... Well, it was probably me, among many others, after a very weak, but not necessarily abnormal year for Australian comedy in 2011. I won't say anything other than "Lilley" and "Elton", as between the two of them, they seemed to encapsulate the simultaneous disappointing and unambitious content that Australian comedies seem to favour.
But after only a couple of months into 2012, there have already been two shows that have had more laughs to be had in only three episodes than in all of 2011.
Of course, the first is Sports Fever on Seven. Sure, you need to have a passing interest in one or two sports to find something to grab onto, but at least in the first half hour of every show, there are plenty of broad sketches, as well as some improvised, shambolic magic. But regardless of whether you find it funny or not, Seven deserve a lot of credit for adding it to the schedule and giving it a realistic time slot- what is the point of giving a sure-to-be cult favourite an 8:30 time slot (Joy of Sets, anyone?) then give critics a headline by shafting it two weeks later? Why not test the waters in a less predatory environment and allow it to build a following?
In saying that, it has pulled less than desirable ratings, even for the late shift, but you'd have to hope that the cost is so low to produce that it is willing to stick it out until at least the AFL/NFL seasons begin.
I also can't heap enough praise on Outland - the ABC's newest comedy about a gay sci-fi club. Hilarious characters with memorable, quotable lines (Adam Richard's Fab is a stand-out, and surely should already be front-runner for a Logie in 2013). The only aspect which will hold it back from being a monster hit, is, well, its lack of mass appeal (manifest in both its sci-fi references and, er, very sexual references)- this is by no means a bad thing, but it does mean it will miss out on the bulk of the mainstream audience.
On a side note, though: it does seem a shame, though, that there are only five more episodes to go. If the ABC were to have forgone the massive publicity campaign for Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight (worth thousands of dollars, surely), they could have afforded a few more episodes of smart, well-written scripted comedy such as this.
And just like Underbelly and Channel Nine were able to single-handedly revive Australian drama in this country (or at least set some sort of standard), all it takes is one show like Outland to strike some sort of chord to relaunch the next generation of intelligent comedies - and with Woodley, This Christmas and Josh Thomas' Please Like Me still to come, there appears no reason to give up on Australian comedy just yet.