Bondi Vet

Channel: Ten
Day & time: Thursday, 7.30 p.m.
To watch full episodes of Bondi Vet, CLICK HERE

Animal rescue shows have always been a popular genre. There’s something endearing about watching our feathered and furry friends being nursed back to full health. I would wager that family pets in trouble gain more sympathy than patients in an ER show. Australia has had its fair share of animal rescue-type programs, but Bondi Vet is a more stylish take on the genre, and one that doesn’t skimp on substance.

With its prime time slot, and especially in its second season, Bondi Vet needs to be more than just another show about injured canines. Luckily this is exactly what Ten delivers, giving us a very interesting location (Bondi) and pairing it with a very interesting personality (the Vet). Doctor Chris Brown, who has had segments on shows like Harry’s Practice and Burke’s Backyard, is the face of the clinic and the one who tackles the biggest issues. And there are many issues when you are situated in an area with such colourful people and pets. The question is: how well do this veterinarian personality and the personalities he treats mix?

Bondi Vet is all about the drama, which is built by cutting between three different stories. In the first episode of the new season we follow the tribulations of Pablo the Pelican, Bella the Pug and Harley the Staffy. Emotion and tension is built by the mixed order in which the respective operations are shown , a little bit of each story being revealed piece by piece. The serious cases are treated by Chris, and the lesser procedures are performed by Lisa, another vet in the clinic. In either case, the show is edited in such a way that death or complications are just around the corner, which certainly draws the viewer in.

There is more than just the editing at work. It helps that a little of the animals’ personalities are shown, often in humorous circumstances. Short interviews have Chris and Lisa explaining the problems, in plain English, and how they are going to solve them. There are just the right amount of highs and lows. Coupled with the different stories, the show has a dynamic pace. Despite these techniques being typical of an animal rescue show, Bondi Vet has a little extra something that comes in the form of Doctor Brown.

Differentiating Bondi Vet from the usual affair, the star of the show is undoubtedly Chris Brown. He’s a dashingly handsome man, with a perfect smile, wavy blond locks, and an athletic body. Couple his good looks with his compassion for animals and good nature and we have ourselves a winner. Dreamy sums it up nicely. The show starts with a montage of Doctor Brown surfing and running. The introductory song contains the line “You make my world a better place.” A bit much? Perhaps. My girlfriend is convinced he has a terrible secret since he appears so perfect.

Like Doctor Harry, Chris is the figurehead of the show, but unlike Harry, it’s his all round good looks and attitude that will draw in a female audience. Seriously, a handsome man who cares for animals, all of which are extremely cute and/or in need of sympathy? I expect there will many a young woman—indeed many women in general—watching this show eagerly. As much as the show is about the animals, it’s also about Chris. In the first episode he delivers pups on his birthday and has lice crawl through his groomed hair. The drama and comedy clearly isn’t reserved for the animals.

In the end Bondi Vet is pleasant viewing that will strongly appeal to a female audience. On the surface it does little more than the average animal rescue show, but with smooth editing and a smooth leading man, there is a lot of warmth. The show manages to pull on heartstrings in more ways than one. If it weren’t for the style and flair you would think it would be relegated to a mid-afternoon timeslot, but as it is Bondi Vet airs every Thursday at 7:30pm.

Thomas Wilson