CJZ is much too Sydney lawyer to be truly ratbaggy, but the company sure does like playing with the form. Does the balance of stunt and serious bother them? Is Shitsville Express undermining political discussion? We will find out when it broadcasts, but the key creatives have absolutely no doubts about the value of their work.
The toilet is the rightful place for much of Australia’s recent political commentary and debate – and the phrase ‘Up shit creek without a paddle’ may very well describe the plight of certain parties. So expectations may be low for a humorous political TV series named Shitsville Express, hosted by News Ltd journalist, Twitter superstar and provocateur Joe Hildebrand. Yet the six-part factual series, produced by Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ) and premiering on ABC2 next Tuesday, may just help to lift the level of the discussion into the realm of actual ideas, policies and visions for the future – albeit with sprinklings of silliness and stunts to leaven the mix.
