Jonah from Tonga
Jonah from Tonga | |
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Genre | Comedy Mockumentary |
Created by | Chris Lilley |
Written by | Chris Lilley |
Directed by | Chris Lilley Stuart McDonald |
Starring | Chris Lilley |
Theme music composer | Chris Lilley |
Composer(s) | John Foreman |
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Laura Waters Chris Lilley |
Producer(s) | Laura Waters Chris Lilley |
Production location(s) | The Grange P-12 College, Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne, Australia |
Cinematography | Nick Gregoric |
Editor(s) | Ian Carmichael |
Running time | 26–27 minutes |
Production company(s) | Princess Pictures ABC HBO |
Release | |
Original network | ABC iview (online) ABC1 (television) |
Picture format | 576i (SDTV) |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 2 – 4 May 2014 (iview) 7 May – 11 June 2014 (ABC) |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Ja'mie: Private School Girl |
Related shows | Summer Heights High |
Jonah from Tonga is an Australian television series written by and starring comedian Chris Lilley. The mockumentary series follows Jonah Takalua, a rebellious 14-year-old Australian boy of Tongan descent who had been introduced in Lilley's 2007 series Summer Heights High. At the conclusion of that series, Jonah was expelled from Summer Heights High.[1] In this series, his father, Rocky Takalua, has sent him back to his homeland of Tonga to live with his uncle and their family in order to get Jonah's life back on track. The six part series was produced by Princess Pictures and Chris Lilley in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and screened on ABC1 in Australia, HBO in America, and BBC Three in the UK.[1]
The entire series was available for streaming online for one weekend from 2 May to 4 May on BBC iPlayer and ABC iview, before starting a six-week run on ABC1 on 7 May 2014 and from 8 May on BBC Three. This was a first for a major Australian TV production.[2] The series itself was a "ratings disaster" for both the ABC and BBC.[3][4] It was later announced that the entire series would screen at select cinemas in several Australian cities followed by a Q and A with Chris Lilley.[5] These events were subsequently cancelled, with refunds given[6] and the website created to promote them removed.[7]
Contents
Production
On 27 November 2013, Lilley confirmed that he would be bringing back Jonah Takalua (Summer Heights High) for a new show titled Jonah from Tonga in 2014.[8][9][10]
Melbourne-based production company Princess Pictures and Chris Lilley produced the series with Australian Broadcasting Corporation and HBO. Parts of the show are filmed at The Grange P-12 College, a western suburbs school in Melbourne.
Characters
- Jonah's family
- Chris Lilley as Jonah Takalua, the main character of the show. He previously appeared in Summer Heights High.
- Tama Tauli'i as Moses Takalua, Jonah's brother who has a talent for singing. Along with Jonah, he is a member of Fobba-licious.
- Isaia Noa as Rocky Takalua, Jonah's father. Rocky was previously portrayed by Tovia Matiasi in Summer Heights High.
- Linda Horan as Aunty Grace, Jonah's aunty, who he shows affection for.
- Jane Reupena-Niko as Melody, Jonah's cousin, who he finds attractive and occasionally attempts to date.
- Eigawe Hunt as Mary Takalua, Jonah's sister, who he constantly picks on for being overweight.
- Tevita Manu as Uncle Mamafu, Jonah's uncle, who decides that Jonah can no longer live with him on Tonga.
- Holy Cross High School staff
- Doug Bowles as Mr Joseph, the teacher in charge of Lazarus House. He has difficulty teaching Jonah, which often leads to violence.
- Uli Latukefu as "Kool Kris", a youth worker who encourages the Fobba-licious crew to enter the Feel Da Beat competition.
- Meaghan Butler as Miss Hunt, a teacher at Holy Cross High School whom all the boys find attractive.
- Dorothy Adams as Sister Monica, a naive but kindly administration officer at the school in charge of the sick bay.
- Other school students
- Jason Moleli as Manu, Fobba-liscious member.
- Lafaele Tauli'i as Israel, Fobba-liscious member.
- Tana Laasia as Sonny, Fobba-liscious member.
- Ilanna and Peggy, Fobba-liscious members.
- Bryce Padovan as Graydon, Mary's boyfriend and the school captain who doesn't get on with Jonah, the two of them always fighting and making one another.
- Garingal Juvenile Justice Centre
- Belinda Sharp as Therese Cooper, an officer at the Juvenile Centre.
- Mose Mose as Kevin, Jonah's cell mate at the Juvenile Centre.
- Braydan Pittman as Jarrod, one of the boys that disrespects Jonah. Jonah says that he is a cockhead and always goes into arguments.
Reception
The series received mixed reviews, attracting criticism both for its portrayal of Tongans and for Lilley's use of make-up. The series was poorly received by Tongans in Australia,[11][12] and several organisations in the United States criticised HBO's decision to air it.[13] Morgan Godfery, writing in The Guardian, described Takalua as Lilley's "most endearing character", but said that he had made Polynesians "collateral damage on [his] quest to critique racism". Godfery also suggested that because not all viewers could "identify Lilley's purpose", he was "in essence, acting out a modern minstrel show".[14] Giles Hardie, writing for The New Daily, described the show as "quite blatantly racist – playing on the cultural traits and responses to an ethnic community", but "hitting a variety of ethnicities and in doing so lumping us all in together". However, Hardie also noted that Lilley was "one of a handful of comedians in the world" who "force society to laugh in recognition at an unacknowledged reality and, while it laughs, to engage in some healthy introspection", and concluded that the series was not "creating the stereotype", but "challenging an existing one that is found in society".[15]
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date (ABC1) | Australian viewers |
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1 | "Episode 1" | Chris Lilley and Stuart McDonald | Chris Lilley | 7 May 2014 | 414,000[16] |
Banished to Tonga to live with his uncle, 14-year-old Jonah is causing more trouble than ever. His dad takes him back to Australia to start a new life but he quickly forms a new school gang and it's not long till trouble starts. | |||||
2 | "Episode 2" | Chris Lilley and Stuart McDonald | Chris Lilley | 14 May 2014 | 287,000[17] |
Jonah and the Fobba-liscious boys are forced to meet with youth worker Kool Kris after making bully videos. But when Jonah's brother is picked on he gathers Year 7 rangas and attempts to make the ultimate bully video. | |||||
3 | "Episode 3" | Chris Lilley and Stuart McDonald | Chris Lilley | 21 May 2014 | 348,000[18] |
While grounded Jonah and the 'Fobba-liscious' boys escape and go bowling. Their counselling session with Kool Kris leads to the boys taking part in the 'Feel Da Beat' song competition. | |||||
4 | "Episode 4" | Chris Lilley and Stuart McDonald | Chris Lilley | 28 May 2014 | 240,000[19] |
After a crazy day at school, Jonah and the boys embark on their biggest, most dangerous mission yet but their plans backfire in a massive way. | |||||
5 | "Episode 5" | Chris Lilley and Stuart McDonald | Chris Lilley | 4 June 2014 | 289,000[20] |
Jonah's harsh new surrounds bring new opponents and some unexpected allies. But the pressure is mounting on family, fame and friendship. | |||||
6 | "Episode 6" | Chris Lilley and Stuart McDonald | Chris Lilley | 11 June 2014 | 246,000[21] |
Jonah entertains his mates with all his stories of prison life but will Jonah still find himself behind bars with other bad boys or will he prove he can be a real man? |
Home video releases
Series | Set details | DVD release dates | Special features | |
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Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
Jonah from Tonga |
|
16 June 2014[22] | 28 May 2014[23] |
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Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Logie Awards[24] | Most Popular Actor | Chris Lilley | Nominated |
References
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- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/may/15/chris-lilley-tastes-ratings-disaster-as-just-287000-viewers-tune-in
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/aap/article-2643544/Where-Chris-Lilley.html
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.jonahfromtonga.com.au
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Adam Duggan (15 May 2014). "Sorry Miss! Tongan community launches protest against comedian Chris Lilley's juvenile delinquent TV character Jonah, branding it 'racist' and 'creepy'" – The Daily Mail. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ (9 August 2014). "Major US Civil Rights Organizations Slam ABC/HBO’s Jonah From Tonga" – The Tonga Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ "Jonah From Tonga: the modern minstrel show?" – The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ Giles Hardie (9 May 2014). "Jonah from Tonga: genius or racist?" – The New Daily. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/06/big-bang-repeats-leave-a-hole-in-nines-schedule.html
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External links
- Use Australian English from January 2016
- All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English
- Use dmy dates from January 2015
- Pages using infobox television with editor parameter
- Official website not in Wikidata
- 2010s Australian television series
- 2014 Australian television series debuts
- 2014 Australian television series endings
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation shows
- Australian comedy television series
- English-language television programming
- HBO network shows
- High school television series
- Mockumentary television series
- Teen dramas
- Television shows set in Melbourne