Spending time in an Australian library

So here I am tucked up in bed with a big box of tissues and a bottle of Sudafed for company -- thought it best to keep my yukky cold to myself and not spread it around the office.

The rain's been pattering against the window most of the day, the perfect kind of weather for snuggling up indoors. The only problem is a decided lack of supplies in the house, so I've been subsisting on endless cups of tea and the odd glass of tropical juice. Gotta keep those liquids up!

I've just watched six episodes of The Librarians back to back on my laptop, courtesy of a DVD my sister sent me for Christmas. What a brilliant comedy!

Frances O'Brien, the head librarian, is a great character in the same way that David Brent, from The Office, is a great character. They're both quite horrible people who make you cringe -- although Frances makes no attempt at being politically correct (she's racist and has no tolerance for disabled people, just two of her "special" qualities) while Brent at least pretends to be politically correct even if he keeps putting his foot in it.

The show reminded me very much of The Book Group, right down to the sexually repressed main character and the person stuck in a wheelchair. But the story arc -- from episode one stretching through until episode 6 -- is much stronger. And, of course, it was lovely to hear some Aussie accents and see some Melbourne streetscapes!

I wonder if it will ever be shown on British TV -- I think it'd go down well.

Comments

[Melody]

Oh good - I 'm glad you enjoyed it. I too found it hilarious and thought you'd like it. The 'mock' library outside was just around the corner from us in Sth Melb... (you can see the Milk bottle building on Kings Way in a few outside scenes.)

[kimbofo]

A-ha, I *thought* it was South Melbourne.

[Mr D]

I caught this trailer this morning on my computer. (Embedded YouTube won't play on an iPhone, but the links usually work.) I thought it was hilarious - at least, the dialogue that I could understand! (And there I was thinking I had no real problems with Australian English!) I was especially amused by her asking the Middle Eastern-looking couple to leave their bag at the reception, and then saying in her condescending voice: "I think we know why." She reminded me of some of my ignorant primary and middle school teachers! Or the dinner lady who used to force the Pakistani girl to eat ham. Looks like a good series.

[IanH]

Yes, it's quite funny. In the first one on TV they used the sound of a bar-code reader beeping every time they changed scenes. I spent the first half of the programme wondering whose mobile phone was making stupid noises until it finally dawned on me what it was.

[kimbofo]

Mr D, your dinner lady didn't try to do that, did she? How awful!! Then I suppose it was just like us at school back in the 70s trying to make the local vegetarian family eat meat by surreptitious means...

IanH, I hadn't noticed that, but I watched the DVD for the second time today and picked it up. Quite funny.

[Jillian]

Hi As a librarian I've read a bit about this series as it has been flagged up on a few librarians' lists! Have yet to see it so would welcome it here on British tv