This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

'Growing Up Gracefully' Holds The Answer To All Of Life's Questions

Well, maybe not, but it's a cracking start.

Growing up is tough, and without a clear set of guidelines it's near impossible to ever know if you're truly on the right track to getting your life together.

Luckily for Hannah and Eliza Rielly, they stumbled upon the literal guide to 'Growing up Gracefully'. The sisters since embarked on a mission using an etiquitte guide from the 1950s, and comparing the tips and tricks from a bygone era and comparing them to more modern advice.

With ridiculously hilarious results.

"We were constantly surprised at what advice has carried over and what has been left in the past," Hannah told HuffPost Australia.

"Particularly with dating advice. In the courtship episode I follow advice for women on how you should behave on a date to get a boy to like you, and it's really f**king depressing advice, but it actually works. It actually worked."

"At the end of the episode we try and figure out what being a 'slut' is, what that actually means, and the answers people gave us were--"

"Hilarious," Eliza interjected.

"Unbelievable."

Throughout the series, the Reillys not only seek out the opinions of the people like in the clip above, but also speak to experts to guide them through the past and present ideals of what proper womanhood looks like.

"I'm really proud of the talent we got to work with us," Eliza told HuffPost, "I think it was just about the right person who we knew was the real deal but also it was about me and Hannah going in open minded, so they could see we didn't have judgement, we just really wanted to learn and that's how I think we got the best results."

In the first episode Hannah takes a trip to visit the queen of etiquette herself, June Dally-Watkins.

"I loved hanging out with June," Hannah said, "even though she said I looked like the cheapest, commonest prostitute.

"Basically this whole show is people telling me how sh*t I am, but I don't mind. That's my space."

While there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments throughout, the series is still very close to the Reilly sisters.

"We had a lot of fun mixing the comedy with the documentary elements. We're playing extended versions of ourselves but at the same time our mum is in the show, she's real, Eliza's boyfriend James is real and all our stories are real. It's a hybrid, and it's been really fun playing with that."

Those personal and real relationships are explored throughout.

"My favourite moment," Hannah reflected, "is when Eliza and her boyfriend James explore kink... and they pee on each other. It's the most heartwarming moment in the series for me."

"To be honest," Eliza added, "that's... also my favourite part. James put himself on the line and did it because he loves me and wants to be with me. Behind the scenes that was one of the most amazing moments because I was like, what more does a man need to do to impress me?"

"What everyone will see is actually a very sex-positive and very open way of engaging with kink that isn't going to 'send you to hell', just about consent and fun and that's what's important to me. But honestly we cannot wait to show you."

Wee can't wait to see it either.

'Growing Up Gracefully' premieres on ABC, Wednesday July 19 at 9:30pm.

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