Utopia

2014

4.9

93 reviews

Eligible

Season 1 episodes (8)

1 Wood For The Trees

7/13/14

Tony's attempts to sign a massive international development deal are compromised by Rhonda's decision to re-design the NBA's logo. Meanwhile, a mix-up from Jim forces Nat to find room for a community garden within a multi-million dollar waterfront development. Matters are further complicated with the impending arrival of a delegation from China.

2 Protected Species

8/20/14

Tony is forced to step in when an endangered grass threatens to de-rail plans for a new container terminal. Meanwhile, Rhonda is convinced that the NBA needs a major overhaul of its website, complete with self-generated audio-visual content. Cue the arrival of Karsten and a film crew, along with the formation of a Working Party so large that the office actually runs out of chairs.

3 Very Fast Turnover

8/27/14

A trip to Canberra leads to Tony being forced to investigate the feasibility of building a very fast train. What looks like being a 30-year project is made increasingly difficult by the NBA's inability to retain staff for more than a few months. Matters are not made any easier with Amy's decision to conduct an office safety audit.

4 Onwards and Upwards

9/3/14

Tony is reluctantly dragged in when the developer of a low-rise inner city building project decides he wants to double the height of his apartment block. and then triple it again. Meanwhile, Nat's attempt to conduct a performance review on a staff member leads to unexpected trouble. None of this is made any easier by Katie's decision to run a Healthy Choices Month in the office, meaning there's nothing to relieve the stress other than herbal tea and rice crackers.

5 Arts and Minds

9/10/14

The decision to include roadside art on a major highway upgrade leads to controversy and a threatened delay to Rhonda's launch. Things go from bad to worse when Tony's visit to a primary school results in the actual launch of Australia's first space program. Throw in major office I.T. issues along with the impending arrival of a delegation from India and it's not a good week for the NBA.

6 Then We Can Build It

9/17/14

Concerned that Tasmania's infrastructure needs have been overlooked, Jim sends Tony and the team south for a series of public forums. Back at the office Rhonda's eagerness to spend the personal development budget before the end of the financial year leads to the arrival of Marvin Hudfield, a motivational expert from America with unusual ideas about team-building and a clarinet. It's going to be a long week.

7 The First Project

9/24/14

Slightly disillusioned by his first 11 months in the job, Tony thinks back to when it all began. The launch of the NBA was a great success but within weeks Jim was at his door, desperate for some sort of new public announcement. Stalled in the pre-planning stages, Tony and his team were forced to cope with Rhonda, angry cyclists, plumbing problems and gluten-free muffins. Not an auspicious start.

8 The Whole Enchilada

10/1/14

Despite his grave reservations, Tony is forced to evaluate plans for expanding northern Australia's Ord River Scheme. Nat has issues of her own with a stalled highway up-grade. Unfortunately for them the rest of the office is distracted by plans for a Mexican-themed anniversary party. Just when things couldn't get more complicated, Jim makes a shock announcement.

About this show

Utopia is a satirical comedy set inside the offices of the “Nation Building Authority”, a government organization responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects. The series follows the working lives of a tight-knit team in charge of guiding grand schemes from announcement to unveiling. Constant shifts in priorities are the order of the day as the staff are asked to come up with plans for everything from new roads and rail lines to airports and high rise urban developments. In short, Utopia examines the forces that go into creating a very well-designed white elephant.

Ratings and reviews

4.9

93 reviews

Spartan 59

June 10, 2018

Yes minister, Yes, Prime Minister and now Utopia. They all tell the true way we are being blindsided by political speak. I loved this show for the way it portray the Australian view from employees, minister's and OH&S to a level of interference to make anything viable or complete on actual time schedule. It is so relateable to our everyday lives that it is beyond just funny. Dry humour at its finest.

Jared Woodruff

August 24, 2017

This show is brilliant, writing is extremely on point and the acting is some of the best in Australian TV. To say Utopia's portrayal of the Business and Political world is accurate could not be more understated! I think after you watch this show you can agree that you have one or more of those characters in your daily working life.

Sean Fishlock

December 8, 2014

This is the driest humour in Australian TV for a long time. Completely exposes Australia's bureaucracy with constant tongue in cheek. Fantastic cast ensemble. Lehmo is a crack up, Rob Sitch is at his career best and Kitty Flanagan and Dave Lawson are super funny too.

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