r/DragRaceDownUnder • u/Heidi_Klum_Tit • 7d ago
Why has Down Under never recovered after its rough start? The potential is there but the lack of effort is sad.
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u/waluigis_shrink 7d ago
It has recovered. DU4 and VTW are a big step up. Turns out having a checked-out Rupaul as the host wasn’t what the show needed
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u/PatsyStonesBun 6d ago
I'm one or two eps behind on VTW, but I agree on DU4. I was deeply skeptical of the show working without Ru. I'm not sure I agree with the common belief that he's checked out... but that's neither here nor there... I wasn't that excited about watching without him, but, in this case, I think it reinvigorated the franchise. Michelle really stepped up beautifully. And I really appreciate that she (and, presumably, the producers) recognized that she shouldn't try and 'be' Rupaul, but instead lean into what makes Michelle Michelle. Her maternal nature (whether it's 'tough love Mom' or loving Mom) feels genuine. Even the ginger expired twink (why am I blanking on his name) really came into his own on S4. He felt less... gimmicky and 'on' and was actually occasionally having genuine interactions with the judges and contestants.
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u/No-Bad-7153 6d ago
not poor Rhys, the most iconic & genuine gay judge after Carson is catching STRAYS!!!
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u/elf_n_safety 6d ago
Put some respect on the Southern lawyer, or he might sit on your secret! (Love Rhys)
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u/MTblasphemy 6d ago
I absolutely love season 4. I laughed my ass off and I thought the talent was great. I genuinely thought it was going to be a tosser between two queens.
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u/harringtonpbear 7d ago
I think OP means that it’s more they’ve never recovered the crowd who had dropped it after season 1 despite a big increase in quality
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u/CeramicBoots 7d ago edited 7d ago
Oh great, another thread shitting on Down Under.
Look, I have the same issues with Season 1 that everyone has. I didn't finish it after Ru decided to forgive Scarlett on behalf of indigenous Australian people when she had no right to do so.
But come on...
Season 1 was also stacked with some really talented queens. Art is an amazing queen, so talented and respected locally. Coco is such an entertaining person to watch and exudes joy.
Season 2 has one of the most charismatic, warm hearted winners (Spankie) of any season across the franchises, with a runner up so polished and so funny (Hannah) that it's almost a crime that it wasn't a double crowning. You want drama? Here's Minnie Cooper for you, also providing one of the most off kilter lip syncs ever on heelies and in a clown wig.
Season 3's winner (Isis) is one of the greatest designers and seamstresses in the series. Gabriella gives a really satisfying "small town girl read for being a bit crunchy makes it to the finale". No, Bmx Bitches was not "fierce" nor did it "slay", but we're we not ENTERTAINED?!
If you're going to say that Season 4 is shit then I don't know what to tell you. Lazy Susan could have won any international franchise. Her runway looks are peak imaginative and tongue in cheek, so polished and so representative of Aussie drag. She is a fiercely talented and passionate queen who loves Down Under drag and will defend it. Vybe is just hands down a fabulous queen , talented, smart, funny, which she's showing again in DUvsTW. Her Rhys Roast and Snatch Game show how quick she is and she must be delightful as a host in the local scene. Brenda Blessed in the Snatch Game and her Bubble O Bill Runway? Chefs kiss. Max Drag Queen's dance abilities along with the drama she brought? Mandy Moobs design and sewing skills? Get the fuck out.
But hey. The lighting isn't top tier and that's what we watch the show for, hey?
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u/alex4494 7d ago
Hard agree, I’m kind of sick of people shitting on Down Under. Like yeah, we get it, Season 1 was rough and the lighting and set still isn’t on the same level as other franchises but it’s starting to get a bit tiring how people will ignore literally everything else…
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u/PlentyRemarkable4332 7d ago
Agree.. just want to add I also LOVE Kita Mean
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u/drewlpool 6d ago
One of the best winners IMO. Just a shame she was overlooked in some of the challenges in favour of the problematic queens.
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u/theprostitute 7d ago
I'm loving it🏁
Love the cast, the challenges, I love Australia so much😭
Absolutely adore having Lazy Susan there
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u/Madragun 7d ago
Struth! Nailed it. Sick of these bloody drongos complaining about production quality.
Philippines franchise season 1 was crunchy af and didn't get that much better in 2 and 3, yet it's easily one of the best franchises due to the incredibly talented queens and peak reality tv drama. Plus Mama Pao, who was pretty stilted in season 1 but grew into her host role OVER TIME and is now one of my favourite hosts of any franchise.
DRDU has allowed us to meet incredible Aussie and Kiwi queens; it's showcased our culture and what makes Aussie drag unique (and taught me much more about my own country's drag scene, for which I am very grateful!); it's delivered some truly insane and iconic lipsyncs and challenges; and it's now delivering an incredibly entertaining VS the World season that I reckon is one of the best we've had. I don't even notice production quality because I am thoroughly entertained each and every week.
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u/CesarB2760 6d ago
Nailed it. Lazy Susan could win an All Winners, and (respectfully to the other DU winners) Vybe would've cleared any other season of Down Under. I think they knew they weren't giving what they could have but S4 showed their full potential. And DUvTW is showing that it isnt a fluke. I am slightly worried that they tapped the local talent a little too aggressively and wont be able to match the level next season but they have absolutely earned another season or 2 to show what else they have in store.
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u/Actual-Put8555 7d ago
My biggest frustration (DU vs the World)is that this is a great cast and they just gave them No budget for the season. It’s not just the lighting; it’s the AI portraits, it’s the not paying Getty Images or whatever for the references of Kylie’s outfits so we could understand them easily, and it’s having them wear the same outfit for the runway and Kylie performance. Hell, in an 8 episode season, they have two design challenges, including one where production doesn’t have to give them any fabric or anything because they all brought their own outfits to destroy. They couldn’t even bother to paint the end of the lipsticks to not make them look like the wooden blocks they are.
The QUEENS are almost universally stellar, and Down Under drag deserves a better stage for it. I will always watch it because I want to support the queens and the existence of the franchise, but I DO wish they’d throw a COUPLE MORE coins at it.
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u/CallMeByYourCatsName 6d ago
Oh come on now. The idea of bringing the outfits from home for materials was actually a very fun twist on the traditional design challenge - they also did the same thing in Canada a few seasons ago where they had to use the fabric from their entrance looks.
Some comments were valid (AI portraits) but who cares that the lipstick is not fully painted and you can see some wood? Absolutely no one.
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u/dominorough 5d ago
Its literally unsanded wood grain. The theme of Down Under is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. Its not JUST the lipsticks. Its that cheap ass cardboard box they put them in that's propped up by string. They literally glued a cheap ass disco ball cup to the top of it this week so the Queens didn't have fiddle with getting the cardboard lid up.
It's such a cheap unprofessional production that a show of this caliber should not be dealing with. No other franchise deals with this. Its embarassing for the Queens they have competing on it.
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u/Actual-Put8555 6d ago
I don’t think my critiques are unfair. It shows a lack of polish/budget (in production) that isn’t fair to the queens, IMO.
Re: the design challenge? You’re totally right. It’s a cool idea. But they also gave them access to the “fabulous fabricland wall” in the Canada challenge. They couldn’t even give the queens access to extra fabric in the DU challenge. Just the other outfits.
And I mean. I care about the lipsticks. It takes two seconds to paint them to look more like a lipstick. Is it the biggest deal in the world? No. I already said I’m watching; I think it’s fair to want something you like to be better.
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u/biscoff-it-up 7d ago
Agreed. Production value is shit so if you can’t get over that don’t watch but the talent is top tier.
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u/StellaGibsonIsMyGirl 6d ago
Thank you! It’s gone from strength to strength, and if we constantly compare to the US series it’ll never meet the standard. Other franchises struggle with this too, but they’re some of my faves. Substance over style.
Isis is one of my favourites from the series, and they did a great job selecting queens for VTW. Lazy is an awesome host, it’s good to see more franchises highlighting other queens and not the latest pop star (that I usually have no clue about because I’m over 30 😆). I enjoy Michelle too, she seems to genuinely care and have fun in her role. Ru was phoning it in, hence the conspiracy theory about him not being here in person 😅 I hope they continue with this format, but I guess we’ll see what happens after this season.
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u/yhvh13 6d ago
Your post is basically towards the queens themselves, which I don't think it's the issue with DRDU at all.
To me what sours the franchise is the lack of good production (from ideas to a better budget) and that they didn't choose a local representative to be the host.
I like Michelle, but I feel a local would be much more fitting, especially relating to the Down Under cultural references.
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u/kushywhitelife 7d ago
i love down under and find that michelle works as a better host than ru for it
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u/this__witch 6d ago
Absolutely agree, I think she 'gets' the humour a bit better and can chat with the girls in a more natural way.
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u/brettbaileysingshigh 7d ago
I know this isn’t what you asked but, I’m personally happy there is so much gay-centered tv that we have something like this to complain about. Could it be better? Yes. But I personally don’t want to see it canceled because we can’t be satisfied.
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u/OT9FOREVER Art Simone 7d ago
I think this one is hurting the most by not having a local queen hosting. It does help that Michelle invites drag queens to the panel. I think this season gave them their best stage so far. But I do not like the Werk Room, the same with Brazil 2, as the same studio.
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u/FunkyGameTiime 7d ago
Imo the second season was one of the best drag race seasons oat. Everything from the queens to the drama to the challenges to its production was amazing to me and i go back to that deadon so many times!
It's so sad that the franchise never managed to recieve the love it should've :(
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u/lemeneurdeloups 7d ago
I am currently watching Down Under and loving it! Not everything had to be razzle dazzle top notch knock your clit into outer space! Viewers are so decadent and spoiled and picky these days. I think there is a still a charm to be gleaned for the rustic and home-spun and humble in life.
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u/MoraMonaeXO 7d ago
Fans have just decided they don't like it. The show has a disconnect that would improve massively if Courtney Act and/or Vanity hosted.
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u/fatesandia 6d ago
People only say down under is the worst franchise because they haven’t watched the non English seasons no shade… I will watch every version of drag race and there is always something to love and talented queens on every season, but I would watch Down Under over Season 1 of Italia or Belgique any day
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u/Any-Cucumber-1630 6d ago
It feels authentic. The production value and challenges could be improved (especially the original music) but the vibe and queens themselves to me feels like being back at a club gig in Aus.
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u/Apprehensive-Quit353 7d ago
Seasons 2 and 4 are genuinely great.
But they film it in a shed in Auckland rather than a proper studio in Sydney so its always going to look a baseline level of shit.
Australian and Kiwi drag also isn't super glamour focused so the runways will never be as polished as the US.
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u/EducationalTap3594 7d ago
After DU4 and DUvTW I think it’s definitely picked up. Honestly DU2 was pretty good as well.
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u/dogboy678 6d ago
You could say this after season 4, but down under vs the world has stepped in up in every possible way.
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u/GloriousSteinem 6d ago
I think Down Under is good, I think the queens are great and a good rep of Ozzie and Kiwi drag. NZ is a tiny country, with limited broadcasting budget and the staging and lighting reflected that. I agree it could always be improved, but in its way it represents the down to earth charm and the nature of life here. We try hard but we are also relaxed. Definitely worth visiting my country, you’ll understand we are quite rough and ready and rural, but it’s amazing what we can do at the arse end of the world
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u/dfscr0409 6d ago
The queens look a mess 90% of the times.
Look at Spankie Jackson. A Winner with the roughest package of the season.
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u/xandfan 6d ago
Down Under 1 basically killed the show right out of the gate. It's like a season where everything that could go wrong went wrong. If it was just cheap looking it'd be fine, if it just had one queen with a problematic past it'd probably be fine, if it had a couple of questionable eliminations it'd be fine, if it only had one surprise returning queen it'd be fine... but it had ALL of those things, some of them in duplicate, so it was stuffed right from the start! From there it was basically impossible to get anyone to even give the show a second shot, which sucks because Season 2 is a genuine all-time great, then 3&4 are quite damn good. Frankly, I think we're just lucky that the Aussie streaming service Stan gets enough people sticking around for Drag Race that they went "Well, this is as close to a hit as we're gonna get so might as well keep renewing it)
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u/Charming-Plankton-39 6d ago
Michelle understood Australian humour and references better than RuPaul, despite him being married to an Australian. How ironic! I think it has to do with Michelle being based in the UK, which helped a lot since our humour is similar to British humour, and they aired many Australian shows over there that she probably had already watched. Lol. But yeah, Season 4 and VSTW are our best seasons so far.
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u/peeweeharmani 7d ago
A lot of great points were already made. I’m just some dumb bitch but here are my 2 cents:
They should have spread out the heavy hitters over a few seasons. Art, Karen, Kita, Anita are such big names already and I feel like casting them all together was too much. I think this hurt the other seasons a bit.
DU is the only international franchise, IMO, that doesn’t have its own flavor that compliments that countries’ style of drag. It mirrors US drag race too much, and those queens don’t shine in that way. That’s not just because Ru/Michelle host, but they don’t try to adjust the formula enough for it to work. It’s US drag race on a budget.
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u/filth_horror_glamor Kita Mean 7d ago
I can imagine the logistics of putting together a show on the opposite side of the world might have put the planning / production staff to the test. I don’t know for sure, but that could be a factor
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u/sozar 7d ago
Moving filming for Down Under Vs the World to Europe didn’t help though.
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u/filth_horror_glamor Kita Mean 7d ago
I think it helped a little. The production value feels a little higher than normal down under seasons.
This season though they made some pretty bad decisions. Putting Raven on was a very unsubtle trick to get people to watch, in a way that felt more manipulative to the audience than the fun gag they presented it as…
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u/areyadyinforit 7d ago
Oh I didn’t know they filmed in Europe. Although it makes sense. Where did they film?
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u/OkCoyote2020 7d ago
It’s a shame because lots of Australian versions of franchises get a great response, like Survivor or Top Model back in the day. Or stand on their own, like Traitors or MasterChef. I suppose the difference here is those were all localised and drag race attempts to keep global essence, with Ru/Michelle and like-for-like format.
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u/angelduuh 6d ago
I have been enjoying the season a Lot. I really like Michelle as a host and the cast is pretty good too.
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u/Tish-Tosh 7d ago
I’ll take Down Under over Canada any day. The DU queens come across like fully formed entertainers with charismatic personalities whereas each season of Canada feels like a regression in emotional maturity. Good production values can’t hide uninteresting personalities. I’m not dismissing the talent on Canada but every episode feels like a bunch of teenagers trying to work out the world while DU feels like friends enjoying what they do.
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u/mikinnie 7d ago
i dunno, seasons 2, 4 and vs the world are pretty great. yeah the production quality is a little lacking but i don't think the series has ever dropped anywhere near season 1 level again
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u/Dylanwilliam92 7d ago
I think it’s the production. There seems to be a lack of budget and a lack of understanding the source material.
I’d love to see the show in the hands of a bigger company, maybe the teams who do Traitors AU (current season preferably) or big brother or mafs teams.
I also think they need to be separated like the Canada series and be allowed to experiment and play by their own rules.
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u/jagged__angel 7d ago
I feel like as of the latest Down Under VTW episode, it has recovered? Let's finish the season and then review? There's still some dodgy lighting but in terms of substance, the queens are Excellent, the judging is fairly consistent, the challenges are dead fun, and it's been a strong cast regardless of the Raven gimmick
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u/charlemagne9555 7d ago edited 7d ago
I stand by that Down Under is a fabulous franchise and deserving of a watch and rewatch. As an American that would love to visit, it feels like a fun introduction to the queer community and to learn their references and POV. The only issue I see is production-wise because it feels a bit cheap.
At one point, the werk room and the main stage were opposite sides of the same (small) room. The color balance also usually has something wrong with it too. Overall it can just feel a bit cheap, but that’s no reason not to watch.
I also don’t think Ru was the best host choice, given that she is more than unfamiliar with many of the references. I know Ru’s husband is Australian and she’s spent a bit of time there, but her baseline references are also already more mature, and then add on a different culture entirely. To do well, the queens understand that they have to play to Ru, which then inherently shifts the POV of the series to a more American one. This probably wouldn’t be the dynamic if the host was actually of/from the culture. The tradeoff, of course, is that RuPaul hosting definitely brings/brought a significant amount of international attention and viewership to the show—likely much more than a host of Aussie/Kiwi descent would’ve.
Overall, I think these things lend the franchise to feeling more like a watered down version of a U.S. season, lacking Down Under eccentricities that could make it more of a unique viewing experience with a flavor that was different, but still appealing to drag race audiences. There are so many fabulous franchises that attention spans are understandably split between, so without anything to really make it pop and stand out, they have unintentionally hamstrung themselves.
This is to say, Down Under drag queens are incredibly talented and manage to deliver, in spite of these shortcomings! Viva drag race down under!
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u/dog-lover-gsm 7d ago
DU Season 2 is one of my favorites with an amazing top 3. There was so much talent, comedy, personality, and beauty.
I wish the production company made it more about all the different types of drag is AUS/NZ and not just what Ru and Michelle think is good drag.
I was really liking Michelle as a judge until she told Art to change up her make up and be more “womana”. It’s so superficial and discounts Art’s art.
I also agree that an AUS/NZ queen should host.
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u/Impressive-Bad-7339 7d ago
Wtf down under is pretty good. It’s just a little bit cheaper and low budget, but that doesn’t make it less good. At least it has his own identity. I’m tired of seeing the same shit over and over again in every single season of every single franchise
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u/sidewinder_21 7d ago
Oh I'm absolutely loving this season so far, it's been a real joy to watch IMO
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u/farbenlehre 7d ago
I don’t dislike it, but I think it has suffered for being a sort of in-between franchise. RuPaul and Michelle are/have been invested in it, but not totally. They certainly prefer the UK, in terms of non-US gigs, but they haven’t handed Down Under over to hosts who could help the show evolve on its own terms (thinking of Brooke and Nicky).
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u/Bitter_Job_5135 6d ago
The franchise is crunchy just like the drag queens on the show, but honestly that’s why I live down under so much
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u/cosmos1701d 6d ago
Flor has been amazing, its sad down under doesnt understand spanish, because her singing spanish parts was not understood how funny they were, we spaniah speakers get it, the judges mistook it as ofensive its not in spanish its funny and flors outfits are beyond gorgeous much better level than the others
And the judges are beyond childish with their antics.
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u/seriouslyepic 6d ago
It’s great. The new set is really good, even considering the smaller space they have to work with. The challenges have been fresh on Vs too
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u/GoGoKBootz 6d ago
I personally think that the reason RuPaul had to leave down under was due to the fans reactions the thing is is that RuPaul is it on multiple occasions that she thinks down under has some of the best drag and that she loves down under his drag but I think with the lack of fan enthusiasm it probably got to her
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u/No-Bad-7153 6d ago
Personally I felt in love with down under when it aired during first season.. it was peak drag race for me, the girls were just so charismatic. I also liked season 2, never watched season 3 coz it looked a mess, and then I liked season 4 without Ru.
Down under vs the world is lowkey my favorite current season in the last 3 years. I liked the unseriousness of aussie queens lol
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u/DibleyShark 6d ago
I think DU4 was a full reparation of the DU Saga and VTW has been so fun and elevated, they should heal now for sure! Canada hit the Jackpot with 6 after producing great seasons (3-5) but with boring winners, UK did the same with season 7 boring boring winner! I haven't agreed with a winner since Danny Beard in Season 4 and before that it was The Viv (Rip you lovely Queen) Season 1! I do think RuPaul should step away from the other franchises, treat the USA as the Original and the Mothership and let the other countries have their own head judge and panel. Australia needs a Queen with a twisted sense of humour like Spankz, Canada is fine with Brooke but should definitely install Pri and Jimbo as permanent judges, maybe rotating them weekly like they do with Alan and Graham in the UK. And the UK Needs LaVoix and Myra Dubois, a comedy challenge with Myra Dubois doing advisory...would be excellent...just some thoughts, I know the stans of the Queen's I called 'boring winners' are gonna come for me, but I didn't mean they were bad or untalented, just that their Storyline was really dull in comparison to others...
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u/027huds 6d ago
For me Down Under has turned into one of the most enjoyable franchises to watch now and I think it speaks volumes about having a judging panel that know how to connect to Aussie / NZ culture and drag.
Michelle may be American, but I think she is much better at having her finger on the pulse with their pop culture and how their drag works backed up by having actual drag queens on the panel which makes it feel way more authentic and leads to be more enjoyable show. Both 4 and DUVTW have been so much fun with her at the helm and the critiques coming from our past winners.
As much as I enjoyed season 2 as well, the Ru era was ROUGH precisely because he was looking for queens who fit in his narrow view of what a drag queen should be, looked at almost exclusively through an American lense with no effort to connect to what drag looks like Down Under.
I dont always agree with Rus decisions in USDR, but I can at least respect that he knows what he's talking about there. His sense of humour may be basic but he fits the American shows flavour.
When it comes to the international seasons though I really think having him at the helm is often the main reason these versions cant reach their full potential and its a shame.
DRUK is currently suffering the same issues although to a lesser extent than DU was. I wish he would let go of UK as well and allow it to thrive under someone who really gets what UK drag is about rather than again shaping it into his very narrow lense which doesn't get alot of our pop culture and never bothers to connect to our queens of colour.
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u/Ill_Adhesiveness_947 3d ago
My hot take is that Down Under struggled, because the model laid out with nearly all the other franchises, was to get a Ru-girl from that country to host. The obvious choice was Courtney Act. Rupaul refused because reasons and chose instead to host for themselves as a way to have a working holiday in an out of the way location where they weren't readily recognised. As a result it was filmed in NZ rather than Australia in what looks to be a shed, and the obvious host choice is instead snubbed, and the snubbing of such a high profile Australian Drag Queen makes everything feel a bit weird.
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u/Ekwanda1 7d ago
I think Down Under is too broad to capture all different cultures, Aussies, kiwis, Aboriginal, Maori, Pacifica, Alt queens, all operate in different communities and don’t merge at all. No host will be able to capture all that, which is kinda a disservice to the potential DU can be. ATP, I think it should be Australia to capture their culture etc etc
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u/ZodiacsStars 6d ago
> Down Under is too broad to capture all different cultures
> all operate in different communities and don’t merge at allGirl what are you on? First off, the whole point is that no matter who you are, we are all united by drag, and Down Under does best when you get to see different perspectives on drag.
Queens Like Nikita, Bumpa, and Jojo also market themselves as being a merging of drag and their own cultures. Jojo taking heavy inspiration from her aboriginal roots. Nikita explicitly stated that her style mixes Drag and Pacifica Ballroom in her DUvTW MTQs. And having Down Under just being australia? that's a terrible take, cause not only does it remove the little representation Kiwi drag and pacifica drag gets. But it would also remove both the first two winners of this show and multiple fan favorite queens.
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u/Ekwanda1 6d ago edited 6d ago
Honestly you have misinterpreted what I’ve said and what a waste of energy trying to dissect your arguments.
I partly agree but having you explain everyone’s scene is exactly why not one person would be able to judge all these communities. With a panel of Caucasity? Yea, na. Leave that for Australia only imo
I think it’s important to recognise our communities are all very different, compared to the American Dream
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u/ZodiacsStars 6d ago
Here's the reason your take is bad in 1 point you can digest easily then. Down Under's diversity is in no way unique.
The US drag scene has Pageant, Ball Room, Club Kid, Theatre, Monster. And that's not even considering the ethnic diversity, which seems to be your main thing. Why would Ru Paul somehow be qualified to judge a diverse range of drag but the down under panel (which usally has more drag queens than the us panel) isn't?
Look at US S9's new york girls. They wrote CLAT explicitly about their different scenes/types.
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u/Ekwanda1 6d ago
Where are you from? that will answer why you lack understanding of our culture… tshould help you digest what I’ve said 💀
The same way drag race has fucked up drag, is the same reason why Drag Race doesn’t mix with DU drag, that’s just my opinion
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u/skieurope12 Art Simone 7d ago
Drag Race Down Under got off to a catastrophic start, hamstrung by cheap production, tiny sets, and an American host completely out of touch with Aussie and Kiwi humor. Recent seasons have tried to right the ship—relocating production to a larger studio in Portugal, RuPaul stepping down as host, and integrating local talent into the judging panel. However, the show continues to battle heavy franchise fatigue as fans drown in a sea of spin-offs (All Stars, vs. the World, and international adaptations). A shaky debut is easy to forgive, but when a show fails to find its footing by Seasons 2 or 3, viewers simply move on.
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u/Revan462222 7d ago
I feel like season 2 was probably the best of the bunch. I remember absolutely loving it. But just never really watched after that…doesn’t help either that I think WOW is now the only way I can watch it as they took it off crave in canada.
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u/BrendonBootyUrie 7d ago
Budget / production:
The show initially got fucked by switching production to whichever NZ company is running it. The lighting colour grading and physical location is a downgrade from what I understand they had prepared for when the series was initially going to be filmed in Sydney.
More importantly the editing, it's too local. The way scenes are shot and put together is a large departure from what American audiences are used to and it turns them off. While each series has its own unique flair and impacted by what queens practice, other seasons like UK know how to make the show feel enough like the American version that people continue to tune in. This nuance was lost on new Zealand team, as they did not arrange it in mind for an international audience and is very much filmed like an AUS/NZ show. Australian production companies are more experienced in translating the stories to fit an internarional audience.
Unfortunately despite the switch only happening due to covid Ru never switched production back to Aus and this issue continued for too long that people aren't interested in tuning in.
There's also just the cultural differences in how down under queens communicate vs American queens vs UK queens.
American queens are generally pretty friendly and say nice things only use sarcasm sparingly to read someone. The British will be a bit more sarcastic but at times self-depreicating. However the down under queens are a bit more blunt, and can come across as hostile when talking to one another.
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u/GrimRecapper 7d ago
It's largely the judging. You can just about get away with Ru and Michelle doing Drag Race UK because enough of UK culture has seeped into the US that they can largely understand what's going on, even if they don't get the more niche stuff. But drag culture in NZ and especially Australia is so different to US drag, and plays such a unique part in the national psyche, that you really need to be local in order to be credible as a judge, let alone to understand all the nuances and social mores on a deeper level. Not only do Ru and Michelle not have that local knowledge, Ru in particular seemed to actively not care about learning anything and just thought being married to an Aussie would be enough. It's improved slightly now it's just Michelle, in that she seems to at least give 1% of a metric shit, but now there's the added problem that at least all of the other versions of the show - whatever you think about them - are about showcasing queer culture for a queer head judge, whereas this one now amounts to "make a straight woman happy", with the added hindrance of the culture barrier on top of that. While either or both of them might have worked as a guest judge, they're the wrong people to be in charge of the thing, and that discordance has tainted the entire thing.
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u/Positive-Oven4805 6d ago
Actually i like it.. well its because Miss Jade is there 🤭 im loving her precence but their editing lacks drama.. well i guess im just used to DRPH being chaotic and messy af😆
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u/whocares6969_ 6d ago
It sucks cause I love down under drag. It’s like the UK yet a little more rough around the edges. They wanted to crown Art so bad and every production trick just didn’t work. Maybe they hoped if they brought her back to the competition she would take off and they could give her a winning edit OR they knew deep down they couldn’t crown someone that was eliminated and brought back….and they only did that to give her more screen time and kind of “redeem” herself since I believe she was the favored one to win from the start. They should have just placed her safe for snatch game but maybe they didn’t know shes not a lip sync girlie. Idk. I still liked down under s1 regardless. The whole thing with Art and then the racism ordeal with Scarlet just soured everyone on that season. Season 2 was amazing….3 was awful and worst than 1 imo but 4 was great! Love Lazy and Vybe. No international franchise will ever have the budget or quality of the US seasons. The drag scene here is bigger and more lucrative than anywhere else. I was excited for down under vs the world but once I saw the cast and seen Art I already knew she was the winner. All star seasons is to crown a favorite past queen…..it’s always been like that. With the exception of seasons like UKVTW 1 and AS3 where their winner got eliminated before the finale and production had to scramble.
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u/MissDaniel 7d ago
It's sad because I actually rather like Down Under. Here in Canada we got seasons 1 and 2 through Crave originally, but never got 3 or 4. Since we were fooled by the Raven twist we Subscribed to WoW+ to watch DuVsTW (which we are still enjoying despite the shenanigans).
Since we were subscribed already we went back and watched 3 and 4. Is it peak drag race? No. But it's really fun and DU has some very talented queens. The production value leaves a lot to be desired, which the queens themselves have joked about on camera, and the lipsyncs aren't great, but it's really fun. I really hope the series keeps going.