First Review: The Librarians

Despite losing Kath and Kim to Seven and adjusting to the axing of The Glass House, ABC comedies have never enjoyed such fervour. The Chaser, Summer Heights High and Spicks and Specks have given the commercial networks a regular Thursday morning migraine.

But they haven’t come without cost. Controversial content has also attracted their share of media furores.

Its new comedy The Librarians also dabbles with a few social hot potatoes, but with slightly less malice than from Ja’mie or Mr G. Unlike Chris Lilley’s dark mockumentary these are clearly actors doing schtick. Remember that.

Robyn Butler plays Frances O’Brien, Head Librarian at the Middleton Interactive Learning Centre. She rules with a firm hand, constantly reining in her inept staff. Delegation is a dirty word. O’Brien never gives her underlings enough rope to ruin her reputation. She is the queen of the upward inflection and the rhetorical question. With a smile through gritted teeth O’Brien feigns support and answers every query with more condescension than a pissed-off Centrelink Officer.

Her kooky collection of municipal manpower includes a petty crim on community service (Bob Franklin), a cheerful, wheelchair-bound young woman (Heidi Arena), a dyslexic (Josh Lawson), a Lebanese Muslim (Nicole Nabout) and a young, gay Asian Australian (Keith Brockett). Kim Gyngell and Roz Hammond also appear.

The mix of minorities facilitates plenty of offensive cliches falling from O’Brien’s mouth. I suppose if racism and ignorance is still prevalent out there, it’s fair material to be mocked and disempowered. Isn’t it?

The point here is that lip service with a smile undercuts with as much effect as blatant abuse.

Newcomer Keith Brockett is bright and breezy as the amusingly-dubbed ‘Ky Lee.’ He’s smart and efficient, a breath of fresh air amid Keystone Cop colleagues. Thankfully the early eps don’t take too much license with either Ky’s race or sexuality. But the constant physical comedy gags of Dawn’s clumsy wheelchair steering will tire fast.

The Librarians is predominantly light stuff, relying heavily on Butler (also the show’s co-writer and co-creator) to considerable success.

The plot is complicated by more flashbacks than the Dewey Decimal Classification could catalogue. But there are some laughs to be had if you don’t read too much into it.

The Librarians premieres 9:30pm Wednesday on ABC.