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MAL.COM

New ABC3 children’s sitcom television series Mal.Com is a refreshing contrast to the typical squeaky clean, laugh-track based North American kid’s shows.

The locally produced comedy, aimed at 10-14 year olds, follows three homeless kids who discover that Australia’s biggest television host, Malcom Mann, is an artificial life form. The children strike a deal with Malcom’s producer and find themselves living the dream when they move in with the host and pretend to be his children.

Mal.Com follows a non-traditional series format, comprised of thirteen 15-minute episodes which creates a fast-paced show. The series, featuring Ruby Hall as teenager Daisy, Luke Ledger as Jake, and Gwy McKenna as The Kid, brings a new point of difference to children’s comedy with its Australian sensibility, irreverence, and motley crew of cheeky, badly behaved, but clever characters.

The offbeat television host, Malcom, is played by Geoff Paine, whose instinctive ability to mimic TV personalities inspired the creation of the character. Mal.Com’s humour resonates with both children and adults; the show makes a point to lightly critique and parody television hosts across all genres, whilst still relying on fluffy silliness to bring the laughter.

The concept of the show – particularly the dream television host that didn’t require pay, food, rest – had been brewing for over ten years before the opportunity for a new Australian television’s show arose. The series was able to come alive due to Screen West’s West Coast Kids Initiative that allowed for Western Australian production companies to submit ideas for a new children’s sitcom. The four young actors in Mal.Com, as well as the entire crew, are Western Australian, and the show provided opportunities for emerging WA writers to script episodes, a key aim of the West Coast Kids Initiative.
Initial response to Mal.Com has been positive both online and on air.

Mal.Com’s first series was the outcome of an initiative between ABC3, ACTF and Screen West. Distributor ACTF revealed strong initial responses to Mal.Com at MIPCOM, and ABC Children’s Head of Commissioning and Development, Carla de Jong, has stated a second series of Mal.Com is possible in 2012, largely depending on success of the show overseas. The series screened on ABC3 for two weeks and encore screenings of Mal.Com will play on ABC3 at 4:55pm weekdays.

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