“The Betoota Advocate” has become its own force of nature in Australian journalism, writes “Streaming” columnist NICK OVERALL.

OVER the last decade the satirical news website “The Betoota Advocate” has become insanely popular, with hilarious, viral articles about the most controversial of current affairs racking up hundreds of thousands of views.

With almost a million Facebook likes, the publication that prides itself on being “Australia’s oldest newspaper” has even managed to spread its content to international audiences.

Now it’s taking a step into the world of streaming, with a new show premiering on Paramount Plus this week.

“The Betoota Advocate Presents” is set to cover Australia’s most polarising news stories and features both editors of the now famous site, Errol Parker and Clancy Overell.

“Finally, Paramount+ and Warner Bros Australia have agreed to let us make the TV show we wanted to make, and one that everyone else was too afraid to go near – as well as lining our pockets in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis,” said the duo.

“So, with the universe aligning, we present the modern history of Australia that nobody really talks about… for a reason. This series tackles four pillars of Australian history. Corruption, money, religion and tribalism.”

It looks like Betoota’s no-holds-barred style of news is being transferred straight from their website to the new TV show.

STREAMING on Stan this month is the oscar-winning and conversation-starting film “The Whale”.

Star of “The Mummy”, Brendan Fraser made headlines in March when he took out the best actor gong for his leading role in this depressing but compelling experience.

But with a limited cinematic release, many haven’t yet had the chance to see the film, which has put Fraser back on the Hollywood map and led to the internet coining the term “Brenaissance” – marking a new era that showcases the actor’s talent.

In “The Whale” Fraser plays Charlie, an extremely obese English teacher who hides away from the world in his unit and tries to eat himself to death. Before he can get there, he wants to reconnect with his estranged daughter who may be his last chance at some form of redemption.

Needless to say, “The Whale” doesn’t make for easy viewing.

It comes from director Darren Aronofsky, who’s behind cheery affairs such as the “Requiem For a Dream ” and the more modern horror thriller “Mother!”.

Arronofsky’s style and choice of subject matter has seen his controversial oeuvre often hit with the label “misery porn”. It would be a lie to say “The Whale” doesn’t at times fall under that classification, but this is still an enthralling watch for those who can stomach the melancholic premise and that is entirely made possible by Fraser’s remarkable performance.

Donning a metamorphic suit in order to embody this character (complete with make-up that took around six hours of work every time they had a shoot), Fraser commits to this character without an inch held back, more than earning that best-actor prize.

Without going into spoiler territory, one of the key ideas “The Whale” tries to expose the breakdown of authenticity in an age where it, sadly, seems more and more rare.

“The Whale” has a lot of faults, but one can’t deny it is authentic – excellently and excruciatingly so.

FROM “Too Hot To Handle” to “Love Island”, the reality dating show has consistently proven itself a ratings winner, both in the world of free-to-air TV and streaming.

Now, Binge is the latest to dish up a new guilty pleasure in the form of “Fboy Island” (what is it about islands?) where a roster of beautiful women must try to work out which of the men in this tropical paradise are the “nice guys” and which ones are the self-proclaimed “Fboys”. 

For those who don’t know what an “Fboy” is, yes, the “F” does stand for what it seems like it stands for.

The bawdy concept might just be enough to pique the interest of many subscribers, but sadly any steaminess to be found in the set-up is quick to wear off.

Those looking for some sudsy streaming to kill a bit of time may find some entertainment value here. For everyone else, this is one “romantic” getaway not worth booking a ticket for.