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The ABC launch of their new six-part political satire was set to be a superbly timed thing. With voting-day announced just last week, the Monday debut of the election-set series starring Jeremy Sims as a slippery Labor candidate and Philip Quast as a clueless Liberal, should have had no competition for hitting the mark of most topical issue at the centre of Australian psyche.
Unfortunately, the American president went to war. Inconsiderate for the show, which sadly is dated by its absence of reference to "security Issues," and for Ellen DeGeneres, whose hosting gig at the Emmys, set to boost her profile for her new TV series, has been canned for the second time. Ellen DeGeneres and Kim Beazley should form a support group for those "Politically Affected by Sept.11 who Must Suffer in Silence as Any Complaint would Seem Churlish."
Back to the show: Sims and Quast are superbly despicable, the supporting cast standouts are Home and Away's Kristy Wright as Quast's in-charge political adviser (newly appointed from a position in Downer's office-receptionist) and Lynne Porteous as the smug One Nation candidate set to out Quast from the safe seat he practically inherited from his father. Corridors of Power's understated humour and documentary style are reminiscent of the finest work of The Games and the confident handling of the pollies by their lowly assitants has a Yes, Minister flavour.
If all is fair in politics and war this show should romp home the critical vote.
