At the start of every week on the Sydney set of Colin from Accounts there’s a sense of anticipation in the air. And it’s not down to the excitement of catching up with colleagues to share any weekend adventures.
“We have Hidden Money Monday, where we take $50 or $100 and hide it somewhere on set,” Harriet Dyer – co-creator and star, alongside husband Patrick Brammall – says of a tradition they began to inject some fun into the start of the week. “We’ve hidden it in so many nooks and crannies – the brewery, the kitchen at Gordon’s house, under knick-knacks or a pot plant.”
“The crew still have to do their job and not ruin the set,” adds Patrick, who plays Gordon. “But we really do take pains to make sure everybody is having a good time at work.”
This is just one small example of the joviality they bring each day to the Aussie comedy series that is giving Bluey a run for its money when it comes to garnering international fans. When the duo attended the BAFTA Awards in the UK recently, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs and David Tennant were just a few of the famous guests who beelined to them to profess their love for the series, which centres on two flawed yet deeply funny single strangers whose lives become entangled after a car hits a runaway dog.
The idea for the series was spawned in Los Angeles, where the couple (who met in 2015, went public with their romance two years later and married in 2021) now live. Harriet was in a dry acting patch and bashed out an early script in a matter of days. Patrick was instantly hooked. But when the time came to make the show they were determined to do it Down Under and keep it intrinsically Australian.
“At some point, someone did point out in the script, should we change ‘arvo’ to ‘afternoon’ because Americans don’t understand it?” Harriet recalls. “But we were like, ‘no’. We’ve been watching American stuff for ages, just accepting that it’s snowing on Christmas Day.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
