Reviews

Summer Heights High

By Marshall Fine

Rating:

Sunday, Nov. 9, 9:30PM, HBO

Set in an Australian high school, this mockumentary supposedly follows a year in a typical school by focusing on three characters: Jonah, a troublemaker who regularly bullies other students; Ja'mie, an exchange student from a private school who worries she's too hot for public school; and Mr. G, the drama teacher who thinks he's ready for Broadway. They're all played by Aussie comic Chris Lilley, who gives each character a devilish spin that's part narcissism, part stupidity - and all genius. The mock-doc is overused but Lilley makes it a reliable laugh-getter by daring to be outrageous. Just when you think he can't top himself, he crosses another line and provokes snorts of laughter.
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