Current:Home > Invest'Colin' the dog brings 2 — no wait, 3 —lonely hearts together in this fetching series-InfoLens
'Colin' the dog brings 2 — no wait, 3 —lonely hearts together in this fetching series
View Date:2024-12-23 14:14:28
For most of the 20th century, audiences loved romantic comedies, from Cary Grant wooing Katharine Hepburn, to Ted Danson and Shelley Long bickering on Cheers until they finally, inevitably fell in love.
Sad to say, this upbeat genre — now direly termed the "rom-com" — has fallen badly out of fashion, with many younger viewers finding it as passé as black-and-white movies. If you love romantic comedies as I do, you know it's hard to find a good new one.
That's why I happily recommend Colin from Accounts, a new Australian show on the Paramount+ streaming service. Created by its stars, the real-life husband-wife team of Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall, this eight-part series touches all the bases of the traditional romantic comedy, yet it never feels musty. Brimming with life and honesty, it's also exceedingly funny.
Set in Sydney, Colin from Accounts centers on two likably lonely souls: a mid-40s micro-brewer, Gordon (Brammall) and Ashley (Dyer), a hard-drinking 29-year-old medical student who's just broken off with her boyfriend. They share a modern spin on the classic meet cute: Gordon is driving to work when he stops to let Ashley cross the road.
A bit hungover, Ashley thanks him by flashing one of her breasts. The distracted Gordon pulls forward and hits a dog that's been running free. The two take the injured border terrier, which has no ID tag, to the nearest vet, where they are horrified to learn that treatment will cost them thousands of dollars.
As you will surely guess, this accident launches them into a relationship. Initially bound by the dog, which they name Colin from Accounts, they gradually discover a more intimate connection. But not before the usual delays.
We spend time with their friends — from Ashley's even harder-partying pal Megan, to Gordon's cluelessly ribald bartender Brett — and watch the two stumble through adventures that take them from hospital death beds and inadvertent sexting, to drunken revels and wrenching family encounters. Although they don't recognize it at first, we see how well they click.
Now, if you're like me, you may think of Australian comedy as being a tad, well, broad. And in truth, Colin from Accounts is not without its share of flatulence and poop jokes – pretty funny ones, actually. Yet the show never embraces the gleeful vulgarity of the early Judd Apatow comedies. In fact, the show is striking for its variation of tone.
The bawdy stuff is folded into a storyline that grows deeper — and subtler – as it goes along. Even as they banter, Gordon and Ashley come to know each other's fears and vulnerabilities. In a scene reminiscent of the great Christmas episode of The Bear, Gordon attends Ashley's birthday party at her mother's and discovers the pain of her childhood.
Brammall and Dyer are very appealing actors. Bearded and bright-eyed, he gives Gordon a menschy tenderness that shines through his ironic humor. We want him to find happiness. And Dyer may be even better as Ashley. She has a comic verve that recalls Julie Hagerty and Leslie Mann, yet her tired eyes suggest something more — a woman whose sensitivity and intelligence can be self-defeating.
And then there's Colin from Accounts – the dog, I mean, complete with the wheels that do the work of his back legs. I'm pleased to report that the show doesn't use him cutely or milk him for easy laughs. You won't go Awww. The show is smarter than that. Justifying his title role, Colin from Accounts is more than just a dog. He's another wounded, big-hearted creature looking for someone to love.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Biden EPA to charge first-ever ‘methane fee’ for drilling waste by oil and gas companies
- Train crews working on cleanup and track repair after collision and derailment in Pennsylvania
- 2024 NFL mock draft: Six QBs land in top 16 picks of post-combine shake-up
- TLC’s Chilli Is a Grandma After Son Tron Welcomes Baby With His Wife Jeong
- Fate of Netflix Series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Revealed
- Florida passes bill to compensate victims of decades-old reform school abuse
- Chris Evans argues superhero movies deserve more credit: 'They're not easy to make'
- 2024 NFL mock draft: Six QBs land in top 16 picks of post-combine shake-up
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- 2024 MLS All-Star Game set for July vs. Liga MX. Tickets on sale soon. Here's where to buy
Ranking
- FSU football fires offensive, defensive coordinators, wide receivers coach
- Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to leaking hundreds of highly classified Pentagon documents
- Teenager dead, 4 other people wounded in shooting at Philadelphia bus stop, police say
- Chris Mortensen, NFL reporter for ESPN, dies at age 72
- The Daily Money: All about 'Doge.'
- The Supreme Court’s Social Media Case Has Big Implications for Climate Disinformation, Experts Warn
- Republican state senator to run for open congressional seat representing northeastern Wisconsin
- Federal safety officials say Boeing fails to meet quality-control standards in manufacturing
Recommendation
-
Larry Hobbs, who guided AP’s coverage of Florida news for decades, has died at 83
-
Boy whose death led to charges against parents and grandmother suffered ongoing abuse, autopsy shows
-
Emma Hemming Willis shares video about Bruce Willis' life after diagnosis: It's filled with joy.
-
The latest shake-up in Ohio’s topsy-turvy congressional primary eases minds within the GOP
-
Are Ciara Ready and Russell Wilson Ready For Another Baby? She Says…
-
Ohio foundation begins process to distribute millions in opioid settlement money
-
The Best Leakproof Period Underwear That Actually Work, Plus Styles I Swear By
-
Blizzard aftermath in California's Sierra Nevada to bring more unstable weather