TV Report Card: The Hospital, Alone, Colin From Accounts, Eric and The Streets: Hong Kong

This week we’re admitting ourselves to hospital to spend time with Samuel, Melissa and Costa in a new SBS doco, catching up with the world’s cutest TV dog in Colin From Accounts, feeling triggered by Eric and plugging our Alone hole with an American version of the show.

As for Dan Hong’s Hong Kong breakfast — no thanks!

A: The Hospital: In The Deep End (SBS)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: give frontline healthcare workers all the money in the world. Honestly: these people are actual saints, something Samuel Johnson, Melissa Leong and Costa Georgiadis all learnt first-hand when they signed on to take part in this show. It sees them thrown into the deep end to work at Sydney’s St Vincent Hospital — and talk about a baptism by fire. This is such a great concept, though I’m not sure how patients would have felt waking from a coma in emergency to a full film crew and one ex-Masterchef judge (Leong) hovering over them.

A: Colin From Accounts

I didn’t think it could be possible to love this beaut Aussie comedy series more than I already did. But then along came series two, and damn me if it’s not even funnier than the first! Zinger after zinger after zinger! Am loving catching up with Ashley and Gordon again, and I’m really rooting for them as a couple. Extra points awarded to the dog who plays Colin — he steals every scene he is in. Officially starting a campaign for Zak the border terrier’s Logie nomination.

B+: Alone (SBS)

Don’t know about you, but there’s been a huge Alone-sized hole in my viewing since the Aussie version finished up. So I sat down to check out the new US series, which hit screens last Thursday. I particularly enjoyed episode one, which introduced us to the new crop of contestants heading to Saskatchewan’s Reindeer Lake for season 10 — a fascinating look at the prep that goes into the show before they even get to their destinations. Can’t wait to watch this play out.

B-: Eric (Netflix)

I really wanted to watch this show — it’s got an intriguing twist and it stars Benedict Cumberbatch who, let’s face it, is reliably awesome in everything. But I just couldn’t bring myself to stick around past episode one. Its premise — man searches for young son who goes missing while walking to school one morning — was just too awful to contemplate. I had to tap out.

C: The Streets: Hong Kong (SBS)

Wow, I really am watching a lot of SBS this week — but this show was always going to pique my interest, mostly because it covers two things close to my heart: food and the buzzing metropolis that is Hong Kong. I’ve eaten some of the best food of my life in that city, though I have to say, I was feeling decidedly unenthused about the spam/macaroni breakfast Dan Hong samples in that first episode. Local delicacy or not, I think I’ll pass on that brekkie special.