The Hollowmen
Encyclopedia
The Hollowmen is an Australia
n television
comedy
series set in the offices of the Central Policy Unit, a fictional political advisory unit personally set up by the Prime Minister to help him get re-elected. Their brief is long term vision; to stop worrying about tomorrow's headlines, and focus on next week's.
The Hollowmen was first broadcast on Wednesday, 9 July 2008, on ABC1
. Each series comprises six half-hour episodes. On the eve of the first episode's national premiere, the series was approved by the ABC for a second series. The second series was screened right after the first, beginning on 13 September 2008. Lachy Hulme
will reappear in the third season.
The comedy-drama satire is produced by Working Dog Productions
, which was also responsible for Frontline
, The Panel and Thank God You're Here
. The music used during the opening credits is an edited instrumental version of the 1987 song "North by North" by New Zealand
band The Bats
. A special one-off presentation of The Hollowmen was created by Working Dog and played at Parliament House in Canberra on 11 March 2009, in support of the ABC's funding bid for 2009-12.
Episode 1: Fat Chance
The Central Policy Unit must come up with a meaningful plan to combat obesity in schools in order to keep the Prime Minister's momentum rolling.
Episode 2: The Ambassador
A troublesome Senator agrees to leave politics behind if he gets a nice diplomatic posting. But, unfortunately for the Central Policy Unit, the PM has just announced restrictions that mean only the most qualified people gets to be ambassadors for the nation.
Episode 3: A Time for Talk
When conflict breaks out overseas, the Central Policy Unit must find a way to intervene without hurting the international relationships. Murph quickly finds that there is a lot of talk, but not much action.
Episode 4: Rear Vision
The budget lacks an eye-catching "centrepiece" and Tony asks Murph to come up with a last minute policy which will give the PM the visionary public image he wants.
Episode 5: Military Matters
After an embarrassing incident at an air force base brings military recruitment into the headlines, the Central Policy Unit must make life in the uniform appealing to Generation Y.
Episode 6: A Housing Crisis
A report into the cost of maintaining Kirribilli House
comes back to bite Ian. With Phillip in charge, the report looks set to embarrass the PM right before another interest rate rise, unless Murph can figure out a way to lower Kirribilli's price tag and make it less elitist.
Series 2
Episode 1: Shared Interests
A scandal with a Junior Minister and poor fashion sense leads to a "blippy dip" in the PMs public image. Murph handles a government crackdown whilst Tony tackles pin-stripes and French cuffs.
Episode 2: Edifice Complex
The PM, caught opening buildings commissioned by previous PMs, starts thinking about his legacy. Unfortunately for Murph, legacy translates to a massive building somewhere in the parliamentary triangle.
Episode 3: Wonder Drug
Pressure mounts on the Government to fund an expensive new pill, despite evidence that it may not be worth funding at all.
Episode 4: Vulnerable to Attack
The PM's plans to increase spending on national security run into trouble when the Department starts talking about cost-cutting. Meanwhile the Unit ends up exploiting some eager High School students who have won a trip to Canberra.
Episode 5: A Waste of Energy
Global warming is hot on the agenda with the Unit taking up the government's new 'carbon challenge'. But a blindsighted promise to raise emission standards with China may cause some serious problems for international relations.
Episode 6: A Quiet January
The second half of January has no news stories. But a surprise trip for the PM to Antarctica is soon devised to fill this space.
. The season finale aired at 9:00 pm on Wednesday 27 August.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series set in the offices of the Central Policy Unit, a fictional political advisory unit personally set up by the Prime Minister to help him get re-elected. Their brief is long term vision; to stop worrying about tomorrow's headlines, and focus on next week's.
The Hollowmen was first broadcast on Wednesday, 9 July 2008, on ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
. Each series comprises six half-hour episodes. On the eve of the first episode's national premiere, the series was approved by the ABC for a second series. The second series was screened right after the first, beginning on 13 September 2008. Lachy Hulme
Lachy Hulme
Lachy Hulme is an Australian-born actor and screenwriter. He wrote the feature film Men With Guns, and co-wrote Let's Get Skase, a comedy-adventure, which Hulme starred in....
will reappear in the third season.
The comedy-drama satire is produced by Working Dog Productions
Working Dog Productions
Working Dog Productions is a small film and television production company based in Melbourne, Australia. It was originally known as Frontline Television Productions Pty Ltd...
, which was also responsible for Frontline
Frontline (Australian TV series)
Frontline is an Australian comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV in 1994, 1995 and 1997.-Production:...
, The Panel and Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
. The music used during the opening credits is an edited instrumental version of the 1987 song "North by North" by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
band The Bats
The Bats
The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean , Malcolm Grant , Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward...
. A special one-off presentation of The Hollowmen was created by Working Dog and played at Parliament House in Canberra on 11 March 2009, in support of the ABC's funding bid for 2009-12.
Main Cast
- Rob SitchRob SitchRobert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
– Tony, the Prime Minister's Principal Private SecretaryPrincipal Private SecretaryIn the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office... - Lachy HulmeLachy HulmeLachy Hulme is an Australian-born actor and screenwriter. He wrote the feature film Men With Guns, and co-wrote Let's Get Skase, a comedy-adventure, which Hulme starred in....
– David 'Murph' Murphy, Senior Political Advisor and Director of the Central Policy Unit - Merrick WattsMerrick WattsMerrick Watts is a Australian comedian, radio host and television presenter. He is best known for performing stand-up comedy and radio works as part of the comedy duo Merrick and Rosso with Tim Ross....
– Nick, Senior Political Advisor - Neil MelvilleNeil MelvilleNeil Melville is an Australian actor. He was born in Sydney, but spent most of his childhood in Apollo Bay, Victoria.Melville graduated from Adelaide's Flinders University with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama, and performed in a number of university productions, including, most notably, the world...
– Ian, the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
's Chief of StaffChief of StaffThe title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of... - David James – Phillip, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and CabinetDepartment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is an Australian Government department. The Department was first established in 1911...
- Stephen HallStephen HallStephen Charles Hall is an Australian actor and writer.-Television:Halls' career in televisions includes both acting and production duties...
– Warren, Departmental Under-SecretaryUndersecretaryAn under secretary is an executive government official in many countries, frequently a career public servant, who typically acts as a senior administrator or second-in-command to a politically-appointed Cabinet Minister or other government official... - Jacquie Brennan – Mel, Senior Media Advisor
- Santo CilauroSanto CilauroSanto Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
– Theo Tsolakis, Head of Market Research - Nicola ParryNicola ParryNicola Parry is an Australian actress who is best known for her roles in the hit comedies Thank God You're Here, The Hollowmen and Swift and Shift Couriers. She is an alumnus of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She also appeared in the ABC 1 miniseries Sleuth 101, as part of the...
– Holly, Unit Office Manager
Supporting Cast
- Rob CarltonRob CarltonRob Carlton is an Australian actor and writer. He is best known for writing and starring in the comedy series Chandon Pictures. He also had starring roles in the comedy satire The Hollowmen and the children's television series Ocean Star....
– Kenny Pratt, advisor to the previous PM - Graeme BlundellGraeme BlundellGraeme Blundell is an Australian actor, director, producer, writer and biographer.Blundell was born in Melbourne; he grew up in Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne...
– Geoff, Party Director - Leonie Hemsworth - Dianne, Prime Minister's Secretary
- Sacha Joseph - Vanmathy, Unit Office
- Ben Chisholm - Josh, Unit Office
- Sarah Arthur Young - Sarah, Unit Office Receptionist
Episodes
Series 1Episode 1: Fat Chance
The Central Policy Unit must come up with a meaningful plan to combat obesity in schools in order to keep the Prime Minister's momentum rolling.
Episode 2: The Ambassador
A troublesome Senator agrees to leave politics behind if he gets a nice diplomatic posting. But, unfortunately for the Central Policy Unit, the PM has just announced restrictions that mean only the most qualified people gets to be ambassadors for the nation.
Episode 3: A Time for Talk
When conflict breaks out overseas, the Central Policy Unit must find a way to intervene without hurting the international relationships. Murph quickly finds that there is a lot of talk, but not much action.
Episode 4: Rear Vision
The budget lacks an eye-catching "centrepiece" and Tony asks Murph to come up with a last minute policy which will give the PM the visionary public image he wants.
Episode 5: Military Matters
After an embarrassing incident at an air force base brings military recruitment into the headlines, the Central Policy Unit must make life in the uniform appealing to Generation Y.
Episode 6: A Housing Crisis
A report into the cost of maintaining Kirribilli House
Kirribilli House
Kirribilli House is the official Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister. The house is located at the far eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue in the harbourside suburb of Kirribilli...
comes back to bite Ian. With Phillip in charge, the report looks set to embarrass the PM right before another interest rate rise, unless Murph can figure out a way to lower Kirribilli's price tag and make it less elitist.
Series 2
Episode 1: Shared Interests
A scandal with a Junior Minister and poor fashion sense leads to a "blippy dip" in the PMs public image. Murph handles a government crackdown whilst Tony tackles pin-stripes and French cuffs.
Episode 2: Edifice Complex
The PM, caught opening buildings commissioned by previous PMs, starts thinking about his legacy. Unfortunately for Murph, legacy translates to a massive building somewhere in the parliamentary triangle.
Episode 3: Wonder Drug
Pressure mounts on the Government to fund an expensive new pill, despite evidence that it may not be worth funding at all.
Episode 4: Vulnerable to Attack
The PM's plans to increase spending on national security run into trouble when the Department starts talking about cost-cutting. Meanwhile the Unit ends up exploiting some eager High School students who have won a trip to Canberra.
Episode 5: A Waste of Energy
Global warming is hot on the agenda with the Unit taking up the government's new 'carbon challenge'. But a blindsighted promise to raise emission standards with China may cause some serious problems for international relations.
Episode 6: A Quiet January
The second half of January has no news stories. But a surprise trip for the PM to Antarctica is soon devised to fill this space.
Episode ratings
The first season premiered at 9:30 pm on Wednesday 9 July. After episode 5, it was removed from schedule due to the 2008 Beijing Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. The season finale aired at 9:00 pm on Wednesday 27 August.
| # | Episode No. | Airdate | Time | Ratings (5 capital cities) |
Timeslot rank | Overall nightly rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Fat Chance | 9 July 2008 | 21:30 | 1,185,000 | 1st | 13th |
| 1.02 | The Ambassador | 16 July 2008 | 1,040,000 | 2nd | 16th | |
| 1.03 | A Time for Talk | 23 July 2008 | 950,000 | 3rd | 18th | |
| 1.04 | Rear Vision | 30 July 2008 | 996,000 | 2nd | 16th | |
| 1.05 | Military Matters | 6 August 2008 | 816,000 | 3rd | 24th | |
| 1.06 | A Housing Crisis | 27 August 2008 | 21:00 | 926,000 | 2nd | 15th |
| 2.01 | Shared Interests | 3 September 2008 | 931,000 | 2nd | 17th | |
| 2.02 | Edifice Complex | 10 September 2008 | 1,044,000 | 2nd | 16th | |
| 2.03 | Wonder Drug | 17 September 2008 | 941,000 | 3rd | 19th | |
| 2.04 | Vulnerable to Attack | 24 September 2008 | 906,000 | 3rd | 15th | |
| 2.05 | A Waste of Energy | 1 October 2008 | 877,000 | 3rd | 16th | |
| 2.06 | A Quiet January | 8 October 2008 | 931,000 | 3rd | 16th |
On DVD
Series 1 and 2 of The Hollowmen is available on DVD as a three disc box set (RRP $49.99).See also
- List of Australian television series
- List of Australian Broadcasting Corporation programs
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