TELEVISION / Feedback
Professor Brian Matthews, head of the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at the University of London, on Sylvania Waters (BBC1 9.30pm):
'What is wrong is that the ordinary English viewer doesn't have a point of reference, is ignorant of the details of Australian life. With help from the tabloids, they think this family is typical and then believe the stereotypes: that Australian life is boozy, materialistic, hedonistic. But there's always some truth in those, and this family does come over as a rather awful lot. On the positive side, below some very crass behaviour, some of it is curiously touching, with its theme of the family, the love, anger and frustration within it.'
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies