The title for the new Australian short-form series, It’s Fine, I’m Fine really encapsulates its tone and content. After all, people who tetchily utter this line are rarely “fine”. This becomes obvious as we follow the intimate conversations between a psychologist (Joanne, played by Ana Maria Belo) and a range of her patients who are there to manage grief, anxiety, guilt and even poop hoarding.
Stef Smith, the series’ creator and director, describes it as a “black comedy, magic realism show about humans.” It’s Fine, I’m Fine follows in the footsteps of recent shows that centre on therapy to explore the spectrum of human emotions. These shows range from documentaries (, available at SBS On Demand) to dramas (In Treatment, Sex Education), but rarely comedy.
Smith is not interested in these labels. “I like to describe the show as happy/sad,” she says. “From my own experience in therapy, we can talk about our deepest darkest secret, but at a certain point if something makes us uncomfortable, we might break the tension with a joke. I think that’s just human nature. I didn’t want to create a morose show about trauma.”
The series’ strength lies in its characters, their personalities and stories. Some, like Felix (Chris Bunton) treat Joanne like a confidant while others like Maeve (Heather Mitchell) are dragged in by their family. We see Aziz (Arky Michael) who is there to deal with grief following the loss of his partner two years ago. We also see Betty (Wendy Mocke) who is there to process the more recent loss of her grandmother while also acknowledging that in her Pacifika culture, people do not attend therapy. “We call our cousin Johnny, Johnny Depp. You know, Johnny Depression,” she says nervously.
The show sold out when it was recently screened at Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). “People might have related to different stories, laughed or cried at different parts, but there was a universal response in how people went on an emotional journey with us,” Smith explains.
Creator of ‘It’s Fine, I’m Fine’, Stef Smith. Source: Supplied
Felix (Chris Bunton), who suffers flashbacks and uses comedy to deflect, comes to Joanne for regular treatment. Source: SBS
It’s Fine, I’m Fine debuts at a time when people are more open to talking about therapy, recommending therapy or attending therapy. This in turn is mirrored in pop culture which is a far cry from when Dr Frasier Crane graced our screens decades ago as the resident “head doctor”.
Smith acknowledges this shift.
Ana Maria Belo as Joanne. Source: Photoplay Films
“I don’t think we talked about it much before because it was taboo. Even in the workplace, someone might say they have a doctor’s appointment rather than a therapy appointment. I myself have experienced it. When I say I’m going to the doctor, nobody questions it. But if I say I’m going to my therapist, they’ll ask ‘Oh, are you all right?’,” she recalls.
“I’m a big believer in seeking help when you need it or before you think you might need it, rather than getting to that boiling over point. I remember when I first mentioned I want to see a therapist, as a young girl in the country. It was scoffed at. Therapy was this thing for a poor little New York trust fund girl. Why would a kid from the country need therapy?”
Smith still worries stigma, cost and structural issues prevent people from accessing the help they need. “The therapy that we knew in the country was different, like here’s 50 cents, call a helpline. That used to be the joke. Grab a tissue and call the helpline.”
In a touch of magic realism, Betty’s grandmother, Bubu Agnes (Margaret Pittas) shows up for Betty’s eyes only. Source: SBS
The world within It’s Fine, I’m Fine is not as brutal and people are not as glib. There is a light-filled room, a comfortable looking couch and access to hot beverages. Smith explains how she set the parameters for the show. “When I worked with the writers, I said, this is a show about therapy, nobody leaves the room and there’s magical realism.”
Nine writers, including Smith, Belo and several of the other actresses and actors in the cast, contributed to the eight stories woven across the series.
The magical realism helps make the series unique and it takes different forms. Patients begrudgingly talk to their dead relatives or interact silently with animated drawings that appear in front of them while Joanne remains unaware. It is reminiscent of the dancing babies in Ally McBeal.
Aziz (Arky Michael) comes to Joanne for support in grieving his partner. Source: SBS
Smith is very animated and enthused about incorporating it in her work. “As a director, it was a way to challenge myself creatively. Executing all the bits of magical realism on camera means I got to explore different vibes and will have something to show future colleagues. It’s just an element that I fell in love with.”
She's also aware of the delicate nature of the show's subject matter.
"We had a psychology consultant on the series, Nicole Pesa, who is a qualified psychologist and screenwriter. In the development phase Nicole read and provided feedback on all scripts to ensure we reflected best practice in the storytelling, particularly when dealing with more triggering issues. The credits also provide information on public and freely accessible mental health services."
The fact that there is only one location for the series might have seemed like a COVID-related decision so that the cast and crew could be in a small, manageable bubble. “That was a budget choice,” Smith clarifies with a laugh. “Location choices are expensive! We were trying to create a show by the smell of oily rag, really. I wanted low cost with high production value. So, one of the compromises was no location moves.”
As it turns out, when making a series about therapy, all you need is one location.
Four-part series It’s Fine, I’m Fine airs on SBS VICELAND with double episodes on Monday 15 May and 22 May, from 10.20 pm. The full series is also streaming . Start with episode one:
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