Jungleboys' new show 'A Moody Christmas' premieres tonight at 8:30pm EST on ABC1

Wednesday 31, October 2012 at 11:46 AM by CB

Jungleboys' A Moody Christmas, which has earned Show of the Week in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and the Green Guide, as well as being given 4.5 stars in the Herald Sun premieres tonight. A preview screening was held at the Chauvel in Paddington on Monday night.

The 6 episode series revolves around Dan (Ian Meadows) who returns home to Sydney from London each Christmas to spend time with his family. It has a clever hook in that each episode is set a year apart, giving plenty of opportunity for narrative and character development between episodes. It is directed by Jungleboys' Director Trent O'Donnell who also co-created and co-wrote the series with Phil Lloyd.

It's a big week for O'Donnell who has just returned from LA where Comedy Central is about to start production on it's own version of his previous series Review With Myles Barlow which won the Best Comedy AFI in 2009 and 2010.

Says Paul Kalina, The Age: "There are sinister edges to some of the

marvellously fiendish characters, whose rivalries, jealousies, grudges, frustrations, casual racism and prejudices are palpably real and dramatic. They are a far cry from the overblown caricatures that have ruined many Australian

comedies....Polished, funny and enjoyably cathartic."

Says Greg Hassall, the Sydney Morning Herald: "If Review opened the doors for these guys, A Moody Christmas could blow them off the hinges. Accessible and relatable but still reflecting the skewed sensibility that made Review so interesting, it may be one of those rare shows loved by viewers and critics alike."

(Pictured: 1) Trent O'Donnell, Lara Husselbee, Claire Wilkinson, Alex Hey; 3) Flavio Fonseca, Piero Ruzzene; 4) Scott Nowell, Andrew Garrick; 5) Georgina Haig, Jane Harber; 6) Al Morrow, Jason Burrows, Guy Edmonds; 7) Tania Lambert, Christiaan Van Vuuren; 8) Tina Bursill, Phil Llyod).