Everything wrong that can happen does happen to Helen Fisk, and it’s those unlucky encounters and minor inconveniences that make rich fodder for the show’s comedy. Helen is awkward and pragmatic to a fault, a fish out of water in the small sunny suburban town she’s moved into. But the more she bristles (in her own hilariously deadpan way), the more she blooms too, into a person that’s a little bit more caring and aware of those around her. Americans might see shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm in Fisk, but where the former is led by a stubborn unlucky man set in his ways, the latter is led by a stubborn unlucky woman who leaves a little room for growth, and that makes all the difference. 

Australian humor is fabulously dry, and nowhere is this more apparent in recent TV history than in Fisk. The jokes are understated, the writing is ironic, and the expressions are usually blank, but placed in crazy moments, they work to highlight the absurdity of mundanity. Fisk is a simple but effective show, and many sitcoms will do well to adopt the straightforwardness of Fisk’s structure.