https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-02/Colour%20TV%20Mega%20Menu%203%20TVs_1000x745%20px.jpg
The Genie From Down Under: 'Gidday, I'm Otto von Meister'
Title:
The Genie From Down Under: 'Gidday, I'm Otto von Meister'
Year
1995
Otto von Meister (Mark Mitchell) and his nephew Conrad (Fletcher Humphrys) arrive at Townes Downs with a busload of unfortunate Russian tourists. Supervised by Trish Emu (Kylie Belling), the tourists are desperate to use the toilet. Otto doles out the toilet paper one sheet of at a time as they queue to use the only bathroom at Townes Downs. Lady Diana (Anna Galvin) and Mossop (Monica Maughan) look on in horror. Summary by Annemaree O'Brien.
This clip mines the cultural contrasts between the English Lady Diana and her prim housekeeper Mrs Mossop, and the two outback Australian male stereotypes – the handsome and well-mannered Bruce and Baz, and the rude ruffian Otto – for humour. Costumes, makeup and props are used well to create these contrasts, drawing strongly on Paul Hogan’s iconic Crocodile Dundee character that was so well-known in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Genie From Down Under synopsis
Posh English schoolgirl The Hon Penelope Townes (Alexandra Milman), possessor of the magical opal, is magically whisked away by her Australian genies, Bruce (Rhys Muldoon) and his young son Baz (Glenn Meldrum) – from her grand home in Witshire England to her ‘inheritance’ – Townes Downs in outback Australia. She hates it and wants to go home but her mother Lady Townes (Anna Galvin) likes the solitude and wants to stay.
Shonky tour operator, Otto von Meister (Mark Mitchell), and his nephew Conrad (Fletcher Humphrys) arrive with a load of Russian tourists. When he learns that Penelope has an opal, Otto recalls that it belonged to their family years before and he and Conrad decide to steal it back. Penelope falls for Conrad and hangs around him, while he pays her attention so he can steal the opal.
The Genie From Down Under curator's notes
In this second episode of The Genie From Down Under from series one, the action shifts to Australia and introduces the anti-heroes, Otto von Meister ‘the tour guide from hell’ and his sneaky nephew Conrad, providing contrast with the prim and proper Penelope, Mossop and Lady Diana Townes. The Russian tour guests are one-dimensional and in each episode Otto’s tour group is a different national or cultural group – caricatured as part of the humour.
The name Lady Diana is a relic of the times, a direct reference to Diana, Princess of Wales, formerly Lady Diana Spencer who was at the height of her popularity around the world. She died in 1996.
The Genie From Down Under first went to air on the ABC at 5:00 pm on Monday 3 June 1996 and screened in this timeslot weekly. This episode first screened on Monday 10 June 1996.
Notes by Annemaree O'Brien
Production company
The Australian Children's Television Foundation
Producers
Patricia Edgar, Phil Jones
Associate Producer (BBC)
Jeremy Swan
Executive Producers
Patricia Edgar, Anna Home
Supervising Producer (ABC)
Peter Jackson
Director
Jeremy Swan
Written by
Christine Madafferi
Composer
Frank Strangio
Acknowledgements
Produced for BBC Children's International, in association with the BBC, and in association with the Australian Broadcasting Commission
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.