''Life Support'' was a comedy programme on

Australia's Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by a ...

SBS network which satirised lifestyle television programs. It ran for three seasons. On

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...

2006, a ''Life Support'' Marathon was shown on the Comedy Channel showing the first series and half of the second.

Concept

A satirical, sometimes dark look at Australian life as seen through the omnipresent lens of the Television Lifestyle Show. The series' lifestyle experts included Sigourney, a home economics guru who always wore a fresh frock and was a firm believer in the doctrine of "pleasing your man"; Todd, a DIY expert; Rudi, a

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n general practitioner; and young person Penne. Much of the show's humour derived from

political incorrectness ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

and black humour. For example: Penne explains that roadside tributes are an ideal place to get fresh flowers; Dr Rudi endorses fattening up one's daughter to prevent boys from wanting to have sex with her because "It's better to have a fatty boombah in the family than a filthy slut"; Sigourney recommends that if you have a bad haircut, shave your head and tell your friends that you have had chemotherapy. One feature of the series were voxpop interviews with real people about topics raised in the show, which often supported the stereotypes and attitudes voiced by the characters.

Characters

* Penne - an independent, often aggressive, stereotypical university student-style young woman, always trying to find a way to make quick money and make life easier for overwhelmed young adults. Played by

Abbie Cornish Abbie Cornish (born 7 August 1982) is an Australian actress. Cornish is best known for her film roles as Heidi in ''Somersault'' (2004), Fanny Brawne in '' Bright Star'' (2009), Sweet Pea in ''Sucker Punch'' (2011), Lindy in '' Limitless'' (201 ...

(season 1) and Alison Barnes (seasons 2-3). * Sigourney - a ditzy blond young woman and stereotype from the North Shore of Sydney whose segments were dedicated to the art of landing a wealthy husband. Played by

Rachael Coopes Rachael Coopes (sometimes credited as Rachel Coopes) is an Australian actress, best known for her character ''Sigourney'' in the SBS cult parody series ''Life Support''. After starring in her first acting role as Max Cullen's daughter in the ...

. * Todd - a parody of 'do it yourself' home-handymen

bloke ''Bloke'' is a slang term for a common man in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The earliest known usage is from the early 19th century, when it was recorded as a London slang term. The word's origin is un ...

s. Played by

Brendan Cowell Brendan Cowell is an Australian actor, playwright, and director. Early life and education Cowell was born in Sydney and grew up in the beachside suburb of Cronulla. He credits his mother and high school drama teacher with encouraging him to e ...

(seasons 1-2) and Duncan Fellows (season 3). * Dr Rudi - an amoral

n doctor with a strong Afrikaner accent, who is a parody of doctors found in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. His

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

is "Howzit, Dr Rrrrudi here". Played by Simon Van Der Stap (seasons 1-3) and Jack Finsterer (season 3).

Dr Rudi vs Dr Rudi

Throughout the third series, there were various hints that the new Dr Rudi, who was explained as having surgery, was actually an imposter. During the usual letter time, instead of answering mail, they would instead continue the plot that the old Dr Rudi was out for revenge, and to get his life back. During the final scene of the last episode of the series, Sigourney and Dr Rudi's (Jack Finsterer) wedding was taking place, and from behind the bushes came the original Dr Rudi (Simon Van Der Stap) to try to end the wedding. The pair got into an argument over which Dr Rudi Sigourney would marry, and they started a fist fight. This led to the

closing credits Closing credits or end credits are a list of the Cast member, cast and Film crew, crew of a particular Film, motion picture, television program, or video game. Where opening credits appear at the beginning of a work, closing credits appear clos ...

. As no episodes of ''Life Support'' have been made since, this plot has never been resolved.

DVD release

All 3 series of ''Life Support'' have been released on DVD.

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0294136, title=Life Support * http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/18/1063625083852.html * http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/25/1027497373193.html Australian comedy television series Special Broadcasting Service original programming 2001 Australian television series debuts 2003 Australian television series endings