Review with Myles Barlow

Review with Myles Barlow
First DVD Released
Genre	Black comedy, Satire
Created by	Phil Lloyd
Developed by	Phil Lloyd
Written by	Phil Lloyd, Trent O'Donnell
Directed by	Trent O'Donnell
Presented by	Phil Lloyd (as Myles Barlow)
Starring	Phil Lloyd (as Myles Barlow)
Narrated by	Phil Lloyd
Theme music composer	Matt Blackman
Composer(s)	Trevor Bell, Cameron Bruce, Matt Blackman
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer(s)	Megan Harding
Producer(s)	Dean Bates
Location(s)	Sydney, Australia
Editor(s)	Reuben Field
Running time	30 minutes (excluding commercials)
Production company(s)	Starchild Productions
Release
Original network	ABC2 ABC1 The Christmas Special
Picture format	576i SDTV
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	16 October 2008 – 22 December 2010
Chronology
Related shows	Review (2014–present)
External links
Website

Review with Myles Barlow is an Australian satirical black comedy television series which screened on Thursday nights on ABC2 and Friday nights on ABC 1. The series began screening on 16 October 2008. It is co-written and directed by Trent O'Donnell and also co-written by Phil Lloyd. It is produced by Starchild Productions (Dean Bates and Reuben Field). The first series comprised six half-hour episodes and the second series a further six half-hour episodes. Episodes were made available for download on the ABC website. Series 1 episodes have been available to watch on-demand on YouTube.^[1] Series 2 began airing on ABC2 on 22 July 2010 and finished on 26 August 2010. A Christmas special was broadcast on ABC1 on 22 December 2010.

Series 1 and 2 are available for viewing in the US via Hulu Plus.^[2]

Synopsis

Myles Barlow is a critic who reviews life experiences in response to viewer questions.^[3] Barlow reviews real-life experiences such as being a murderer and a drug-mule, the rush of pleasure as he pays for sex and the bleakness of living on the streets.^[4]

Regular segments include "Letter of the Week" along with a summary of the show at the beginning and highlights of the next episode which do not actually reflect the actual episode contents.

Myles uses often unnecessarily complex metaphors to conclude each segment, choosing an abstract notion or object and then comparing his experience to it. For example; when reviewing stealing, he had this to say:

Stealing

Stealing is a reprehensible, dishonest act of exhilaration and daring. And, like a staircase leading to the top of a never-ending lighthouse, it can quickly spiral out of control. The higher I climbed, the more giddy I became. And once I'd stolen the light bulb itself, I stumbled about in an orgy of kleptomania as ships of moral decency came to grief on the rocks below. Embracing anarchy and ignoring morality became frighteningly normal, causing me to chuckle callously at the poor shipwrecked sailors trying to clamber up the cliffs of consequence while I soared to freedom high above them on a hang-glider of corruption. Luckily for me, I was able to evade punishment. But Krystal, if you do give in to this spine-tingling thrill ride and steal Renee's boyfriend, be warned that the pilfering may not stop there. Stealing is an iniquity of unexpected excitement, which is why I'm giving it three stars.

Each episode ends with a faux-"Next Time" segment.

List of episodes

Note: Bolded reviews are primary review segments, unbolded reviews are short "breaker" reviews.

Series One (2008)

Episode 1 (16 October)

• Stealing:
• Running out your partner:
• Dickheads:
• Bushranging:
• Risk:

Episode 2 (23 October)

• Murder:
• Fishing without bait:
• Self Belief:
• Lying:
• Divorce:

Episode 3 (30 October)

• Voyeurism:
• Budget Airlines:
• Vanity:
• Being a rock star:
• Heroism:

Episode 4 (6 November)

• Criticism:
• Open heart surgery:
• Inter-generational Romance:
• Losing one's train of thought:
• Betrayal:

Episode 5 (13 November)

• Paying for Sex:
• Sex with a Male Prostitute:
• Regret:
• Freeloading:
• Meeting Your Ex-Wife's New Partner:
• Destitution:

Episode 6 (20 November)

• Stress:
• Disappointing Others:
• Testing Loyalty:
• Bare-knuckle Boxing:
• Reconciliation: Unable to be reviewed

Logie Awards of 2009

• Logies:

Presented as a segment as part of the telecast of the Logies.

Series Two (2010)

Episode 1 (22 July)

• Wanderlust:
• The Pill:
• Addiction:
• Saint Bernard Rescue Dogs:
• Starting Your Own Cult:

Episode 2 (29 July)

• B-Grade Celebrity:
• Cockblocking:
• Bucks Parties:
• 9/11 Jokes:
• Loss:
• Dancing with the Stars:

Episode 3 (5 August)

• Killing Kyle Sandilands:
• Abbey Road Re-enactments:
• Fear:
• Meeting Your Doppleganger:
• Racism:

Episode 4 (12 August)

• Imitation:
• Being Molested by a Rugby League Player:
• Hatred:
• Pet Llamas:
• Justice:

Episode 5 (19 August)

• Treechange:
• Throwing a Pair of Shoes over a Power Line:
• Art:
• French Restaurant Runners:
• Sympathy:

Episode 6 (26 August)

• Happiness:
• Office Cricket:
• Escapism:
• Road Kill Sandwich:
• Acceptance:

The Christmas Special

• Summer Hosts:
• Giving:
• Competitive Christmas Lights:
• Indulgence:
• Re-gifting:
• Christmas Spirit:

Guest stars

• Margot Robbie as Kelly (Series 1, Episode 1)
• Amanda Bishop as Catherine Barlow (Series 1, Episode 2)
• David Stratton as himself (Series 1, Episode 4 Criticism segment)
• George Negus as himself (Series 1, Episode 3 Heroism segment)
• Emma Leonard as Ivy (Series 1, Episode 3)
• Josh Lawson as himself (Series 1, Episode 3 and Series 2, Episode 2)
• Steven O'Donnell as Judge 1 (Series 2, Episode 2)
• Barry Crocker as himself (Series 2, Episode 2 and The Christmas Special)
• Chas Licciardello as himself (Series 2, Episode 4)
• Tony Jones as himself (The Christmas Special)
• Andrew O'Keefe as himself (The Christmas Special)
• Heath Franklin as himself/chopper (Series 2, Episode 3)

Controversy

On 6 August 2010, the sketch "Killing Kyle Sandilands" caused controversy after it aired. Parts of the sketch, including stabbing a picture and burning an effigy of Kyle Sandilands, were received with negative views. A Current Affair did a story on the sketch, commenting that it was far too graphic and potentially dangerous. Sandilands himself did not comment on the segment.^[5][6]

Adaptation

A dutch adaptation premiered in the Netherlands.

An American television adaptation, titled Review, premiered in March 2014 on Comedy Central.

References

External links

• Review with Myles Barlow on ABC's website
• Starchild Productions website
• Review with Myles Barlow at the Internet Movie Database