Once again the team at Gristmill Productions and writers Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope have hit the library nerve with an uncanny knack with series 2 of their hit comedy, The Librarians. Shooting of the series will have finished by the time you read this and the cast will have dispersed – including the three ALIA members who won the competition to be extras in the show.
Middleton Interactive Learning Centre is spick and span for series 2, props again provided by the many generous folk in Victorian Library Land. (Wayne, who also directs the show, says the book mobile loaned to the program by Yarra Plenty Library Service is the best prop he’s ever had.) But we can’t tell you about that yet.
On one of the main shooting days around 40 librarians also joined the crew to film scenes for the final episode. I was also lucky enough to be on the set. Cast and crew alike shared their personal happy library stories with me through the day and sent their thanks to the library community for their great support of the show. Also on the set was comedian Felicity Ward, who is making a ‘making of’ program for the series DVD. The ‘ALIA extras ‘ have also shared many library experiences with Felicity and have given her the rundown on how one gets to be a librarian in this modern age. But we can’t tell you about that either.
What we can tell you is that amongst all those involved with the program are many library champions, some of whom may well help ALIA’s advocacy campaigns in times to come. Amongst the feedback gleaned was a description of librarians as uniformly ‘kind’ and libraries as playing important roles in many developing careers. So, while these guys are making a comedy, behind it is some significant respect for the sector. They’re playing the show for laughs but they’re loving libraries – and librarians - for real.
There’s absolutely no prize for spotting the Library Week posters on set, or for identifying your Victorian colleagues who may have been extras. No prizes either for figuring out where the disco glitter ball, blow-up kangaroo and that bookmobile fit into the storyline. But you will be able to join the conversation on the ALIA The Librarians blog again when the series goes to air.
The Librarians - Series 2 will air on ABC1 at 9pm starting on Wednesday 5 August 2009.
Sue Hutley, ALIA Executive Director