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Thursday, November 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

When the therapist tells it like it is

Harrison Ford, left, and Jason Segal… stars of “Shrinking”.

Ever wondered what a therapist is really thinking? That’s the question at the centre a new comedy series, writes “Streaming” columnist NICK OVERALL.

APPLE TV Plus’ newest comedy series “Shrinking” is a 10-episode show telling the story of a grieving psychologist who snaps after the tragic loss of his wife and begins telling people what he really thinks about them and their issues.

Nick Overall.

Throwing any and all ethical training out the door, the grouchy clinician lets loose on his clients after having to sit through their problems, which seem infinitely less important than his own.

The results, it turns out, are not as disastrous as they seem.

By speaking honestly, the therapist is surprised to make profound breakthroughs with clients he never has before.

Jason Segel and Harrison Ford star in the show which comes from the creators of Apple TV Plus’ other comedy hit “Ted Lasso”.

Like “Ted Lasso”, “Shrinking” is a comedy that can tickle funny bones but also pull heartstrings. 

The series pokes fun at this generation’s penchant to self-diagnose, but is ultimately a story of grief and hope and how the two intertwine.

Fans of Ricky Gervais’ hilarious Netflix hit “After Life” may have picked up on a few similarities here.

That show also features a protagonist who begins telling the world what he really believes after the loss of his wife. It’s interesting that the idea is one that has caught on.

In a day and age where people are less and less able to say what they really think, a show about doing just that perhaps comes as something of a comedic catharsis.

Similar to “After Life” yes, but “Shrinking” still does enough with its amusing concept to warrant checking out.

Sigmund Freud would have had a field day with this one.

NEW week, new rehash. This time it’s Netflix reviving a once popular TV show in order to exploit some nostalgia.

“That ‘70s Show” is back. Well, sort of.

In its newest Netflix iteration it’s become “That ‘90s Show”, with creators uprooting the sitcom and planting it in an entirely different decade to look back on and laugh at.

It’s not Eric Forman and his teenage gang of friends who are front and centre though. They’ve grown up and got on with their lives. 

Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith have reprised their roles as Kitty and Red Forman – Eric’s mum and dad, who step into the spotlight here.

While the quirky couple originally had minor roles in “That ’70s Show”, throughout the series’ eight seasons they became two of the most popular characters.

Now it’s grandchildren they have to worry about. Eric’s daughter Leia has come to visit them in Wisconsin and falls in with a new generation of Point Place teens for Kitty and Red to manage.

Like its predecessor, “That ‘90s Show” is a sitcom duck soup. It asks no more of its audience than to enjoy its straightforward sense of humour and starry eyed look at decades gone by.

Absolutely one for fans of the original show.

GOING from NRL to filmmaking is an intriguing change of career path but that’s exactly what Matt Nable has done.

“Transfusion”, the latest Aussie action flick to Stan, is the directorial debut of Nable who many will know played for Manly and South Sydney in the ’90s.

In later years he’s had acting gigs strewn throughout Aussie dramas but now he’s tried his hand at directing.

In “Transfusion” Hollywood heavyweight Sam Worthington plays Ryan Logan, a former sniper for the Australian Army who struggles to readjust to normal life after returning home from Iraq.

When approached by one of his retired special forces colleagues with a deal to make some dirty money, the two quickly get in over their heads and are forced to escape the maze of Australia’s criminal underworld.

Anyone who has seen a Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis or Jason Statham B-grade action movie has seen this before. 

The movie does have the ability to thrill at certain moments, but is otherwise an excruciatingly predictable affair.

Worthington does admittedly bring some nuance to role, but it’s not enough to save the sadly uninspired action flick.

Bit of a crash back to Earth for Sam given his recent frolicking around with animated blue people on Pandora again.

Nick Overall

Nick Overall

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