Rude Awakenings - First Episode

This Kiwi neighbours at war ‘dramedy’ pitted the Rush family — newly arrived in Ponsonby —against the Shorts, who are long-time renters next door. Arthur Short (Patrick Wilson) is a Kiwi battler solo Dad, with two teenage daughters; Dimity Rush (Danielle Cormack) the right wing HR manager whose partner is an anaesthetist, with two teen sons. In this first episode, Dimity aspires to climb the property ladder by scheming to get the Shorts’ house as an investment doer-upper. The satire of gentrification screened on TV One on Friday nights. The cast includes Rose McIvor (iZombie). 

When a local drama series has viewers firing off letters to the editor passionately for or against, it’s probably doing something right.

– Diana Wichtel in a Listener review, February 2007

Key Cast & Crew

Danielle Cormack

As: Dimity Rush

Geoffrey Cawthorn

Director

Garth Maxwell

Series Creator, Producer, Writer

Michele Fantl

Producer

Stephanie Johnson

Writer

Michael Koloi

As: Damon Strauss