Single Ladies isn’t a sex comedy, it’s a comedy about sex. In a similar fashion to Olivier Assayas’ booksmart Non-Fiction from earlier this year, this new Australian web series features characters who are not defined by their sexual exploits, but are rather shackled by the adult problems that come with modern dating.
Whether you’re after a long-term deal or just a one night hook-up, navigating today’s dating scene can be quite tricky. Then there’s a whole new set of troubles in trying to maintain a healthy relationship too – both in the streets and in the sheets. In a world where there’s a podcast on any subject matter, it makes sense why Single Ladies, the sex-positive radio show at the centre of the series, could realistically be appealing to a wide range of listeners.
On the Air
If the controversial radio duo Kyle and Jackie-O could survive a humiliating on-air “rape stunt”, then one must imagine there’s space for a show like Single Ladies, an hourly chat-show hosted by besties Nina (Alexandra Nell) and Catherine (Megan Hollier), who, as we witness in the first episode, deal out a daily dose of sex ed whilst also divulging in their own late night shenanigans. This fun is put on pause when their loyal producer Hashim (Jad Abid) reveals that they’ve been cancelled – in the literal sense, not in the “Twitter” manner of being invalidated online – and they’re to be swiftly replaced by frat-boy buddies Ronnie and Donnie, whose crass sexual politics would date the struggling format of radio back to a pre-World War level of discrimination.
Their isolated hub, lit by neon and illuminated by the vibrant rapport between the two best friends, gives space for the consolidation of public and private lives – of both its hosts and listeners – to be addressed honestly. From its opening moments, where the sexual act of pegging is introduced (a practice teased in the first Deadpool film), Aaron Moss’ script keeps a moderately critical eye to the modern standards of national broadcasting – where male vulgarity is celebrated whilst their female counterparts are often vilified for spouting the same material.
The show’s trio of directors – Gemma Hall, Mimi Helm and Jacqueline Pelczar – paint a gleeful portrait of a partnership that considers the inherent effects of monetizing a friendship and the multitude of stresses that come with maintaining the professional and personal sides of such an agreement. Whilst Single Ladies tackles the common themes of workplace difficulties and contemporary dating practices over its diverse six episodes (clocking in at 8 minutes a pop), it does pose different questions than its similar US counterparts – Broad City and Sex Education immediately come to mind – and unlike Lena Dunham’s Girls, it actually casts people of colour.
Us Against the World
Throughout the series’ rapid six episode run, the pair (alongside the affable Hashim) quarrel with a string of feuding antagonisms, each bringing their own contributing factors into their sudden cancellation. Whether it be spiteful parents, chastity-driven cults or even the religious sensibilities of their station’s parent company, Moss’ evolving scripts paint no easy way out for the titular dynamic duo; whenever one door seemingly opens, another closes.
The show’s romantic spirit finds an ideal expression in its obvious but earned subplot between Hashim and Catherine, where an unrequited crush provides a nice through-line for each chapter, and gives a built-in defence for any biased detractors to label the show as “man-hating”, especially when males and females are portrayed in equally positive and negative lights. Everybody receives the business end of a barbed joke or a rightful jab, with the real enemy being the suppression and distortion of free speech in the pursuit of power and profit.
Character exchanges are riddled with frank sexual expressions that render these radio personalities in the real, despite the comically-constructed scenarios that form the basis of each episode. The series never quite tips over into fully fledged comic territory – but the necessity to set up, flesh out and wrap up an entire arc within 48 minutes makes each interaction, each step towards progress, feel rushed at times, and one wonders how it’d work as an extended 30-minute a piece television series that’d allow its best elements to breathe a little better.
Single Ladies: Conclusion
Within this new world of “Netflix and Chill”, the idea of condensing a season of television into the running time of a single pilot episode – this can be smashed out in under the time it’d take to indulge in the first chapter of HBO’s Euphoria – is an alluring appeal, especially for its designated target audience, but Single Ladies never quite escapes its intrinsic fleeting feeling. This is not to be taken as a detriment though, as forgoing traditional structures – to be more inline with today’s values and viewing habits – is wholly appropriate for its contemporary characters.
Does this series sound like a good time to you? Let us know in the comments!
Single Ladies will debut on Hyvio on July 22.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.