My feed

Viewed: All three seasons

Upper Middle Bogan came to my attention courtesy of Kath and Kim fans, who stated that the show has a similar vibe and characters. With Upper Middle Bogan leaving Netflix in May, I decided it was time to binge the series so I didn't miss out. And, boy, I'm glad I took the plunge - this is easily one of my favourite Australian sitcoms of all time. Key to the show's success is the impeccable ensemble cast, with not a single weak link among them. The standouts are, of course, the bogan Wheelers who feel like an authentic Australian family who enjoy the simple pleasures in life, deeply love one another, and believe in traditional values. It's a hilarious contrast against the family of the protagonist, Bess, who's more upper class and is initially horrified to learn she's the biological daughter of bogans. Yet, the ensemble cast all share amazing chemistry, and it's the depth of each respective character which makes this show such a fantastic watch - they all have their own struggles and dreams, with successes and failures. And, for Australians, you feel like you've met these people in real-life due to how realistic and authentic they are. Added to this, Upper Middle Bogan is just hilarious all the way through, never showing signs of fatigue or becoming forced, even when the show returned for its third season after a two-year hiatus. As with most shows of this ilk, I'm now depressed that I'm out of episodes, as I grew such a big connection to the show and these people. The (outstanding, cathartic) finale was indeed bittersweet in that sense, but at least I can rewatch the show again and again - and I can explore the deleted scenes and bloopers on the DVDs that I bought before even finishing the show. I wish there were more shows like this.