Dead, TVNZ onDemand
STREAMING ARTS + CULTURE GUIDE
STREAMING GUIDE MARCH 2022 Long hot days, cooler nights, and for many, the need to isolate at home means everyone might have a bit more time to stream the latest shows and need a bit of a laugh. This month we have tried to find a few things that might make you smile, laugh out loud and also keep you thinking. TVNZ ONDEMAND Dead
comedians as mirrors of contemporary culture, Phat Tuesdays reveals something important some may not have considered.
Comedian Tom Sainsbury is endearing and convincing as ‘Marbles’ (Dane Marbeck) in this mildly dark comedy series based on an earlier feature movie he and Hayden J. Weal cowrote. Recut for the web, Sainsbury feels like a cross between Tom Hanks as the man-child in the 1988 movie Big and Jack Black in the 2010 movie Gulliver’s Travels.
It’s a series that details the change that occurred when black comedians stopped writing their material for the tastes and sensibilities of conservative white audiences. Instead, given the platform of Phat Tuesdays at the Comedy Store, they performed material they knew would connect with the communities they came from.
Dane Marbeck is an authentically kind hearted soul who sees dead people. While he does it for money, he genuinely wants to help the recently deceased complete unfinished business and pass over to the other side. The only catch is that he must shoot himself up with a cocktail of drugs in order to do so. For this long time stoner, doing drugs isn’t really a problem, his drug dealer is one of his best mates.
“Phat Tuesdays was such an under-recognized cultural moment. It was very significant,” states Dave Chappelle in the first episode.
The plot twists when a moustache wearing police officer wakes up wearing only half his uniform and pink underwear and seeks out Dane Marbeck to help him find his attacker. The unlikely pair must learn to trust and understand each other to survive this slightly macabre mystery, which is full of good giggles but no real frights. There are some great performances by Jennifer WardLealand, Micheal Hurst, and a very compelling Tōmairangi Ihaia as Yana. Locally made fun. AMAZON PRIME Phat Tuesdays
Phat Tuesdays is more than a showcase of black comedians from the '90s. Like so many aspects of comedy as a genre and
94 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2022
It is probably true of all areas of the entertainment industry at some point in time that anyone outside the mainstream who tried to break-in was told by one gatekeeper or another to tone-down their specific style or world view in order to appeal more to the mainstream audience. This of course probably reinforced a raft of negative or unhelpful stereotypes and continued to exclude these entertainers. It wasn’t just that black audiences packed out Phat Tuesdays (and some argue thereby financially saving the Comedy Store) but it ushered in a new era of comedic heroes who had long been overlooked. This series is well worth the watch even if it is only for its great mix of A List comedians and performers who provide great context for the priceless archival footage. From Chis Tucker, Dave Chapelle, and Anthony Anderson, to Regina King and the clever pairing of Snoop Dogg and Tiffany Haddish there is lots to love and learn from this short docu-series.
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