The Jackie Brown Diaries: Series One
Remember Bridget Jones? Her "diaries" made it acceptable and even popular to acknowledge (if only in private), one's insecurities and neuroses.
Now, imagine a character similar to Bridget, but brunette, a New Zealander, much more ambitious, and not entirely likeable.
What you're imagining is Jaquie Brown.
Jaquie Brown has, in fact, worked in TV; the real woman behind the series, that is. In this series, she revels in playing an insecure, egocentric, rarely redeemable character. And she's very funny.
Whatever Jaquie Brown has done in the past, she certainly has a strength for comedy. Not knowing what she has done prior to this show, it's hard to know whether she has surprised her audience by playing a patently flawed character, but her performance is strengthened by her sheer abandonment of vanity.
If you're inclined to shy away from this comedy series because it's from New Zealand, you'll miss out. Despite its low budget, it looks fabulous and sports a stylish soundtrack.
The ensemble cast is good, but the standout performance is by Hannah Banks who plays Kim, a straight-talking, no-nonsense publicist. She's not one of those publicists who props up her client's ego, and she pays scant regard to sentimentality. She's efficient, although many of the projects she gets Jaquie involved in, are outlandish. But then, much as she would never admit it, Jaquie is a C-grade celebrity at best.
Series one of Jaquie Brown, skipping by the opening credits of each episode, runs at just over two hours, can be enjoyed in one sitting, and would probably be even more enjoyable if watched with friends. Jaquie is shallow, self-centred, frequently unscrupulous and frightfully insecure. Her career is driven by nothing more than a desire for fame. In this age of celebrity, chances are, you know someone just like her.