With the influx of must-watch TV shows, it’s no surprise that some real gold can fall off the radar for a lot of us. A valuable piece of cinema has poked its head up above the rest, in the form of SBS On Demand’s Robbie Hood.
The six episodes of straight-up perfect Aussie comedy follow the antics of young Robbie, who is living in a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia, staying busy getting rowdy with his mates.
Keeping Robbie, Georgia Blue and Big Little Johnny in check is a well-meaning policeman, ‘Shane the Copper’. Whenever the trio find themselves in trouble, or leaning over to the wrong side of the law, Shane is seen to be steering them back in the right direction, rather than scolding them.
In Indigenous media, it’s not uncommon for the police to be painted in a really aggressive and negative way. When GOAT spoke with the director of Robbie Hood, Dylan River, we asked him why he felt it was so important to rewrite that narrative.
“It was really important that we didn’t take a position of the ‘f*ck the police’ ideology. For me that Robbie wasn’t retaliating against police force, or the idea of police in his life.
The policeman is really a guiding figure, and you’ll realise that he’s really only there to help Robbie and his mates, to steer them away from trouble, but if they are in trouble, he understands, and he’s there to help.
At the end of the day, police are human and come in so many shapes and forms. There are good cops and bad cops but it’s also not just black and white- like, just because some films may have depicted cops in certain ways, it doesn’t mean they’re all the same.”
Robbie Hood is the perfect example of Australian television rewriting the stereotypes that were enforced by people before us, and it’s a really positive direction to be taking.
As well as addressing poverty, discrimination and foster care, Robbie Hood is wildly funny and relatable for all Australians, regardless of background.
Also, the episodes are only 10 minutes long and really far too easy to consume, you’ll reach the end and be patiently waiting for more.
Watch the full trailer for Robbie Hood here:
Stream Robbie Hood from 5th July 2019 on SBS On Demand.