Comedy Central Presents: Deep Fried Man

This is a bit broad, so we’ll whittle it down for you. There’s a bunch of local comedy available on Showmax, so if musical comedy is not your vibe, feel free to sniff around for something else.

Daniel Friedman aka Deep Fried Man, combines song and jokes for a unique blend of commentary on everything from the Guptas to general life. Observational comedy can sometimes be a bit “meh” (technical term), but the witty tunes makes this well worth watching. Some of the jokes aren’t exactly PC, but South Africa’s comedians have never put anything off limits.

Available on Showmax

Sour Grapes

There’s an odd sense of respect one feels for hustlers. We’re not talking small fry hustlers, we mean big ball hustlers who concoct such bizarre lies that you kinda hope they get away with it.

Enter Rudy Kurniawan. Arrested in 2012 for selling fake wines on auction, he’s either a genius for proving that all those “notes of oak bark” and “wafts of goose arse” that wine snobs bang on about is complete nonsense, or he’s just really good at making fake wine.

The documentary feels a bit laborious at times, it’s almost an hour-and-a-half long, but the story is fascinating. It leaves many questions unanswered and doesn’t deliver quite on the dramatics, but if you’re looking for a bit of insight into how easy it is to fool people (and get away with it for a while), this is good evening fodder.

Available on Netflix

Black Books

Bernard Black will forever be one of the most likeable bastards created for TV. If you’re not familiar with the sitcom, it centres around the cantankerous bookshop owner, Bernard Black, and his misadventures in misanthropy.

With the title role exquisitely portrayed by Dylan Moran, if you’re disposed to being a bit grumpy, this will make you feel a little less abnormal.

Available on… you’ll have to reach for the DVDs

Video of the Week: Nautilus Live

Take to the depths as the E/V Nautilus  charts unknown areas of the ocean. A live stream with active commentary and telemetry, if you have a fear of the deep dark sea, this is the best way to peek.

Quick hits

The Rugby Championship returns with South Africa hosting Australia in Port Elizabeth. Buoyed by  their recent win over the All Blacks in New Zealand, can the Springboks finally manage some consistency? Oh and then there’s the Ryder Cup – that great adventure into golfers pretending they can play as a team. DM