Magda's Funny Bits
Encyclopedia
Magda's Funny Bits was a television comedy featuring Magda Szubanski
that was broadcast on the Nine Network
, Australia in early 2006. The Nine Network commissioned five episodes, four of which were aired prior to the 2006 Commonwealth Games
.
and clip show
featuring popular Szubanski characters from Fast Forward, Big Girl's Blouse
and Kath and Kim.
described the series as "a classic example of safe but uninspired programming". The Herald Sun
described it as one of the "least accurately titled shows to appear on Australian TV". The Australian
and the Daily Telegraph labelled it as one of the biggest flops of 2006. The Courier Mail
was even more scathing, saying "It is truly an embarrassment. Kerry Packer
would be turning in his grave." TV writer Andrew Mercado blamed the network, saying "What an abysmal thing to do to her. She's putting all those great comic characters into the worst possible scenario."
The series also performed poorly in the ratings, receiving only a quarter of the viewing audience of Dancing with the Stars
.
At the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games, the fifth episode remained unaired.
Magda Szubanski
Magda Szubanski is a British-born Australian actress, comedian, television presenter, radio host and author.Szubanski's career began while she was studying at university and she progressed to television sketch comedy, as both a writer and performer...
that was broadcast on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, Australia in early 2006. The Nine Network commissioned five episodes, four of which were aired prior to the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
.
Format
The series was a sketch comedySketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
and clip show
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
featuring popular Szubanski characters from Fast Forward, Big Girl's Blouse
Big Girl's Blouse
Big Girl's Blouse is an Australian skit program that aired in the mid-1990s on the Seven Network. The show was created by Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski who all went on to star in Kath & Kim. There were four one-hour episodes, plus the pilot, which are usually shown as eight half-hour...
and Kath and Kim.
- Mary McGregor hosted the show and told stories about her love life and family. The character is a Scottish alcoholic, who sought a scotchScotch whiskyScotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
company as a sponsor.
- Chanelle from Chanelle's Institute de Beauty and House of Hair Removal. Chanelle first appeared in Fast Forward advertising outlandish hair and beauty products. In this series she advertised faulty products which were more threat than help. As with the Fast Forward sketches, the format was an advertorialAdvertorialAn advertorial is an advertisement in the form of an editorial. The term "advertorial" is a portmanteau of "advertisement" and "editorial." Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946....
segment on a fictional television show Mornings with Janelle. Janelle, the host, was played by Marg DowneyMarg Downey-Career:Downey first rose to prominence in the sketch comedy program The D-Generation on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in the late 1980s. She subsequently appeared in later sketch comedy series with other members of The D-Generation, including Fast Forward, Full Frontal and Something Stupid...
.
- Lynne hosted a Australia's Funniest Home Videos in competition with the real life host Toni PearenToni PearenToni Pearen is an Australian actress, singer, songwriter and TV presenter born in Cronulla, Sydney on 5 June 1972. She initially became recognisable through her role on soap opera E Street from 1989 until 1992. She had a pop music career in the early 1990s which included the release of an album and...
. Lynne showed funny videos in her sketches but also made fun of both Pearen and then Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
CEO Eddie McGuireEddie McGuireEdward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
.
- Sharon Strzelecki hosted Sharon's Wider World Of Sports, a spoof of Nine's Wide World of SportNine's Wide World of SportNine's Wide World of Sports is a long-running sports anthology brand on Australian television, aired on the Nine Network. All major sports, events and series covered by the network are broadcast under this brand, the flagship sports being rugby league , cricket , spring and autumn horse racing,...
. Strzelecki showed clips of sporting disasters in her sketches and, as in Kath & KimKath & KimKath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
, had a new sporting injury in each episode.
Reception
Despite Szubanski being one of Australia's most popular actors and comedians, critical and public reception of the series was poor. The West AustralianThe West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
described the series as "a classic example of safe but uninspired programming". The Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
described it as one of the "least accurately titled shows to appear on Australian TV". The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
and the Daily Telegraph labelled it as one of the biggest flops of 2006. The Courier Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
was even more scathing, saying "It is truly an embarrassment. Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
would be turning in his grave." TV writer Andrew Mercado blamed the network, saying "What an abysmal thing to do to her. She's putting all those great comic characters into the worst possible scenario."
The series also performed poorly in the ratings, receiving only a quarter of the viewing audience of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
.
At the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games, the fifth episode remained unaired.