One of Alex’s Australian Television appearances back at the beginning of his career, is his role as Dave in the series Love Bytes, in the 4th and last episode called Net Nanny.
There is not much known about the short-lived Australian-made series and the only footage available that can be found online, was made from the UK TV broadcast of it.
- What was Love Bytes about:
Tales of the sexually unexpected. A half-hour anthology that explores the growing phenomenon of the electronic date. Bold and innovative in style, Love Bytes makes us the voyeurs in a sexual world where nothing is quite what it seems.
The series was created by Leslie Stewart and was released on 2 February 2004 in its country of origin, Australia. It was filmed in Sydney Australia for Fox World Australia and Foxtel Productions.
- It premiered on the Fox8 subscription television channel in 2004.
Fox8 is an Australian pay television channel available on Foxtel, and Optus Television’s subscription platforms. It is the most-watched subscription television channel in Australia
- The series was also screened on UKTV.
BBC UKTV is an Australian pay television channel in Australia and New Zealand, screening British and other entertainment programming.
- What was the episode about?
Episode 4: Net Nanny
John is trying to find love online and he meets Clare. He tells his friend Dave about his experience.
Cast:
- Nathaniel Dean as John
- Amanda Douge as Clare
- Alex O’Loughlin as Dave
Synopsis of the episode
The episode starts with John introducing himself in a video for a dating profile on the PerfectPartners.Com dating site. While you hear him talk about his search for a committed relationship, you see scenes of him and his friend Dave hooking up with some very willing girls in a bar.
We also get to see a girl called Heather, doing her profile on a site and she sounds like a perfect match for what John is looking for in a girl to date.
While they are frolicking with the girls in the bar John tells Dave about his upcoming date with Heather. Dave is a bit skeptical and says that girls with the name Heather are a bit out of their league. John declares that Dave he is not aspirational enough. John says his aspiration is the get a girl called Heather in the sack.
We see John all dressed up in a suit, and walking to his date. They show a montage of John trying on different outfits before he decided on the black suit and tie. The nervous John takes a seat at the bar in a fancy restaurant, drinking and waiting for his date. We again see a clip of him listening to Heather listing all her good attributes.
Again we flashback to Dave and John in the bar discussing whether Heather will show up for such a date.
A girl, looking like Heather enters the restaurant where John was waiting for the date, but she turns up to be a girl called Sophy. It looks like John has been stood up because Heather is a no-show.
A sophisticated lady, who we saw a glimpse of earlier, come up to the bar with a story of losing her cloakroom ticket. She starts to chat with John. She introduces herself as Clare. She talks to him about all the stuff he mentioned on his profile – things like opera and exercise. She mysteriously knows just what he wanted in a woman …..
Now we get to see a flash-forward of John and Dave at work as truck drivers delivering large canisters to a stadium. They talk about the date of the previous night.
We get to see how Clare flirted with John and says all the things he wants to hear. He falls for it and thinks he met somebody real – one who is interested in not only sex but also a commitment and all the things he wanted in a woman he could date.
But Dave reminds John how things went wrong in his previous relationship and he is only real interest is whether John got laid or not.
Next, we see Clare and John in a cab and she tells him that she is a widow. They start to kiss and make out in the cab. Leaving the taxi they walk further. They turn off in a dark alley and continue to make out and although John wanted to take her home, she asks for sex right there against the gates in the alley.
Dave and John are still busy with their deliveries and Dave asks whether John plans to her again. He believes he will because she is the “big one” and he feels as if he’s known her all his life.
We get to see how Clare rushed off after they had sex in the alley, and while rushing after her and on request she gives John her number. John shows Dave the number, but we actually see Clare sneaking into her home after the “date”, falling over toys, and running into her not-so-dead husband.
John tries the number, but it is a dud (The subscriber you have dialed is not available).
Clare is in her office at Net Nanny, where Heather actually taped her profile, but it was to find a job as a Nanny and not for a date. Clare informs Heather that she found her a job as a nanny.
And we see Clare editing another girl’s Nanny profile to fit her needs on the dating site ……..
The End
Always interesting to see the young Alex on screen, playing an Aussie bloke. Not bad for a young graduate from NIDA in his first year in the entertainment market ….
And the lesson we learn from his series – do not believe everything you see online.
Links to the Episode in 3 parts on YouTube:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Alex O´Loughlin ~ An Intense Study 