on how the issue can be resolved.
The four that have subjected themselves to the process are no retiring wallflowers:
- Jai Martinkovits: 26, from Sydney, is a member of the Liberal Party and a staunch monarchist.
- Francis Ventura: 22, from Melbourne, has been volunteering for the Labor Party since he was nine years old and has stood for the seat of Flinders in the 2010 election.
- Madeleine Charles: 24, from Hobart, is a law student and member of the Greens.
- Siobhan Harris: 21, from Melbourne, is a libertarian and campaigner for the Sex Party.
It’s very watchable TV and sure to be the starting point for many a debate. Or at least it should be. Shitsville Express – you can roll around any time you like.
Shitsville Express – Tue 9:30pm, ABC2.