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SUPERNOVA |
Series Overview SERIES 1 SERIES 2
Paul - Rob Brydon Rachel - Kat Stewart Mike - Tim Draxl Jude - Hollie Andrew Max - Peter Kowitz Pip - Kris McQuade Bill - Damion Hunter 
OTHER SCI FI COMEDIES Chuck Red Dwarf Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 3rd Rock From the Sun Eureka Quark 
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Black HoleThis one slipped by us, flying under the radar on a wave of no publicity whatsoever. As a result, we didn't catch this episode. If there is anyone out there that saw it and wants to submit a review, you will get a credit on the page. Please click here to mail us your review. TopGod Are You Out There?When the astronomers discover a wormhole in space, they use their instruments to look through it, seeing the very beginning of the universe, the moments after the big bang. The thing is, Paul reckons that he has seen the face of God in the image. Could this really be the maker of all things, the final proof of God's existence? Or could it have something to do with the old episodes of Doctor Who that Mike and Jude are picking up from a Russian satellite? What a bizarre programme this is. A comedy yes, but only vaguely funny in the jokes department whilst having some great ideas (Paul's lecture on the state of the universe turns out to be directed at nuns whose car has broken down in order to prove that God doesn't exist) and some really nicely written characters, played to the hilt by good actors. It's a shame, then, that it isn't all that funny. TopWhen You Wish Upon A StarPaul's overbearing girlfriend Ruth is staging a surprise visit for his birthday. The surprise is that she's here to take him home. Rachel is trying to make up with insanely jealous astronaut boyfriend Chad, who is using the space telescope he is working on to photograph her every move. On top of all that, the great white tail, a very elusive comet, is back for its triannual visit and Max is desperate to photograph it.Aborigine spirituality informs this episode, insofar as it is made fun of, anyway.The plot is structured to within an inch of its life to make absolute sense, but still manages not to be funny. These actors (and characters) deserve much better jokes. TopVenus RisingWhen Paul is unable to urinate due to the presence of other men in the facility, the assumption is made that he just likes to hold himself. In order to put paid to this rumour, he immediately chats up a biker chick in the pub and is blown out of the water. When he is stranded at the pub and only turns up the next morning, his co-workers assume that he spent the night with the girl. When Rachel starts to show interest in him, Paul chooses not to disabuse them of the notion. When the finance board show up for a presentation on Venus, however, matters take a surprising turn. Another week and another beautifully structured plot. Taking in masturbation, rough sex and the attractiveness of bastards, how can it possibly fail. This is situation comedy in which the situation plays no part. This is comedy through the characters and their interaction. Sadly, it is still just not funny. TopUnityPaul discovers evidence in Rachel's supernova data of a new earth-like planet that he names Unity in the hope that Rachel will unite with him. A local broadcast science station (like that's ever going to happen) takes an interest and sends a top reporter (Craig McLachlan) to make a documentary, but it seems that he has an altogether other agenda - rekindling romance with Rachel. Whilst SUPERNOVA has always been a sit com short on the 'com', this was a frighteningly laugh-free half hour. It was pretty much giggle, smirk, wry smile or any other evidence of amusement - free. Even the guest star is given nothing to do except look pretty and mug at the camera, which is probably just as well. TopWhere Men Are MenWhen working on a thesis about the theoretical end of the universe, Paul is struck by a bout of 'life is meaningless'. In order to get the adrenaline flowing and make him feel alive, Rachel takes him for a spot of 'roof rack racing'. Energised by this experience, he tells one of the town bullies just what he thinks of him. Unfortunately, the bully is in the habit of decapitating people and has challenged him to a meeting at dawn. Should he run or should he stay and fight? It should be an easy decision, but all these women keep kissing him. So we come to the end of the six-episode SUPERNOVA,but it feels like it's been with us forever. This is not a good thing. The final episode actually managed to get me to crack a (small) smile, not once, but twice. On this evidence, the show would be functioning as a comedy some time around the end of the next millennium. Considering its almost non-existent presence in the mind of the public or media, I don't think that we'll be seeing it again. I don't think that I'll weep, but to all producers out there, this cast deserves all the work you can give them, just not another series of SUPERNOVA. TopWild OatsPip is going through menopause and handling it badly. Paul, by contrast, is being treated as a sporting hero when he discovers a talent for camel racing. Yes, it's race week in the outback and if that means missing the most important celestial event in millenia, who cares? Yes the gang's all back. We may not have wanted them, but we've got them anyway. Everything that was good about the last series is all present and correct, but now it's funnier. That's not really saying much as the lack of jokes was what blighted the last show and there are still not enough here to make this show a must watch event, but we managed to smile at couple or three times and one of us actually laughed out loud once. That's a big improvement and, as we actually like the characters, we would like to see this turn into a funny show. TopHow's Your FatherFollowing a disappointing night at the 'Auction an Astronomer' event in the pub, Paul is only too delighted when the sexy new research assistant seduces him several times. He is less delighted when she turns out to be Rachel's sister and his attempts to break it off are less than successful. He is even less delighted when he finally dumps her only to learn that she turns into a mad psycho when disappointed. Delight is all but gone by the time that the big investor who just might save the telescope's fortunes turns out to be Rachel's father who dotes on his daughters. This episode actually made us laugh out loud - not once, not twice, but four times. Now that might not sound like a lot, but it's four times more than in the whole first series. We do love the characters and now they are being given some funny lines and funny things to do. We could come to like this, we really could. TopBig RedPaul is reluctantly pulled into a hunting trip that turns into a nightmare when it turns out that the kangaroo they are hunting is a legendary killer and the hunters become the hunted. The laugh count is back to normal (which is to say that there were hardly any at all) and since Rob Brydon's character spends all his time cowering in a cowardly fashion we don't see anything here that we haven't seen before. TopPerseveranceWhen Pip puts her back out working her way through the Kama Sutra she leaves Paul in charge of the observatory. Unfortunately, one of the tasks he has to accomplish is the destruction of his childhood hero, the British satellite Perseverence. He refuses, the rest of the team rebel and Rachel's boyfriend Chad is left targeting the nearest French space shuttle with nuclear weapons. In an episode that seems to be a lot more anti-british than is usually the tone, there are some nice set ups, but nothing ever comes of them, well not laughs anyway. The generally good-natured tone is a lot more mean-spirited and there is even a scene where two characters are swapping the drugged drinks. Is this all there is? Perseverence, it seems is all we have. TopSomething Wicked This Way ComesPaul finds an ancient aboriginal codpiece that brings a curse upon the observatory and all who work there. As a result, he is forced to travel into the outback with Bill in order to meet with the Elders and get himself exorcised. Once again, lots of cleverness and nothing to laugh at. Only Paul, for example, could discover something like a codpiece. THE SCI-FI FREAK SITE tries so hard to like this show, but a comedy with no comedy in it is never going to win our hearts (or the contents of our codpieces). TopMay The Best Man WinChad, Rachel's astronaut boyfriend gets locked out of his shuttle and only has hours of oxygen left, so she decides to marry him. Mike, in the meantime, learns that he really is his mother's son and this leads to a running feud with some seriously rough sheep shearers. The last episode of the second series sets up a cliffhanger in the hope of getting a third. We can always hope that this doesn't happen. There is, as ever, plenty of activity in the plot and the actors are still making the most of everything that they are given, but there is still too little of that to be worthwhile. Please, please, no more. Top |
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