Australian
Screen

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Kingswood Country – There’s No Place Like Rome (1980)

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clip Rinso, Omo, Milo

Original classification rating: PG. This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

Ted Bullpitt (Ross Higgins) and wife Thelma (Judi Farr) are halfway through a Scrabble game with their daughter Greta (Laurel McGowan) and her husband Bruno Bertolucci (Lex Marinos). When Bruno tries to look up a word, he discovers that Thelma has bought an Italian dictionary instead of an English one.

Curator’s notes

Bringing to mind the more recent sitcom Kath and Kim (2002–07) and its fascination with the banality of brands, Kingswood Country here creates wordplay using the brand names of popular domestic products. Thelma’s adoration of department store Myer and anything that’s on special makes further fun of Australian suburban consumerism. The scene also draws humour from character, with Thelma’s motherly over-helpfulness.