Hamish & Andy (radio show)
Encyclopedia
The Hamish & Andy Show (Hamish and Andy), is an Australia
n radio show created by and starring comedic duo Hamish Blake
& Andy Lee
. It was broadcast on the Today Network
to every state in Australia as well as the ACT
for two hours in the key weekday afternoon drivetime
slot. Since December 3, 2010, it has moved to Friday shows only. It is also broadcast in New Zealand
and Dubai
as a weekly highlights package. In late 2009, a 3 hour special entitled 'Hamish and Andy's Midwinter Warmer' was broadcast in the United Kingdom
on BBC6 Music.
The show is the highest-rating radio series in Australian history, consistently gaining up to 20% market share in the crucial Melbourne
market. The show has approximately 2.7 million listeners, and has over 1 million podcast downloads each week.
Blake and Lee announced in August 2010, they would be cutting down to a weekly show in 2011, due to wanting to pursue other ideas that had previously been pushed aside due to the daily radio show. The final daily program aired on the third of December in Melbourne as part of their Thank You Tour. Fifi Box
and Jules Lund
have been announced as hosts of drive from Monday to Thursday.
and Ryan Shelton
filled in for Hamish when he was sick with pneumonia
, and on the 16th of March 2010 Andy's now Ex-girlfriend Megan Gale
filled in for him while he had an operation to replace his two front teeth which were lost during an attempt to play ice hockey during "training" for the bi-bi-tri-bi-athlon (24 sports in one weekend).
flavour. 495 packets were manufactured and distributed for free. After the flavour became popular, a further 60,000 packets of the crisps were manufactured and again distributed for free.
It was later announced that the gravy chip would be sold in stores all around Australia for a two week trial period starting from 11 August for people who did not receive a packet of gravy chips.
and named it Fred Basset
, after the comic strip
character of the same name.
and performed their show live (except for the Friday show) alongside Australian soldiers.
The trip to Afghanistan was first instigated when the duo received an email from an Australian soldier serving overseas, excited about hearing The Hamish & Andy Show at his base. The letter opened discussion of whether the show should go overseas and broadcast with the troops.
Hamish & Andy, after contacting the Australian Defence Force
several times, were told that they would be able to broadcast in an overseas location where the troops were serving.
In October 2007, Hamish & Andy set out on their Caravan of Courage trip in an attempt to "hug" Australia, with the intention of travelling from Perth
to Brisbane
and visiting many small towns that do not typically receive tourist recognition along the way. They broadcast their radio show from wherever they were at 4 pm AEST each day.
Broadcast points:
In October 2008, Hamish and Andy were challenged by an e-mailer to 'hug' Australia again. After first hesitating on travelling Australia again, the duo decided, after much argument with their boss, FoxFM's Program Director Dave Cameron (AKA 'Grumpy Dave') that they would set out on 27 October for the 'Caravan of Courage II: Who Dares Dar-Wins' trip starting from Melbourne and heading up to Darwin
. As they had previously travelled across Australia, they wanted to head "up the guts" of Australia.
Hamish and Andy announced (via a "family meeting") on the August 5, 2009 show that they wanted to go on a two-week caravan trip in America
, driving from Miami to Los Angeles
. They then decided that America isn't big on caravans and are looking at getting a camper van instead and, after three shows, settled on the name "Yes We Van" as a pun on the iconic quote by Obama, "yes we can". Other names included "We Come From A Van Down Under", "The United States of Ameri-Caravan", "RV There Yet?" and "American We Do It, Yes We Van". Grumpy Dave initially said no to the idea but after his job was threatened by his boss, "The Chairman", on air he then gave the green light. The duo also got written approval from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
and a blessing from the United States Embassy to travel across America. The unofficial purpose of the trip was to win $9,000 in Las Vegas
playing Blackjack
in order to buy a Hoverboard
. They raised $1,000 in pledges by enlisting the help of 10,000 people donating a maximum of 10 cents each, doing so by hosting a mock 'pledge drive'. However, they did not end up winning the money.
On the 10th of May, Hamish and Andy announced they were taking the caravan out for a fourth time for a "family holiday" to Great Britain
and Ireland
. They first completed a lap of Ireland and then visited England, Scotland and Wales. The caravan they travelled in was decided by Hamish throwing a dart at a dartboard with pictures of four different vans. The dart landed on the Renault CI Cipro 85. They named it Sir Vancelot after Sir Lancelot, a character in the Arthurian legend.
Hamish & Andy left on the 27th of May 2010. After they finished the trip, they each took breaks before returning to regular broadcasting.
crossing the Bass Strait
. They traveled on the Windward Bound (renamed the "Taully Shore" by Hamish), a 200 year old tall ship. During the crossing off Bass Strait they encountered heavy storms and seas reaching 8 metres. They chose Naval ranks out of a hat. Hamish picked Rear Admiral
while Andy picked Commodore
. Hamish was known to often give commands to Andy one of which was to marry a rat
. The pair dressed up in 18th century uniforms consisting of a cutlass
each and a uniform. To commemorate the occasion, the two put together a "treasure chest" of collectible items such as recordings of their shows and other miscellaneous items like pieces of leather and a poker set. The chest was later given to the Hobart Council, who later auctioned off the chest with its contents and the money was donated to charity. The chest is now owned by a private collector.
, in 2008 on Roadshow Music. The album peaked at on the Australian Top 100 Albums Chart
, received platinum
certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
and went on to win Best Comedy Release
at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009
.
The boys knew that they had created a huge hit sport, and their enthusiasm for it crossed borders. Currently in America the Twin Cities Ghosting League in Minnesota
is supporting Hamish and Andy as well as helping troubled youths in the Minneapolis/St.Paul metro area.
and Andy split his chin and knocked his two front teeth out whilst playing ice hockey. It has now been announced that the event will move back to the weekend of the 13 & 14 March due to the injury. To prepare for the event, Hamish had a full body wax and added a new Olympic rings tattoo to his arm. They completed the event on the Sunday evening of the 14th with a final tally of nine wins, one draw and fourteen losses.
of the same name starring Gene Wilder
and Richard Pryor
, the pair decided to go 50 hours without the use of one of their 5 senses. For the weekend of 6th & 7 February 2010, Andy went without his sight and Hamish went without his hearing. This was achieved through the use of eye patches and dark glasses for Andy and specially moulded earplugs for Hamish.
The premise was that each would accommodate for the other's missing sense. Hamish became Andy's eyes, leading him when the pair were walking, or describing what was happening during other activities, including a cooking class. Conversely, Andy became Hamish's ears, writing down what he and others were saying so Hamish could follow the conversation.
comic on air. (This is not to be confused with the show's purchase of The People's Greyhound
of the same name.) Andy has tried many different ways to prevent Hamish from reading this comic, including:
In 2011, the segment of Fred Basset was ended due to the lack of time on the new show. However to keep the public able to have the "Basset Experience" Hamish started a section on the website called the "Brotherhood of Basset" where he uploads a comic a week than writes underneath the comic how he would present it on the show.
in the Trading Post newspaper to sell a particular item (the advertisement having been selected by the other person). The task is for the caller to ask five questions about the item, and try to work out what item is being sold. The name Tell 'Em They're Dreamin is a reference to the film The Castle
.
This was an idea given to Hamish and Andy via an email by one of their listeners, Nathan Lauterbach.
celebrities. On several occasions he has tried to interview Robert De Niro
only to receive abrupt, often monosyllabic answers. Celebrities will often comment on his appearance, in particular Ricky Gervais
, who has made jokes about Brad's "sweaty" appearance, and well as Clive Owen
who mentioned Brad's penchant for arriving at Red Carpets under the influence of alcohol
.
l question. One example is 'Do penguins have knees?'. Other callers then provide their response to the question. Usually twelve callers are taken, simulating a criminal jury
.
A Celebrity Endorsement for their Greyhound, Fred Basset. The two celebrities were Paris Hilton
and John Travolta
. But by the end of the competition, Hamish gave up on finding Paris Hilton, and instead found Mike Whitney
.
Two famous celebrities whom two listeners had a crush on when they were younger. The celebrities were Taylor Hanson
and Jennie Garth
. Titled Celebrity Crush Hunt, Hamish and Andy were still neck and neck in finding their celebrities but on the 24th of May 2007, Hamish won the competition by finding Taylor Hanson.
In 2009, Hamish & Andy battled against each other to make contact with celebrities, so that two listeners could interview their 'old school' celebrity crush as a teenager. Andy tried to track down Brian Austin Green
while Hamish was after Steven Seagal
. The boys employed several different strategies in order to get them onto the show. Andy pretended to be the owner of a jewellery chain in Australia named 'Cactus Fire', in an attempt to convince Brian Austin-Green's niece to get Brian onto the show. Whilst Hamish bought five cases of Stephen Seagal's energy drink Lightning Bolt, which cost him $250 and has never arrived to him. Eventually, Andy won the race to get Brian on the show, and his young fan Becky was able to speak to him.
and Kamahl
, Warrick Capper and Stephen Curry, Hamish's housemates, John and Haydo, as well as connecting Horgs with a McDonalds in the hope that amidst the confusion Horgs would try and order food.
in order to interview Tom Hanks
.
) which was simply a segment created by Andy in which he described a 'crime' he witnessed (in this instance littering) and described the perpetrator verbally. Several callers rang-up claiming to know who they were, including one man who rang up to say that he fit the description, and whilst innocent, was being yelled at and pointed out by passing drivers.
. If you get a John you get one John Point, if you get a John Johnson you get fifty John Points and in the unlikely event that you get a John Johnny Johnson you get one hundred and twenty John Points. If you are unfortunate enough to come across a Rob, you lose a John Point due to an email from a podcaster saying that they will never get a John. The pair have started a Random John World Cup; in which they have had the highest John streak after getting a John on May 27, 2011. The duo has since decided to not to continue with the segment in order to maintain the John point and not risk losing it to a Rob. The segment will restart if another Random John World Cup partipant gets a John point.
Some of Horgs' inventions include:
On the show, Horgs' is well-known for frequently using the catchphrase, '(Insert product) have done well over the years'. The other running joke is that most of his 'unique' ideas have actually been invented, mostly on the Japanese market.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n radio show created by and starring comedic duo Hamish Blake
Hamish Blake
Hamish Donald Blake is an Australian comedian, actor, author and bodybuilder from Melbourne, Australia. Since 2003, he has worked with Andy Lee as part of the comedy duo Hamish and Andy. The pair have performed live and on television and radio, most notably with their drive-time radio program...
& Andy Lee
Andy Lee (comedian)
Andrew Thomas "Andy" Lee is an Australian comedian. He usually works alongside Hamish Blake as part of the comedy duo Hamish & Andy.-Personal background:...
. It was broadcast on the Today Network
Today Network
The Today Network is a network of Contemporary Hit Radio stations run by Southern Cross Austereo in Australia.-Affiliates:-History:The Today Network started when the Austereo Radio Network secured the first commercial FM licence in Adelaide in 1980. Austereo launched a station called Double SA FM,...
to every state in Australia as well as the ACT
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
for two hours in the key weekday afternoon drivetime
DriveTime
DriveTime Automotive Group Inc., based in Phoenix, Arizona, is the largest used car seller and automobile finance company focusing on buyers with credit problems. The company has 88 dealerships in 36 U.S. metropolitan areas, and more than 2000 employees...
slot. Since December 3, 2010, it has moved to Friday shows only. It is also broadcast in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
as a weekly highlights package. In late 2009, a 3 hour special entitled 'Hamish and Andy's Midwinter Warmer' was broadcast in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on BBC6 Music.
The show is the highest-rating radio series in Australian history, consistently gaining up to 20% market share in the crucial Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
market. The show has approximately 2.7 million listeners, and has over 1 million podcast downloads each week.
Blake and Lee announced in August 2010, they would be cutting down to a weekly show in 2011, due to wanting to pursue other ideas that had previously been pushed aside due to the daily radio show. The final daily program aired on the third of December in Melbourne as part of their Thank You Tour. Fifi Box
Fifi Box
Fifi Box is an Australian radio broadcaster and television personality, formerly hosting The Shebang with Marty Sheargold on Triple M, and presenter on the Seven Network's Sunrise program....
and Jules Lund
Jules Lund
Jules Lund is an Australian television presenter from Melbourne. He attended De La Salle College MalvernLund's career began when he won the FOX FM's "15 Minutes of Fame" competition on radio in the early 2000s...
have been announced as hosts of drive from Monday to Thursday.
Team
The Hamish & Andy Show team is made up of:- Hamish BlakeHamish BlakeHamish Donald Blake is an Australian comedian, actor, author and bodybuilder from Melbourne, Australia. Since 2003, he has worked with Andy Lee as part of the comedy duo Hamish and Andy. The pair have performed live and on television and radio, most notably with their drive-time radio program...
- Andy LeeAndy Lee (comedian)Andrew Thomas "Andy" Lee is an Australian comedian. He usually works alongside Hamish Blake as part of the comedy duo Hamish & Andy.-Personal background:...
- Cacklin' Jack (Jack Post)
- Horgs
- Brad Blanks
- Moosie
- Grumpy Dave
- Gigglin' Ben
- Kamahl
- Sam Cavanagh - Producer
- Katie Dower - Producer
- DJ Deano
- Web Geezer Jez
Guest Hosts
The show has been hosted by a special guest filling in for one of the duo on several occasions. Stephen CurryStephen Curry
Stephen Curry is an Australian comedian and actor who has appeared in many television drama and comedy series, and in feature films.-Television career:He gained early drama experience at Track Youth Theatre....
and Ryan Shelton
Ryan Shelton
Ryan Shelton is an Australian comedian, actor, radio presenter, television personality, host and writer.- Biography :He attended St Leonards College for some of his schooling, where he met Hamish Blake...
filled in for Hamish when he was sick with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, and on the 16th of March 2010 Andy's now Ex-girlfriend Megan Gale
Megan Gale
Megan Kate Gale is an Australian model and actress.- Career :Born in Perth, Western Australia, Megan Gale's father is English and mother is part Maori and is the youngest of three children with two older brothers.-Modeling:...
filled in for him while he had an operation to replace his two front teeth which were lost during an attempt to play ice hockey during "training" for the bi-bi-tri-bi-athlon (24 sports in one weekend).
The Peoples' Chip
Hamish & Andy ran a competition to invent a new flavour of potato crisp. They eventually invented gravyGravy
Gravy is a sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. In North America the term can refer to a wider variety of sauces and gravy is often thicker than in Britain...
flavour. 495 packets were manufactured and distributed for free. After the flavour became popular, a further 60,000 packets of the crisps were manufactured and again distributed for free.
It was later announced that the gravy chip would be sold in stores all around Australia for a two week trial period starting from 11 August for people who did not receive a packet of gravy chips.
The People's Greyhound
In September 2006, the duo purchased a greyhoundGreyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
and named it Fred Basset
Fred Basset
Fred Basset is a comic strip about a male basset hound. The cartoon was created by Scottish cartoonist Alex Graham and published first in the Daily Mail on July 8, 1963. It has since been syndicated around the world....
, after the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
character of the same name.
Afghanistan
In April 2008, the duo travelled to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and performed their show live (except for the Friday show) alongside Australian soldiers.
The trip to Afghanistan was first instigated when the duo received an email from an Australian soldier serving overseas, excited about hearing The Hamish & Andy Show at his base. The letter opened discussion of whether the show should go overseas and broadcast with the troops.
Hamish & Andy, after contacting the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
several times, were told that they would be able to broadcast in an overseas location where the troops were serving.
Caravan of Courage
Main:Caravan of Courage (series)Caravan of Courage (series)
Caravan of Courage is an annual road trip, travelled by Australian comedians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. There have been a total of four road trips, the latest two being both aired on their radio show and combined into a television special, the first two were broadcasted as a segment on the talk...
In October 2007, Hamish & Andy set out on their Caravan of Courage trip in an attempt to "hug" Australia, with the intention of travelling from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and visiting many small towns that do not typically receive tourist recognition along the way. They broadcast their radio show from wherever they were at 4 pm AEST each day.
Broadcast points:
- Day 1: Wednesday 3 October: Southern CrossSouthern Cross, Western AustraliaSouthern Cross is a town in Western Australia, 371 kilometres east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. It was founded by gold prospectors in 1888, and gazetted in 1890. It is the major town and administrative centre of the Shire of Yilgarn...
, Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... - Day 2: Thursday 4 October: NorsemanNorseman, Western AustraliaNorseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth and above sea level. It is also the starting point of the Eyre Highway, and the last major town in Western Australia before the South Australian border to the...
, WA - Day 3: Friday 5 October: CocklebiddyCocklebiddy, Western AustraliaCocklebiddy is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. It is the third stop east of Norseman on the long journey east across the Nullarbor Plain. The area is noted for its underground caves and lakes.-History:...
, WA - Day 6: Monday 8 October: Tailem Bend, South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
- Day 7: Tuesday 9 October: DonaldDonald, VictoriaDonald is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Richardson River, at the junction of Sunraysia Highway and Borung Highway, in the Shire of Buloke. The town is named after William Donald, a Scottish pastoralist who was the first settler in the area in 1844...
, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... - Day 8: Wednesday 10 October: Benalla, VIC
- Day 9: Thursday 11 October: Goulburn, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
- Day 10: Friday 12 October: BulahdelahBulahdelahBulahdelah is a locality in the Hunter/Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia in the Great Lakes Council Local Government Area. The main population centre, where 69% of the area's population lives, is the town of Bulahdelah.-Geography:...
, NSW
Caravan of Courage 2: Who Dares Dar-Wins
Main:Caravan of Courage (series)Caravan of Courage (series)
Caravan of Courage is an annual road trip, travelled by Australian comedians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. There have been a total of four road trips, the latest two being both aired on their radio show and combined into a television special, the first two were broadcasted as a segment on the talk...
In October 2008, Hamish and Andy were challenged by an e-mailer to 'hug' Australia again. After first hesitating on travelling Australia again, the duo decided, after much argument with their boss, FoxFM's Program Director Dave Cameron (AKA 'Grumpy Dave') that they would set out on 27 October for the 'Caravan of Courage II: Who Dares Dar-Wins' trip starting from Melbourne and heading up to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. As they had previously travelled across Australia, they wanted to head "up the guts" of Australia.
- Day 1: Nhill, Victoria
- Day 2: WilliamstownWilliamstown, South AustraliaWilliamstown is a small South Australian town on the fringe of the Barossa Valley wine-growing region and the Adelaide Hills. It is 51km north east of Adelaide, with an elevation of 310m and an average rainfall of 682.7mm. Williamstown was originally known as Victoria Creek...
, South Australia - Day 3: HawkerHawker, South AustraliaHawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....
, South Australia - Day 4: Roxby Downs, South Australia
- Day 5: Coober Pedy, South Australia
- Day 6: Yulara (UluruUluruUluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
), Northern Territory - Day 7: Aileron, Northern Territory
- Day 8: Wycliffe Well, Northern Territory
- Day 9: Elliot, Northern Territory
- Day 10: Mataranka, Northern Territory
- Day 11: Pine CreekPine Creek, Northern TerritoryPine Creek is a small town in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory, Australia. According to the 2001 Australian census 665 people live in Pine Creek, which is the fourth largest town between Darwin and Alice Springs....
, Northern Territory - Day 12: JabiruJabiru, Northern TerritoryJabiru is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was originally built in 1982 as a closed town to house the community living at Jabiru East near the Ranger Uranium Mine eight kilometres away. Both the mine and the town are completely surrounded by Kakadu National Park.- Overview :Jabiru...
, Kakadu National ParkKakadu National ParkKakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of , extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres...
, Northern Territory - Day 13: Darwin, Northern Territory
Caravan of Courage 3: Yes We Van
Main:Caravan of Courage (series)Caravan of Courage (series)
Caravan of Courage is an annual road trip, travelled by Australian comedians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. There have been a total of four road trips, the latest two being both aired on their radio show and combined into a television special, the first two were broadcasted as a segment on the talk...
Hamish and Andy announced (via a "family meeting") on the August 5, 2009 show that they wanted to go on a two-week caravan trip in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, driving from Miami to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. They then decided that America isn't big on caravans and are looking at getting a camper van instead and, after three shows, settled on the name "Yes We Van" as a pun on the iconic quote by Obama, "yes we can". Other names included "We Come From A Van Down Under", "The United States of Ameri-Caravan", "RV There Yet?" and "American We Do It, Yes We Van". Grumpy Dave initially said no to the idea but after his job was threatened by his boss, "The Chairman", on air he then gave the green light. The duo also got written approval from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
and a blessing from the United States Embassy to travel across America. The unofficial purpose of the trip was to win $9,000 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
playing Blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
in order to buy a Hoverboard
Hoverboard
A Hoverboard is a fictional hovering board used for personal transportation in the films Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III. Hoverboards resemble a skateboard without wheels. Through special effects the filmmakers depicted the boards hovering above the ground...
. They raised $1,000 in pledges by enlisting the help of 10,000 people donating a maximum of 10 cents each, doing so by hosting a mock 'pledge drive'. However, they did not end up winning the money.
- Day 1: Monday 24 August: Dade City, FloridaDade City, FloridaDade City is a city in Pasco County, Florida. The population was 6,188 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pasco County. Dade City is a suburb of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
- Day 2: Tuesday 25 August: Thomasville, GeorgiaThomasville, GeorgiaThomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The city is the second largest in Southwest Georgia after Albany.The city deems itself the City of Roses and holds an annual Rose Festival. The town features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large...
- Day 3: Wednesday 26 August: Andalusia, AlabamaAndalusia, AlabamaAndalusia is a city in and the county seat of Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 8,794.According to the 2007 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 8,705...
- Day 4: Thursday 27 August: Laurel, MississippiLaurel, MississippiLaurel is a city located in Jones County in Mississippi, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,393 although a significant population increase has been reported following Hurricane Katrina. Located in southeast Mississippi, southeast of...
- Day 5: Friday 28 August: Vicksburg, MississippiVicksburg, MississippiVicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
- Day 6: Monday 31 August: Roswell, New MexicoRoswell, New MexicoRoswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
- Day 7: Tuesday 1 September: Magdalena, New MexicoMagdalena, New MexicoMagdalena is a village in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 938 at the 2010 census."The Lady on the Mountain" is a rock formation on Magdalena Peak overlooking Magdalena. Spanish soldiers saw the face of a woman on the west face of the peak...
- Day 8: Wednesday 2 September: Show Low, ArizonaShow Low, ArizonaWinters in Show Low bring highs between 45°F and 55°F , with lows usually below freezing between November and March, averaging in the 20s December through February, and in the low 30s for November and March....
- Day 9: Thursday 3 September: Sedona, ArizonaSedona, ArizonaSedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona...
- Day 10: Friday 4 September: Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
Caravan of Courage 4: Great Britain and Ireland
Main:Caravan of Courage (series)Caravan of Courage (series)
Caravan of Courage is an annual road trip, travelled by Australian comedians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. There have been a total of four road trips, the latest two being both aired on their radio show and combined into a television special, the first two were broadcasted as a segment on the talk...
On the 10th of May, Hamish and Andy announced they were taking the caravan out for a fourth time for a "family holiday" to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. They first completed a lap of Ireland and then visited England, Scotland and Wales. The caravan they travelled in was decided by Hamish throwing a dart at a dartboard with pictures of four different vans. The dart landed on the Renault CI Cipro 85. They named it Sir Vancelot after Sir Lancelot, a character in the Arthurian legend.
Hamish & Andy left on the 27th of May 2010. After they finished the trip, they each took breaks before returning to regular broadcasting.
- Day 1: Monday 31 May: Doolin, Ireland
- Day 2: Tuesday 1 June: Roscrea, Ireland
- Day 3: Wednesday 2 June: Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Day 4: Thursday 3 June: Strauchur, Scotland
- Day 5: Friday 4 June: Loch Ness, Scotland
- Day 6: Monday 7 June: Ravenglass, England
- Day 7: Tuesday 8 June: Tarporly, England
- Day 8: Wednesday 9 June: Warwick, England
- Day 9: Thursday 10 June: Llanwrytd Wells, Wales
- Day 10: Friday 11 : Mersea Island, England
The Tall Ship Adventure; Open Your Buccaneers Tasmania
In March 2009, to commemorate the show beginning broadcasting to Tasmania, Hamish and Andy traveled in a tall ship from Melbourne to HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
crossing the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
. They traveled on the Windward Bound (renamed the "Taully Shore" by Hamish), a 200 year old tall ship. During the crossing off Bass Strait they encountered heavy storms and seas reaching 8 metres. They chose Naval ranks out of a hat. Hamish picked Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
while Andy picked Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
. Hamish was known to often give commands to Andy one of which was to marry a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
. The pair dressed up in 18th century uniforms consisting of a cutlass
Cutlass
A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword, with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge, and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket shaped guard...
each and a uniform. To commemorate the occasion, the two put together a "treasure chest" of collectible items such as recordings of their shows and other miscellaneous items like pieces of leather and a poker set. The chest was later given to the Hobart Council, who later auctioned off the chest with its contents and the money was donated to charity. The chest is now owned by a private collector.
Unessential Listening
The duo released a compilation album of segments from their radio show, Unessential ListeningUnessential Listening
Unessential Listening is a 2-disc compilation album by the comedy duo Hamish & Andy. It features segments included on their radio show between 2006 and 2008...
, in 2008 on Roadshow Music. The album peaked at on the Australian Top 100 Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, received platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
and went on to win Best Comedy Release
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009
ARIA Music Awards of 2009
The 23rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards took place on 26 November 2009 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. The ceremony was telecast on the Nine Network at 8:30pm that night...
.
BYO Pool Party
On the 4 December 2009, Hamish and Andy celebrated the final show of the year with a BYO Pool Party. The free event was located at Dawes Point, Sydney. The entire pool party was streamed via the internet for listeners who were unable to attend, marking the first live Hamish and Andy video stream. The John Butler Trio and Powderfinger were house bands at the event.The Peoples' Bull
Hamish & Andy announced on the 20th of January 2010 that they had found a competition in the newspaper "Stock & Land" to win a bull worth $6,000. They have enlisted the help of the listeners to collect the 4 weekly coupons required to enter, for the winner to share the bull with the listeners. On the 22nd of February 2010, it was discovered that the two didn't win the bull, nor did anybody else who committed to collect coupons to represent Hamish & Andy.Hamish and Andy are Dads!
Hamish and Andy adopted two girls to see how they would go down as fathers in 2007.Conjoined Twins
Hamish and Andy accidentally offended a listener when talking about conjoined twins and thus took on the challenge to be physically conjoined by a specially made outfit for nearly a week which ended on a Rove episode in 2007. Hamish was on the right side and Andy was on the left side.Freeating
The duo decided to eat only free food for a week in 2009 as they noticed that there was a lot of free food around. They could not purchase food, receive food from family or friends, steal food, or eat food already in their houses. They finally were allowed to finish the challenge on an episode of Rove on the 12th of July.Ghosting
Hamish and Andy invented a new sport "Ghosting", where they walk as close as possible to a target person for as long as possible. They have incorporated this sport in many different countries including Great Britain and Ireland, and China when they attempted to ghost a soldier.The boys knew that they had created a huge hit sport, and their enthusiasm for it crossed borders. Currently in America the Twin Cities Ghosting League in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
is supporting Hamish and Andy as well as helping troubled youths in the Minneapolis/St.Paul metro area.
Hungry, Hungry Heroes
Hamish and Andy along with a team of food-lovers attempted to do a challenge where they will find certain restaurants that serve a special meal that is so big that if the person finishes it completely, their name will be put on a plaque or on the wall in the restaurant. Of the five people that competed in the challenge none succeeded.Bi-Bi-Tri-Bi-athlon
The boys have decided to compete in 24 events throughout the weekend of the 6 & 7 March. They have set rules that they can complete no less than 51 percent of a sport before moving on to the next, in order to have a chance at influence the outcome of the game and only compete in official sanctioned leagues or competitions of the relevant sports. The Bi-Bi-Tri-Bi-athlon will be held throughout the country. Originally planned for the weekend of 6th and 7 March, on March 2 Hamish and Andy were training with coach Shane WarneShane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
and Andy split his chin and knocked his two front teeth out whilst playing ice hockey. It has now been announced that the event will move back to the weekend of the 13 & 14 March due to the injury. To prepare for the event, Hamish had a full body wax and added a new Olympic rings tattoo to his arm. They completed the event on the Sunday evening of the 14th with a final tally of nine wins, one draw and fourteen losses.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
After watching the movieSee No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Marvin Worth for TriStar Pictures. It stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a band of murderous thieves.-Plot summary:A blind man named Wally...
of the same name starring Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
and Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
, the pair decided to go 50 hours without the use of one of their 5 senses. For the weekend of 6th & 7 February 2010, Andy went without his sight and Hamish went without his hearing. This was achieved through the use of eye patches and dark glasses for Andy and specially moulded earplugs for Hamish.
The premise was that each would accommodate for the other's missing sense. Hamish became Andy's eyes, leading him when the pair were walking, or describing what was happening during other activities, including a cooking class. Conversely, Andy became Hamish's ears, writing down what he and others were saying so Hamish could follow the conversation.
Thank You Tour
To celebrate the end of the show in the regular format, Hamish and Andy broadcast their final five shows to live crowds. The shows were free and all featured live bands.Blast from the Past
Every Wednesday, a pre-recorded phone prank is played. Formerly, the challenge was simply to keep the other person on the line as long as possible. Presently, the challenge is for one of the boys to convince the person who answers that he is someone from that person's past. A challenge is typically added in which the prankster has to use a specific topic or request in their conservation with their purported "old buddy".PA System
Every Friday, The PA system is where Hamish & Andy take callers that have something to say to a certain person or group that they deem important. There are often a range of announcements from "I'd like to tell Ben that dinner's on the table and come now please" to "The bowling party is changing to 7pm". It recently became "International" for podcasters who want to participate.Fred Basset
At the end of the show on Friday, Hamish, much to the disdain of Andy, reads the Fred BassetFred Basset
Fred Basset is a comic strip about a male basset hound. The cartoon was created by Scottish cartoonist Alex Graham and published first in the Daily Mail on July 8, 1963. It has since been syndicated around the world....
comic on air. (This is not to be confused with the show's purchase of The People's Greyhound
Fred Basset (greyhound)
Fred Basset is a greyhound dog which was owned and raced by Australian comedy duo Hamish & Andy. The dog's name is taken from the comic strip character Fred Basset, whose strip featured regularly on the Hamish & Andy radio show...
of the same name.) Andy has tried many different ways to prevent Hamish from reading this comic, including:
- Playing with his mobile phone's ring-tones, interrupting Hamish with comments, blackmailing and bribing him.
- Bringing Hamish's mother into the studio, who begged him not to read Fred Basset.
- Ringing Hamish's then girlfriend Anna and threatening to obtain a 'sex-ban', but Hamish ignored them both and continued.
- Tricking Hamish into reading in water and saying that he was talking into an underwater microphone, when in actuality he was inaudible.
- Andy has also most recently enjoyed employing far more physical attempts to prevent Hamish from reading the comic, such as firing tennis balls at him from a machine, having him 'egged' by schoolgirls, punching him during Basset and covering him in dog-food and unleashing a pack of dogs onto him.
- Andy also once simply walked right out of the studio and went home when the Fred Basset Segment started.
- Andy has also retaliated by reading a different comic: Snake Tales.
- To 'celebrate' Earth HourEarth HourEarth Hour is a global event organized by WWF and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change...
, Andy made Hamish read the comic in the disabled toilets with the lights turned off, being able to use matches scattered on the floor for light. He also placed the comic in the toilet. - During the See No Evil, Hear No Evil challenge, Andy played a pre-recorded message over the top of the Fred Basset comic while Hamish was deaf and could not hear the recording.
- Andy managed to prevent Hamish from reading the comic strip when he got him to put a wooden box on his head & began to pour cockroaches from the top. Hamish however got to read Basset the following Monday when he sneakily got Jack to play a song he had created reading out the comic.
- Andy also managed to prevent Hamish from reading Basset by talking with Hamish's housemates and offering Hamish the position of the drummer on the game "Guitar Hero" if he didn't read Basset. Hamish accepted and received a flood of hate-mail for the following week until he read Fred Basset on the next week.
- During one reading, Andy grabbed a hammer and smashed an LCD monitor in the studio which Hamish was reading the comic off, much to the dismay of the station's General Manager.
In 2011, the segment of Fred Basset was ended due to the lack of time on the new show. However to keep the public able to have the "Basset Experience" Hamish started a section on the website called the "Brotherhood of Basset" where he uploads a comic a week than writes underneath the comic how he would present it on the show.
Tell 'Em They're Dreamin'! (The Trading Post Game)
Every Thursday, Hamish & Andy play a pre-recorded segment in which they take turns to telephone someone who has placed a classified advertisementClassified advertising
Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge...
in the Trading Post newspaper to sell a particular item (the advertisement having been selected by the other person). The task is for the caller to ask five questions about the item, and try to work out what item is being sold. The name Tell 'Em They're Dreamin is a reference to the film The Castle
The Castle
The Castle is a novel by Franz Kafka. In it a protagonist, known only as K., struggles to gain access to the mysterious authorities of a castle who govern the village for unknown reasons...
.
This was an idea given to Hamish and Andy via an email by one of their listeners, Nathan Lauterbach.
Hey, Get Us an Autograph!
Hamish & Andy ask their celebrity reporter, Brad Blanks, to obtain an autograph from, or arrange an interview with, various New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
celebrities. On several occasions he has tried to interview Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
only to receive abrupt, often monosyllabic answers. Celebrities will often comment on his appearance, in particular Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
, who has made jokes about Brad's "sweaty" appearance, and well as Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
who mentioned Brad's penchant for arriving at Red Carpets under the influence of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
.
Trivial Claims Court
A listener calls in with a triviaTrivia
The trivia are the three lower Artes Liberales, i.e. grammar, rhetoric and logic. These were the topics of basic education, foundational to the quadrivia of higher education, and hence the material of basic education, of interest only to undergraduates...
l question. One example is 'Do penguins have knees?'. Other callers then provide their response to the question. Usually twelve callers are taken, simulating a criminal jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
.
Race to find celebrities; "Old School" Celebrity Crush Hunting
On occasions Hamish and Andy battle against each other to find famous celebrities for different purposes. Two of the most popular searches were to find:A Celebrity Endorsement for their Greyhound, Fred Basset. The two celebrities were Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
and John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
. But by the end of the competition, Hamish gave up on finding Paris Hilton, and instead found Mike Whitney
Mike Whitney
Michael Roy Whitney is an Australian television personality and former cricketer, who played in 12 Tests and 38 ODIs from 1981 to 1993....
.
Two famous celebrities whom two listeners had a crush on when they were younger. The celebrities were Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
and Jennie Garth
Jennie Garth
Jennifer Eve "Jennie" Garth is an American actress and director, best known for starring in the prominent role of Kelly Taylor throughout the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
. Titled Celebrity Crush Hunt, Hamish and Andy were still neck and neck in finding their celebrities but on the 24th of May 2007, Hamish won the competition by finding Taylor Hanson.
In 2009, Hamish & Andy battled against each other to make contact with celebrities, so that two listeners could interview their 'old school' celebrity crush as a teenager. Andy tried to track down Brian Austin Green
Brian Austin Green
Brian Austin Green is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990 to 2000. Green also starred in the sitcom Freddie and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Since 2009, he has appeared in a recurring...
while Hamish was after Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
. The boys employed several different strategies in order to get them onto the show. Andy pretended to be the owner of a jewellery chain in Australia named 'Cactus Fire', in an attempt to convince Brian Austin-Green's niece to get Brian onto the show. Whilst Hamish bought five cases of Stephen Seagal's energy drink Lightning Bolt, which cost him $250 and has never arrived to him. Eventually, Andy won the race to get Brian on the show, and his young fan Becky was able to speak to him.
Experimental as Anything
Once a week Hamish and Andy do odd experiments to see if any truth comes out of it. One example is testing to see if it was possible to dry a black thong under a public bathroom hand dryer. Another segment involved them eating biscuits and potato chips, and then proceeding to 'send a toffee down' in order to get the remaining food stuck in their teeth out. After concluding it had a 100% success rate, Hamish joked at a later date that most chewing gum companies entire selling point is the fact that they serve an almost identical function. A running joke at the beginning of the segment is a comment on the unusually long length of the opener, the opener is about 10 seconds longer than the opener of other segments.Forced Connect
Hamish and Andy call two phone numbers (usually of celebrities) at the same time to hear the conversation occur as the victims try to figure out what is happening, then Hamish and Andy then reveal themselves as the pranksters. Celebrities that have been called include Kyle and Jackie O, Jules LundJules Lund
Jules Lund is an Australian television presenter from Melbourne. He attended De La Salle College MalvernLund's career began when he won the FOX FM's "15 Minutes of Fame" competition on radio in the early 2000s...
and Kamahl
Kamahl
Kamahl is the stage name of Kandiah Kamalesvaran , an Australian singer and recording artist, perhaps best known for "The Elephant Song", and his repertoire of popular music.-Early life:...
, Warrick Capper and Stephen Curry, Hamish's housemates, John and Haydo, as well as connecting Horgs with a McDonalds in the hope that amidst the confusion Horgs would try and order food.
If You're Single And You Know It Pat Your Head
Once a week Hamish and Andy invite listeners who are single and in cars to pat their heads (Hamish & Andy also pat their heads, although they are both in relationships). They also invite listeners to call in and tell them the results of the patting.Two Become One (2 Person Prank)
This segment is based on the fact that Hamish and Andy's voices sound very similar on the phone. Hamish and Andy ring up a store or hotline, and have a conversation with that person trying to fool them into thinking it is one person. After each sentence a bell that the person on the other end cannot hear sounds and they trade sentences. After a while a longer bell will ring and they will trade words. Notable victims include Andy's Mum and Megan Gale (but she cottoned on almost immediately).Family Meeting
When Hamish and Andy want to present an idea to the listeners they announce a "family meeting". Previous family meetings have included discussions about trips overseas, such as "The Caravan of Courage; Yes We Van", "The Caravan Of Courage; Who Dares Dar-wins","The Caravan of Courage; Great Britain & Ireland" on the 5th of May, 2010 and a week long trip to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in order to interview Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
.
Bring Out Your Dead
On the last Friday of every month, the guys announce a new segment that was originally deemed to be not good enough for radio by the producers of the show. An example of one of the segments ran was "Radio Crimestoppers" (a radio version of CrimestoppersCrimestoppers
Crime Stoppers or Crimestoppers is a program separate from the emergency telephone number system, that allows a member of the community to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. It thereby allows the person to provide crime solving assistance to the authorities without being...
) which was simply a segment created by Andy in which he described a 'crime' he witnessed (in this instance littering) and described the perpetrator verbally. Several callers rang-up claiming to know who they were, including one man who rang up to say that he fit the description, and whilst innocent, was being yelled at and pointed out by passing drivers.
Hot or Not Bots
Each week, Hamish picks out a robot which the guys then decide it is hot or not. One example was a small robot designed to clean up crumbs.HB:BC
Originally was HB:HT which stood for Hamish Blake's Hot Topic, but after presenting two Hot Topics Hamish decided it was too hard to determine if his topic was hot enough for the show (Andy disagreed his second topic was actually hot) Hamish decided to close that segment and replace it with HB:BC which was Hamish Blake's Big Call. Examples of a big call are:- Deleting Barack Obama from the show's Twitter account
Minus One Letter Movie Trailers
As the title describes, the boys take one letter out of a famous movie title, and record a spoken trailer about that film instead, so far they have had:- An Inconvenient Ruth
- Roundhog Day
- Dude, Here's My Car
- Lice in Wonderland
- Bravehear
- Finding Emo
- Lady and the Ramp
- Petty Woman
- Green Car
- The Man With The Ron Mask
- Old Finger
- Ambo
- 1 Things I Hate About You
- Dad Poet's Society
- Failure to Lunch
Random John
Random John involves calling a random number, and hoping for a JohnJohn
John is a common English name and surname:* John * John John may also refer to:-Religious figures:* John Hyrcanus, ruler of Judea 134–104 BC...
. If you get a John you get one John Point, if you get a John Johnson you get fifty John Points and in the unlikely event that you get a John Johnny Johnson you get one hundred and twenty John Points. If you are unfortunate enough to come across a Rob, you lose a John Point due to an email from a podcaster saying that they will never get a John. The pair have started a Random John World Cup; in which they have had the highest John streak after getting a John on May 27, 2011. The duo has since decided to not to continue with the segment in order to maintain the John point and not risk losing it to a Rob. The segment will restart if another Random John World Cup partipant gets a John point.
Horgs' Inventions
Occasionally, Andy's friend Horgs is asked to talk about his latest ideas for inventions. Horgs also interviewed Tom Cruise with Andy while Hamish was at a wedding. Horgs is Andy's ex-roommate and high school best friend, his wife's name is Katie and he is famous on the show for beginning his segment with a whistle, a sound the guys joke is a 'signal for investors to get out their chequebooks.'Some of Horgs' inventions include:
- 'Weatherbet', which was a website on which one could bet on the weather for the next day, an idea which the following week Horgs' explained was stolen by a listener who subsequently registered the domain name, which also began Horgs' catchphrase of "invest with me; not against me".
- The 'Horgiana', a 'comfortable shoe'; the name of which was a direct play on the brand Havaianas.
- The 'TLC' or 'Two Level Car', an idea which he presented to Richard BransonRichard BransonSir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
at the opening of his Virgin ActiveVirgin ActiveVirgin Active is a chain of health clubs in South Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia and the United Kingdom. The company launched in 1998 in Preston, Lancashire as part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group....
gym in Sydney, which was, surprisingly, not totally dismissed by Richard. - The 'Choc Nut', which was based on Horgs' belief that if you filled the inside of a nut with chocolate, most of the chocolate wouldn't be metabolised and therefore you would not put on weight.
- The 'Gym Train', whereby a regular commuter train would have one carriage modified into a gym for passengers to exercise on their way to work.
- The 'I Hate Mondays' song, an idea Horgs admits isn't original but hasn't been done for '20 years', according to him. This has been the only invention thus far to take off and actually reach a second week, in which Horgs' announced the full lyrics to the song, and on the same day whilst interviewing Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
, he actually performed an improvised version of the song. On Friday 19 March, it was announced that over the weekend Hamish & Andy would actually gather singers together to perform the song. It is planned to have 25 singers on the verses and 100 on the chorus (one of which will be Horgs himself). On 16 July, 2010, the song was released on the Australian iTunes StoreITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
for $1.69 AUD.
On the show, Horgs' is well-known for frequently using the catchphrase, '(Insert product) have done well over the years'. The other running joke is that most of his 'unique' ideas have actually been invented, mostly on the Japanese market.
Jazz Chat
After changing from a daily to a weekly show, Hamish & Andy created the segment Jazz Chat to give quick bullet point topics in the last 3 minutes of the show to make up for the lack of time they have on the new show. The Roger Clark Quartet played the background jazz music live during the segment on the March 11, 2011 show.DVD Releases
Hamish and Andy have released their first DVD release, Hamish and Andy's Caravan of Courage, which features the American and Great Britain and Ireland Caravan of Courage trips.Nominated
- 2009 ACRA Best Sales Promotion (Hamish and Andy Go Totally Nuts in Beijing)
- 2009 ACRA Best Station Produced Comedy Segment
- 2008 ACRA Best Multimedia Execution (Caravan of Courage)
Won
- 2009 ACRA Best On Air Team
- 2009 ACRA Best Show Producer - Entertainment & Music (Sam Cavanagh)
- 2009 ACRA Best Multimedia Execution (Tall Ships)
- 2009 ACRA Best Station Promotion (Tall Ship Adventure) FoxFM Melbourne
- 2009 ACRA Best Networked Program
- 2009 ACRA Best Community Service Project (Bushfire Appeal)
- 2008 ACRA Best On Air Team
- 2008 ACRA Best Show Producer – Entertainment & Music (Sam Cavanagh)
- 2008 ACRA Best Station Promotion (Caravan of Courage)
- 2008 ACRA Best Networked Show
- 2007 ACRA Best Show Producer – Entertainment & Music (Sam Cavanagh)
- 2007 ACRA Best Music Special (Hamish & Andy with Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
) - 2007 ACRA Best Networked Program