By now Australia's adolescent television viewing public should have a new hero. Gazing at Peter Unwin George Wall - or Pugwall, as he so detests being called - most of them will be seeing a mirror image, with just the right amount of embellishment and a dash of fantasy thrown in, of course.
Based on the M.D.Clark novel of the same name, Pugwall (Nine Network, weekdays) is the latest offering from John Gauci's LJ Productions, the company responsible for other similarly targeted series such as Saturdee and Sugar and Spice.
And like those previous series it is full of charm and humour, a pleasure to the adult viewer as well as the younger market at which it is specifically aimed.
And much of that stems from the efforts of Jason Torrens, the thoroughly engaging young actor cast in the title role.
It is his confident, personable delivery of parts of Alan Hopgood's scripts straight to camera which strings the people and episodes in Pugwall's life together and his casting is a little gem.
He confides in the viewer, letting us in on his thoughts and admissions he keeps from other characters in the series.
Pugwall, he admits to us, is "not a name...that's a disease". Parents he contends, should have to pass tests before they are allowed to name kids.
Celebrating his 13th birthday as the series opens, Pugwall has problems common to many teenagers - parents, a little sister and school, not necessarily in that order.
With three mates - Orfo (Jay McCormack), Bazza (Troy Beckwith) and Stringbean (Ricky Fleming) - he also wants to become a rock star and earn "$1 million before breakfast".
He refers to his real estate salesman father (Ken James making a return to television after a long absence) as "Herohead" and his mother (Louise Hall) as "Supes" - short for Superwoman.
His sister (Emma Snow) gets the derogatory title of "Marmaloid". If you want to know the truth about a girl, Peter Unwin George Wall pronounces, don't ask her mother, ask her brother!
The series also features performances from a couple of notable veterans in Maurie Fields, as Pugwall's drunken Uncle Harry, and Vic Gordon as Old Gus.
And as Pugwall works towards that dream of rock stardom with his band The Orange Organics, there's some feel-good original music, too.
Enjoy!
