Why Are You Like This Explained

Genre:Comedy
Opentheme:"Big Shot" by Pearls
Country:Australia
Language:English
Num Series:1
Num Episodes:6
Producer:Sarah Freeman
Cinematography:Shelley Farthing-Dawe
Network:ABC Television
Related:Fresh Blood

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.[1] The series was written by Naomi Higgins, Humyara Mahbub, Mark Bonanno, with additional writing by Vidya Rajan, Michelle Brasier and Laura Davis.

Production

First series

The 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.[2] It premiered on 16 February 2021 on ABC TV Plus,[3] with a repeat on ABC TV the following night.[4] The series is set in Melbourne.[5] [6] The series was not renewed at the 2022 ABC upfronts.[7]

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Guest cast

Episodes

Series 1

Reception

Critical reception

Marie Claire Australia writer Courtney Thompson described the three main characters in the series as being "very online". 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."[8] 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….?" 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

In 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]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Shaw . Catrin . 4 December 2018 . Fresh Blood 2018: Introducing the four pilots . 16 June 2024 . . en.
  2. News: Knox . David . 25 September 2019 . Why Are You Like This proceeds to ABC comedy series . 18 February 2021 . TV Tonight.
  3. Web site: Knox . David . 20 January 2021 . Airdate: Why Are You Like This . 16 June 2024 . . en-AU.
  4. News: Knox . David . 14 February 2021 . Why Are You Like This . 16 June 2024 . TV Tonight . en-AU . Review . 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. Thompson . Courtney . 11 March 2021 . Meet the Future of Australian Comedy Television . 9 May 2021 . . Are Media . en-AU.
  6. Ng. Brian. 16 April 2021. Is America Ready for Australian Sensation Why Are You Like This?. 9 May 2021. Vanity Fair. en-US.
  7. Web site: Knox . David . 25 November 2021 . Upfronts 2022: ABC . 16 June 2024 . . en-AU.
  8. News: Watson . Meg . 15 February 2021 . Why Are You Like This takes aim at Gen Z: 'This is the most humiliating thing I've done' . 2021-05-09 . . en-GB . 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..
  9. News: Cockrell . Eddie . 12 February 2021 . Modern moral dilemmas in Why are You Like This? . subscription . 16 June 2024 . The Australian . News Corp Australia . Sydney . . 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..
  10. Web site: Writers of Cursed!, The Dry, New Gold Mountain, The Great and Nitram among winners at the 54th Annual AWGIE Awards . . 1 April 2023 . 8 December 2021 . 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] . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220325082330/https://www.awg.com.au/posts/writers-of-cursed-the-dry-new-gold-mountain-the-great-and-nitram-among-winners-at-the-54th-annual-awgie-awards . 25 March 2022.