Open Slather (2015) User Reviews

More misses than hits in the opening show.

[sadimgnik · 4/10 · 25 May 2015]

Ever since the Mavis Bramston show, Australian comedy has faced a recurrent problem .. while our writers have some funny ideas, they don't have enough to fill 42 minutes of airtime.

So the skits they write may have some genuinely funny lines .. but they .. just .. drag .. on .. too .. longgggggg.

Episode one of Open Slather was a good example.

Typical was the Gina Reinhart 'Definition of mine' skit. The use of the different meanings of the word 'Mine" was amusing - but then it wasn't amusing any more because the writers belaboured the point. 15 seconds? Funny. 30 seconds? Not so funny. More than a minute? Excruciatingly not so.

On the other hand, the running gag about drug testing WAS funny - because each gag only lasted 10 seconds.

I'll give them another couple of episodes, to see if they find their feet - but I can't give this a passing grade, based on the first outing.

Very Bad

[darrencoleman · 4/10 · 4 December 2018]

So many great comedians such a crap show. So disappointing.

I truly want to enjoy this....

[dhughes2 · 4/10 · 16 June 2015]

It was with great excitement when I saw the adverts for this on Foxtel that I ensured that my IQ was set and ready to record. Being a fan of "Fast Forward", "D-Generation" and "Kath & Kim", then more recent "Summer Heights High", "We can be Heroes" and "Please Like me" - seeing some of my old favourites come back in "open slather" well I was very much looking forward to this.

OK so we are now 5 episodes in, I really, really want to like this, I want to support it. But I am at the point of nearly deleting it from the Series Link. There are some mildly smile on your face but not LOL moments, maybe its still finding its feet. But to be honest 5 weeks in after watching todays episode I am about the point of just giving up.

Thankfully in a way its on Cable and so Foxtel are not going to pull it off the air, maybe my sense of humour has changed over the years and stuff I used to find funny is about as entertaining as my 2013 episode of Cholera.

awful

[angieandmark-85181 · 1/10 · 23 September 2015]

Open slather can only be described as embarrassing. None of the skits are even slightly funny and I'm surprised some of the comedians agreed to take part in it.

Axe this show before you ruin the careers of some of our best acts.. The writers , if there are any , should look for different jobs because they certainly aren't professional comedy writers..

Also why is there a 10 line text minimum to submit this stupid review? Some of us don't need to dribble on forever to get a point across..

Open slather is terrible ,awful , embarrassing , not funny , amateur , d grade comedy at best.

Dire

[paulie2512 · 1/10 · 9 June 2015]

An abomination of a comedy show.

# Predictable # Unimaginative # Cheap # Painful viewing

If this show is anything to go by, humuor hasn't changed since the 1960's.

If the "writers" and "actors" truly believe this is the best they can do, they surely should be put out to pasture along with this show.

By pasture, i mean a soundproof room with no windows, with the key melted down to something more useful like a ball bearing!

How this ever made the cut, let alone warrants the mass advertising campaign if baffling.

An insult to the intelligence.

Waste of time

[Chucky110 · 1/10 · 10 June 2015]

This is one of the worst Sketch shows I have ever seen. The sketches are not funny in the slightest. I struggle to even giggle. The only thing I laugh at is how bad they are. The only one I really liked was Rack. Gina Minehart is lame. The show is nothing compared to the classic sketch shows like Fast Forward and Full Frontal. It is expected though when one of the writers is a lame comedian anyway and is not funny in the slightest Not worth the time watching this. I can't believe this show actually exists. I would prefer to watch reruns of the older shows. How anyone could actually let this show on the air is a joke itself. It should be removed asap

Literally the worst product on television

[rsgrimley · 1/10 · 16 September 2015]

I wish you could give a lower score than one star.

I made this IMDb account just to vent about this visual vomit. Think about that.... I've seen reality shows (which are terrible), daytime chat shows (garbage)..... And I still think this is the worst product I've seen. At least reality shows and daytime chat shows are open to being cheap and catering to the lowest common denominator. This is worse than all of it.

It's like it's willfully oblivious to how awful it is....

Let's counterpoint it with SNL, a live show that written each week. Better writing, performances, actual satire and wit - when it doesn't work, at least the excuse is the time-frame. Now.... Open Slather isn't live. People sat in writers rooms and thought 'this is funny'. Inexcusable.

Take the recent ad, a 'parody' of 'Bang Bang'. It'd barely be acceptable as a parody performed by a local amateur comedy troop. People got PAID to write, produce and film that. Ugh. Also; how bad is it that this song is deemed to be the highlight and is the main thrust of an advert for the show....?

If this isn't on TV to fulfill some kind of mandatory percentage or quota for locally produced work....then for shame.

If this is supposed to demonstrate the 'cream' of Australian sketch comedy then it just demonstrates how far behind we are. Look up UCB or Groundlings, those amateur up- and-comers can IMPROVISE an hour that's more topical, biting and laugh-out-loud funny than this dreck.

Whilst the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse are well known by name and nature, I'm amazed that their battle plan name, the Open Slather, to end humanity has taken this long to become known. Maybe its wishful thinking that's the worst this show can get.

Turns out, dinosaurs are alive

[jocajosh · 2/10 · 1 June 2015]

wow, if this is the current state of Australian comedy, no wonder Tony Abbot is Prime Minister. The best I can say about this tired, formulaic turd of a show is that after a while, it finishes. The targets of the parodies are already doing a good job of that themselves (and so don't need this show to help them along) so this show is completely unnecessary. There's nothing new in anything I saw here. It starts to make me think that "Pompidou" by Matt Lucas was better than I thought it was. If you want good Australian Comedy, watch "Danger 5" not this abomination. I can only surmise that the sad "comedians" that appeared here were paid so much that they threw any integrity out the window and I think I can safely say, there won't be a Season 2

Great Comedy!

[joshuaburles-646-993208 · 9/10 · 30 May 2015]

Open Slather contains amazing Australian short skits that will keep you cackling forever. Almost all the skits are parodies of things. We see in the first episode; Government parodies (gina Rinehart, Add parodies (jeep), Music video (love me like you do) parodies, TV show parodies (downton abbey) All of these are carefully and creatively executed. Many people expect something on the lines of Chris Lilley's ''jam'ie' or 'jonah' shows. But Open Slather is almost identical to 'fast forward' or any other skit show. Open Slather is currently my favorite show and i sit on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode! :D I recommend this show to almost everyone!

Yeooucchh!

[pbishop-13173 · 1/10 · 26 May 2015]

I agree with above; I was expecting Gina Jane and Maggda to be doing something like a 'Chris Lilley' format, but this was just an attempt to yet again rescusitate the tired Fast Forwadr formula - already it was tired in 1989 Remember the "Big Gig" hosted by Wendy Harmer - you can watch episodes from 1988 and its more cutting edge than this "comedy" made in 2015. Remember the D-Gen? Then Catherine Tate, Little Britain? For God's sake they could've done better than this embarrassment! Our best comedians go overseas and don't look back ... ABC airs Qi every.single.day ... why can't we do similar here instead of family feud. Or relaunch the Big Gig? Comedians have to go o/s or shmooze with the mainstream and the past! ONE LONG CRINGE MOMENT!! (THE GIRLS EXCEPTED)

The Australian talent puddle delivers another shocker

[samtissear · 26 May 2015]

Five words - where the f..k is Kelvin Cunnington? Thats six but I'm being as economical with words as these guys are with laughs. What happened to Australian comedy? Why did our media get gang tackled by the political left in the late 80's and hasn't looked forward since? The reeffo epilogue was just a gross indulgence by the creators. Lets get to the point. I'm sick of Micallef telling me how stupid the right is, so I don't watch anymore after his breakthrough "hilarious period" - then there's the Project which quite funny but the comedians always stuff up the gags as they forget their lines. Now this dross. Our media is a gov subsidised joke of an industry. Just leave the political stuff to commentators and make us laugh. Paul Hogan talked about who we were in our own language. Barry Humphries laughed about who we think we are. The current generation of comedy writers have no idea who we are so they tell us who we should be. Living in leafy suburbs, wafting around in expensive cars between meetings then make a social comment comedy series. Out of touch, bereft of creativity, without any clue that there's about 15 million people who live here that they forgot. Like Cath and Kim. Geez, Fox have taken a risk on this bunch.

Lacks focus and voice but so much potential

[JasmineFIowers · 7/10 · 18 October 2015]

Having seen 10/15 episodes so far, the first season started strongly with biting parodies of well known figures. The Real Housewives of the World series was good and showed the older Fast Forward talent was still kicking. Gina Minehart struck a chord too. Hannah Bath's similarity with Princess Mary of Denmark is being put to use which is also good. The parodies tended to be spaced out by weaker social commentary sketches, although the natural talents of the actors get used well sometimes, like Glenn Robbins' dweeby characteristics. It's a shame the talented social comedy writers Jane Turner and Gina Reilly with the much vaunted Kath and Kim, Glenn Robbins' successes with All Aussie Adventures, Shane Jacobson's larakin Aussie with Kenny, and Michael Veitch (Fast Forward), Stephen Curry (the Castle), Marg Downey (Fast Forward) and Magda Szubanski (Kath and Kim) just being...well...themselves, haven't cut through here as much as they might. A lot of it often feel more like one line jokes in sketch comedy routines than jokes that can be played out.

With the insight and ability to tap into culture demonstrated by the very talented cast (and I need to also mention Emily Taheny who has runs on the board from Comedy Inc and Mad as Hell), it seems that the show intended to take a lot of risks - at least that's what the intro from the first half the series promised. It seems like all the brilliant minds that are vested in this project need a blank canvas to go nuts, take bigger risks, and come out with some (hopefully) brilliant unique characters that can carry the series. Kath and Kim, after all, was a one-sketch joke at one point.

Foxtel needs to renew this show, and give them what the title promised - an open slather creative licence to find their voice. Either the show should soar like an eagle or go down in flames, but a "safe" middle grounded production helps no-one.

About as funny as a dead puppy.

[alsation72 · 1/10 · 24 May 2015]

Any advertising for this sketch show clearly seemed to imply that it was going to be a contemporary version of 'Big Girl's Blouse' : i.e. Jane Turner, Magda Szubanski and Gina Riley. (and to some extent Marg Downey)

Not so much. Its like they are sprinkled here and there to prop up what is otherwise a very average and lackluster comedy show. The writing really lets it down, there seems to be zero spontaneity or improv and the players are treading through scripts that might have seemed okay to the writers trying to come up with something, but the ideas were not 'big' or clever enough to carry the whole sketch.

Glenn Robins was an embarrassment in a sketch about 'Dad - dancing' that felt flat, the skit about the weather forecast was just awful. I felt ripped-off when Magda, Jane and Gina made the very odd appearance because it should have been all about them with the others supporting them!

The end, where facebook messages to Domino's pizza while footage of desperate refugees played was the only slightly honest and astute observation I noticed, but it was as depressing as it was out of place.

Gawd ... where'd they find the writers? Go and find some open mic'ers maybe give some fresh perspectives a go!

OK this is horrible

[coreytlr · 1/10 · 2 September 2015]

Awful...Its really just awful. Not funny, has beens re-gashing sketch comedy that only ever worked in the early nineties and only ever worked for about 5 minutes. Why FOXTEL would bother is beyond contemplation. The characters are weak and uninteresting. It throws back to old Aussie sketch comedy moments that were entertaining (but only slightly) back when they first aired and were only watched by a handful then, and expects us to remember them 15 years later. Im not 50. I cant say enough about how bad this show is. The actors are washed up, no bodies who ran out of any ability to be original years ago. Its a shame that these Australian comedians don't learn from the masters like Rod Sitch etc. The pioneers of originality. Rates 1-10.

This is the worst "comedy" show

[solangelo · 1/10 · 24 August 2015]

This show is just awful.

Normally I like sketch shows and understand that some jokes aren't going to be as funny as others. But, although some jokes in Open Slather are funny, they quickly become painful to watch as they drag on and on.

I literally cannot understand what is funny about some jokes. I just turned on an episode with a sketch about an adult man wanting to cross the road but the crossing guard wouldn't let him. When he attempted to cross without her, he was hit by a truck. Is it saying crossing guards at schools are pointless? Is that considered funny?

I cannot identify the target audience of the show. I feel like many of the sketches are at least slightly homophobic and some, I think, are even a little transphobic. They make fun of young people and pop culture but they also try (and often fail) to make pop culture references and appeal to young people.

The cast, I think, are good actors who can deliver their lines pretty well. The issue is that they are given terrible lines.

I cannot understand why anybody would like this show. The occasional good sketch doesn't make up for everything else.

How did this get on TV?!

[ryan_russell · 1/10 · 5 November 2015]

Show is not funny at all. Not even a slight "....hehe....." came out of my mouth. Half the time I found myself asking how is that even a joke?

How a group of people decided this was funny enough to be put on the air is absolutely beyond me. I actually go out of my way to tell people how bad this show is just to make sure I see the day it gets the axe.

Donald trump impersonation is amazingly bad. Looks nothing like him and tries wayyyyyy too hard. Russell brand? Couldn't watch it, was cringing too much.

***spoiler alert**** Here's a joke from this great show

Russell brand - "I remember you from when I was on 60 minutes" 60 minutes host - " I remember it being more like 60 seconds"

........funny.....real funny......grade A material right there.

No wonder most people think Australian comedy is a joke and not in the good way, it's shows like this that give us a bad name. I actually may have to attend anger management due to this show.

Some of you may not be religious and that's fine, I pray at night. Not for world peace or a cure for cancer no no, I pray this show gets Axed and somehow every trace of it gets erased from the Internet. Almost like it never happened.

As Bad As It Gets

[giggletrivia · 1/10 · 28 May 2015]

You know the scenario and the risk associated with it-you know, when a friend recommends to you a movie or a book and your take on it will then translate to the opinion you have from that point on of the friend themselves?

I am really glad that none of my friends have recommended this tripe or it would be a deal breaker.

I understand comedy is hard, and there is a unique knack required. I also want to start off with a positive-Gina Riley still makes me smirk and still has comedy presence.

that's where it starts and ends folks.

I was actually sitting there in shock watching some of these skits and how bad they were from the first episode.

What were Foxtel thinking? The writers, including B grade comedian Paul Calleja, has failed before.

There should be an inquest on who wrote, directed, then gave the final nod for the skit on the man and woman farting after a first date. This wouldn't have been funny from a Year 8 drama class.

Marg Downey was outright annoying, Magda looked tired and Shane Jacobson has done extremely well in ensuring his endearing and huggable Kenny is now all but forgotten, replaced by an enigma that is about as funny as an indoor plant.

Jane Turner was funny, once, on Full Frontal, but I'm pretty sure in the 1980s I laughed at Daryl Somers once too.

A newbie by the name of George Xanthis, whom was 50% responsible for the farting skit from hell, is definitely a good actor, he acted as if he could not translate from drama roles to comedy-perfectly.

As if my main course of comedy wasn't severely underdone, Open Slather then has the cheek to plagiarise a YouTube video, without reference, as the closing section of the show, outlining the First World problems of dominoes customers.This is the awful judgement summarily displayed of what they subjected us to in the 45 minutes prior.

I don't want to be harsh, I am honestly holding back on how bad this series is looking like it will be. Australian Comedy is a tough gig, and another reviewer I read recently is correct, there is not enough edge to today's Aussie scene of comedy and that isn't going to change here.

What's even more horrifying is the seemingly manufactured tweets running around where people laud the opening episode as 'hilarious' etc. They are either friends/relatives, or have just come out of jail after a long stint.

And one more thing to avoid? Crikey's Ben Neutze, read his review of Open Slather and if you don't want to punch him in the face and shake him until he drops for writing such an inaccurate summary, then I offer myself, because maybe I am the one completely out of touch with Australian comedy.

If Open Slather is the benchmark, then I don't want to be in touching distant of it again anyway.

Pathetic.

[diabolus_in_metallica · 1/10 · 14 June 2015]

I had to write this review out of pure disdain. I have endured three episodes of this show now and felt so compelled to voice my grievances. There is literally no redeeming factor to this program, to say I haven't cracked a smile is an understatement, my face actually turns into a grimace watching this show. We are presented with sketch comedy, some recurring sketches litter this mess. The humour is base, juvenile, even plain pathetic, completely lacking in any sort of faculty of funny that I start to question who legitimately puts money into this being made or whether I should perform a home lobotomy. The recurring sketches, such as RacK, the priests in the church, the medieval war-rousing, True Detective parodies or even the Gina Rinehart parts are just cringe worthy. Really? That whole 'mine' thing is funny? Sweet Lord don't let me live.

The media campaign around this show has been nothing short of intrusive, something anyone involved in this show should think twice about doing again because you're all inviting people to see exactly what it is you 'do', and it's bad. How these 'comedians' who write this can actually sit through make-up, costume and get to various suitable locations to film their skits without once questioning the utter disgrace they are about to commit to screen is beyond me. Some of the comedians are seasoned faces I know and recognise, well, I say that but they're all washed up, clearly, as I haven't seen a lot of them for years save on those 'comedy relief' type fundraisers where people turn a blind eye to the quality in the name of a good cause. As for the new faces, I'm afraid. Afraid you might release something again, plague my screen with filth, debase my brain further and drive me to an early, tragic grave.

For the love of all that is humorous, please stop this madness, please. The only funny thing about this show is that I watched three episodes of it. The utterly depressing factor is that this show is slated for 20 episodes. Wow.

comedy channels out of touch show

[subrocks · 1/10 · 11 June 2015]

Let's be honest here this is a c+ show. Some skits are good , they hit the mark and are still culturally relevant but the rest of the skits are talking about shows and cultural moments that are well over two years old ( eg downtown abbey) it may be early days yet for the series considering the extremely generous 20 episodes it has been given by the comedy channel it might come good but I wouldn't hold my breath.skit shows are Supposed make fun of or satire pop culture, this show does that with shows that are past there cultural peaks Eg downtown abbeys peak was 3 to 5 years ago, the same goes for mad men and bear grylls , the real housewives of Melbourne skits would have been funny if this show had aired last year but everyone is now over the gimmick of that show and are looking for something new. Considering the amount of awesome talent that the cast has I'm extremely disappointed in the outcome of the show. Comedy channel good luck trying to keep our attention for twenty episodes when some of us lost interest after week one.

So disappointed

[cammic · 3/10 · 16 June 2015]

Back in the 80's and 90's this sort of satirical sketch comedy was all the rage.

The group responsible for those by-gone shows were comedy heroes of the day. But this collection of predictable and most unfunny sketches is just not hitting the mark. I was expecting something new and fresh....not the tired (and should be retired) comedy format. I've tried to watch all the episodes but it is not that funny and even those very rare funny pieces....are rarer than fans of Tony Abbott.

It's sad the Australian comedy is capable of producing new and funny concepts (e.g. Chris Lilley) but we push out this tired old comedy!!

The worst show ever!

[bellab1972 · 1/10 · 10 July 2015]

Open Slather has a plethora of talented comediennes on the show and yet I haven't laughed once and I can find anything funny!

Open slather is the most predictable repetitive show imaginable! I can't believe the writers think a man posing as a cat and working in an office is funny, funny enough to have a regular spot on the show! I'm afraid the writers have come up with skits and are now flogging them to death instead of actually creating funny skits!

I am actually embarrassed when I watch the show because if anyone thought this is typical Aussie humour, then I would be extremely disappointed! Actually, if this is what Aussie comedians consider funny, I will stick to overseas comedy shows!

This show is the biggest waste of time and as an Aussie I am extremely disappointed with this pathetic production!

Foxtel flogging a dead horse

[angiegodden · 1/10 · 18 July 2015]

I actually watch it and I'm embarrassed, Its literally just a bad fart joke.

As a human being I felt it necessary to sign up to IMDb just to complain, I normally read the reviews for a chuckle but thought "the hell with it, I don't care if my inbox gets spammed with promotional material and my email address gets sent over to Nigerian scammers, I have to vent my spleen. Even the ads irritate me, it might have to do with the frequency. Foxtel stop flogging this dead horse - I would rather watch tired re-runs of Father Ted knowing Dermot Morgan is dead, even that 20 year old comedy is funnier than this show.

How can so many talented artists affiliate themselves with this embarrassing career sinking show? I should have known it would be bad from the poor previews (aren't they meant to highlight the funniest parts?), but thought it would be slow to start with. But no, not one laugh. Not one "hehe", not one "tee hee". Nothing. I feel like i'm watching a funeral. Well, in a way I am. RIP Open Slather.

Open Slather? Open Sewer.

[moosehead-99316 · 1/10 · 2 July 2015]

How in the name of all that is holy did this mess make it to the screen? The Lord Of The Rings sketch featured on the ads says it all, a dim witted laborious set up for the punch line ' you cretin' is just sad. Magda in a hard hat isn't comedy gold, it's primary school dress up from a prop box. Holly Austin's creepy insurance sales assistant is funnier than this garbage and that says everything. A sketch about a current news story isn't biting satire just because a smirking reference is made to boat people and pay offs. Maybe it'd do the writers of this tripe some good if they watched some truly funny comedy like That Mitchell and Webb Look. Please, please, bury this rotting corpse as deep as it can go, otherwise it'll stink up our TV's for years to come.

Painful

[taz_682 · 1/10 · 19 August 2015]

Completely cringe-worthy.

Very difficult to watch for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

Some of the comedians involved have to be better than what the show produces.

I cannot believe that they would watch an episode of the show and be proud that they were involved.

Even the sketches chosen for ads on Foxtel are not at all funny or clever.

They provide no motivation to watch the show and I would suggest Comedy Channel really suggest reviewing it.

I would not recommend this show to anyone, young or old.

A good start if somewhat a mixed bag.

[Timburrr · 5/10 · 13 June 2015]

I've been an avid sketch comedy fan since watching Full Frontal when I was 8. This show is somewhat a mixed bag for me - some good sketches but also some real clunkers and downright excruciatingly unfunny ones that drag on too long. Loved Real Housewives of the World (especially Magda's impressions of Angela Merkel and Gina Rinehart) and Family Feud (Jane Turner as the irritable blow-hard Grant Denyer). I must admit my only complaint was a scarcity of screen time from the more established names (Stephen Curry, Shane Jacobsen and Magda Szubanski namely) which may scare away some viewers. The lack of laugh track will take some getting used to but the show could be a powerhouse once it finds it's feet.