Glimpse into the abyss and you’ll see things you never knew existed: equine therapy, breast milk ice cream, a tunnel to nowhere. A day in the life of a heroin addict, of a nudist, of a bridge jumper. You’ll see the grotesque, the disarming and the beautiful. You’ll see things you wish you hadn’t. You’ll see what Vive Cool City does.
The cult investigative web series spearheaded by former Hungry Beast host Kirk Docker and intrepid twenty-something year old everyman Ryder Susman delivers a seismic slap to the face of Australian television with the premiere of their new documentary series airing tonight at 11:30pm on SBS 2.
Described by Andrew Denton as “seditious”, “ugly”, “confronting” and “disturbing” the series is above all else inquisitive. So much so that when programming executives consider whether or not to commission further episodes (something they are yet to commit to) the thing they should covet wholeheartedly is not its ability to shock and surprise but its ability to tell stories.
That these stories are found deep in the cultural margins, sympathetic to their subjects and ignored by mainstream media outlets tells us they’re the ones most worthy of telling.
Vive Cool City premieres tonight at 11:30pm on SBS 2.
