Grassroots

This article first appeared in The Age on January 18, 2003

The first series of Grass Roots returned last week (ABC, Monday, 9.30pm) and it had me laughing so hard I regreted the fact I didn't see it first time round. Think of a cross between Rats in the Rank, Yes, Minister, Sea Change and The Games. The repeats are for the many people, like me, who are are new to the show. Series Two, which begins on March 10, is one of the ABC's headliners for this year.

There is no real secret as to why the show is so good. It simply uses the tried (but not tried enough) and true formula of good acting and terrific writing. The show was concieved and written by Geoffrey Atherden who was responsible for the much-loved series, Mother and Son. The cast is a knockout and there is not one character, no matter how minor, who isn't played with wit and a commitment to revealing as many human flaws as possible.

Not having met Col 'Can Do' Dunkley (Geoff Morrell), the Mayor of Arcadia Waters before, I must confess I found him rather charming, dare I say, sexy. It is not until the end of next week's episode that I realised what some viewers will already know: he can be a real shit. Though not as much of one as George Hasnakov, Director of Planning & Building, who is played by Chris Haywood with extraordinary dereliction.

The reason for Col's charm, last week and most of this, is that it's only days to the local government election and he is working it to make sure he's be re-elected for another term as Mayor. To get that term he needs to convince the newly elected independent councillor Karin Schumaker (Rhondda Findleton) that he is okay. Karin also has Biddy, the power-dressed blonde liberal from hell (Sophie Heathcote) sucking up to her like a vacuum cleaner.

From Col's point of view the spanner in the works is Daryl (David Field) the corrupt Contracts Manager, who has been doing a deliberate go slow on the building of the local bus stop. Realising he's about to get the boot he threatens to reveal a scandal that lurks in Col's past.

The show does fun things with time and perspective; so, in the first episode we saw the chaos and pressure of the final days before the election and Mayoral vote, from an outsider's point of view. This week we get to see the inside story. Last week, we saw the Venetian blinds of the portable rattle as Daryl and Col 'negotiate'. This week the camera is in the portable with them. I will give you one choice quote. 'She was a bit slow but she loved sex.'

It is also a show that likes to mix it's comedy with real political issues and one of the simmering subplots this series is going to be the outsourcing of childcare, and the manoeuvrings of General Manager Greg Dominelli (Rhys Muldoon), he of the MBA from FNQ, who has his own reasons for giving out a contract for private childcare.

The other simmering that I am looking forward to is the relationship between Col and Helen Mansoufis, the Manager of Communications (Sacha Horler). The only problem seems to be that every time Helen gets starry-eyed, Col does something particularly politically cynical. Perhaps the moral of the story, if there is one, is never fall in love with a bloke from the Labor Right.

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