7.0

Bromwell High - Firedrill

From what I have found, this odd little show seems to be a British–Canadian co-production. This could explain why its humour is less US. Plus the fact that it’s set in an inner-city British school run by a greedy, corrupt buffoon called Iqbal who is an animated version of the stereotype made popular by Ali G. 

Unlike most comedies from Britain, which have a season of six or eight episodes, Bromwell High’s is an impressive 13. I saw the first five, ending in ‘Firedrill’ which I guess explains the sub-title. The show comes off as a trans-Atlantic version of South Park, but far less crude (both in animation and themes). They do however share a love of foul language, which is always great to see in an animation about children, with child characters but not intended for children. 

Three girls, Natella, Keisha and Latrina, share the multi-race, multi-ethnic, multi-religion public school with a panoply of stereotypes. There is also a chorus of incompetent or indifferent teachers, including two nymphomaniacs, one of whom speaks with a refreshingly Australian accent! 

I’m not sure if the crudeness will appeal to everyone, but as an indicator, the show did originally screen on the ABC and not the SBS, home of South Park. I enjoyed myself tremendously watching this show. It doesn’t really hold back—it’s an exercise in irony, especially aimed at the PC crowd, which can go over-the-top at times and deserves an undressing now and then. Bromwell High is just the right medicine, with the first episode, ‘Tolerance’ being highly topical at this time in Australia. 

Felix Staica