Jonah from Tonga

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Jonah from Tonga is an Australian television series written by and starring comedian Chris Lilley. The mockumentary series follows Jonah Takalua, a rebellious 14-year-old Australian boy of Tongan descent who had been introduced in Lilley's 2007 series Summer Heights High. At the conclusion of that series, Jonah was expelled from Summer Heights High. In this series, his father, Rocky Takalua, has sent him back to his homeland of Tonga to live with his uncle and their family in order to get Jonah's life back on track. The six-part series was produced by Princess Pictures and Chris Lilley in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and screened on ABC1 in Australia, HBO in America, and BBC Three in the UK.

The entire series was available for streaming online for one weekend from 2 May to 4 May on BBC iPlayer and ABC iview, before starting a six-week run on ABC1 on 7 May 2014 and from 8 May on BBC Three. This was a first for a major Australian TV production. The series itself was a "ratings disaster" for both the ABC and BBC. It was later announced that the entire series would screen at select cinemas in several Australian cities followed by a Q and A with Chris Lilley. These events were subsequently cancelled, with refunds given and the website created to promote them removed.

Production

On 27 November 2013, Lilley confirmed that he would be bringing back Jonah Takalua (Summer Heights High) for a new show titled Jonah from Tonga in 2014.

Jonah from Tonga Jonah From Tonga ABC TV

Melbourne-based production company Princess Pictures and Chris Lilley produced the series with Australian Broadcasting Corporation and HBO. Parts of the show are filmed at The Grange P-12 College, a western suburbs school in Melbourne.

Characters

Jonah's family

Jonah from Tonga Jonah From Tonga HBO On Demand

Chris Lilley as Jonah Takalua, the main character of the show. He previously appeared in Summer Heights High.

Tama Tauli'i as Moses Takalua, Jonah's brother who has a talent for singing. Along with Jonah, he is a member of Fobba-licious.

Isaia Noa as Rocky Takalua, Jonah's father. Rocky was previously portrayed by Tovia Matiasi in Summer Heights High.

Linda Horan as Aunty Grace, Jonah's aunty, who he shows affection for.

Jane Reupena-Niko as Melody, Jonah's cousin, who he finds attractive and occasionally attempts to date.

Eigawe Hunt as Mary Takalua, Jonah's sister, who he constantly picks on for being overweight.

Tevita Manu as Uncle Mamafu, Jonah's uncle, who decides that Jonah can no longer live with him on Tonga.

Holy Cross High School staff

Doug Bowles as Mr Joseph, the teacher in charge of Lazarus House. He has difficulty teaching Jonah, which often leads to violence. He later retires due to the Catholic Education Office deeming that Lazarus House is unsatisfactory.

Uli Latukefu as Mr Fonua aka "Kool Kris", a youth worker who encourages the Fobba-licious crew to enter the Feel Da Beat competition.

Meaghan Butler as Miss Hunt, a teacher at Holy Cross High School whom all the boys find attractive.

Dorothy Adams as Sister Monica, a naive but kindly administration officer at the school in charge of the sick bay.

Other school students

Jason Moleli as Manu, Fobba-liscious member.

Lafaele Tauli'i as Israel, Fobba-liscious member.

Tana Laasia as Sonny, Fobba-liscious member.

Ilanna and Peggy, Fobba-liscious members.

Bryce Padovan as Graydon, Mary's boyfriend and the school captain who doesn't get along with Jonah. The two of them are always fighting.

Garingal Juvenile Justice Centre

Belinda Sharp as Therese Cooper, an officer at the Juvenile Centre.

Mose Mose as Kevin, Jonah's cell mate at the Juvenile Centre who he finds boring.

Braydan Pittman as Jarrod, one of the boys at the prison that disrespects Jonah. Jonah says that he is a cockhead and always goes into arguments.

Reception

The series received mixed reviews, attracting criticism both for its portrayal of Tongans and for Lilley's use of blackface make-up. The series was poorly received by Tongans in Australia, and several organisations in the United States criticised HBO's decision to air it. Morgan Godfery, writing in The Guardian, described Takalua as Lilley's "most endearing character", but said that he had made Polynesians "collateral damage on [his] quest to critique racism". Godfery also suggested that because not all viewers could "identify Lilley's purpose", he was "in essence, acting out a modern minstrel show". Giles Hardie, writing for The New Daily, described the show as "quite blatantly racist – playing on the cultural traits and responses to an ethnic community", but "hitting a variety of ethnicities and in doing so lumping us all in together". However, Hardie also noted that Lilley was "one of a handful of comedians in the world" who "force society to laugh in recognition at an unacknowledged reality and, while it laughs, to engage in some healthy introspection", and concluded that the series was not "creating the stereotype", but "challenging an existing one that is found in society".

References

Jonah from Tonga Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Jonah from tonga see it all on iview

Contents

Jonah from tonga

Production

Characters

Reception

References