The Late Show (Australian TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Late Show was a popular Australia
n comedy
show, which ran for two seasons on ABC
from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.
. Consisting mostly of Melbourne University
students, The D-Generation managed to gain a cult following with their radio and TV appearances.
After the breakup of the original The D-Generation
, some of the members went on to perform on the commercial TV programme Fast Forward. The remaining members filmed several pilots for what was to be called The Late Late Show at Channel Nine. These were rejected, and so the group accepted the ABC's offer of a one-hour timeslot on Saturday night. The cast members were:
routine by Tony Martin
and Mick Molloy
. The stand-up was topical, usually focusing on the week's news. In 1995, the duo later went on to host their own radio show, Martin/Molloy
on the Austereo Radio Network
.
The Late Show News Headlines, presented by Gleisner
, would blend the week's real news headlines with fake information and footage. For example, when covering the replacement of Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa
, footage from an Asian bodybuilding competition was shown. The News Headlines would also feature interviews with newsmakers, most often played by Rob
. Some of the better-known impersonations included Jeff Kennett
, John Hewson
, Paul Keating
, Imran Khan
, Yassar Arafat, Gareth Evans
, and Desmond Tutu
.
and Mick Molloy
would take to the streets of Melbourne and interview passers-by on issues of the day. These vox-pop interviews often proved more of an opportunity for the pair to ridicule their interviewees, especially their dress sense.
The Toilet Break, as the name suggests, was designed to allow viewers time to use the toilet
during the commercial-free show. The 2-minute long segment was played in the middle of every show, featuring old music clips, with a countdown
displayed on the top left-hand corner of the screen. During the first season, the toilet break consisted mostly of clips from The Natural 7 from The Saturday Show. The second season exclusively used clips from 1987's Pot Luck, which were judged by Bernard King
.
would announce that Mick Molloy
had organised for a major celebrity to perform, only for Molloy to sheepishly admit he had booked a minor celebrity of a similar name usually possessing no musical ability. The humour in Molloy's recurring "errors" in booking the performers may have run dry if not for the hilarity of having well-known Australian non-musical celebrities and politicians performing.
The performances included:
The Late Show finale in 1993 had a 'real' guest on to sing at the finale: Don Lane
, who was notably appearing on a competing network during the show's Saturday night timeslot. A famous non-guest was Jana Wendt whom the producers had hoped would either sing a song by Nirvana
(Javana) or Bananarama
(Janarama). Wendt never appeared. Other famous non-guests were Robert Gottliebson (Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer) and Tony Bonner (This Used to Be My Playground by Madonna).
as a stuntman combining Evel Knievel
and Ed Wood (in that he was similarly unable to grasp his own sheer incompetence and lack of aptitude in his chosen field) compounded by the 'spanner in the works', Mick Molloy
as his half-witted assistant and Tom Gleisner
as the interviewer. Rob
played the arrogant expert, who loved to pontificate about "the stunt game". He would fashion detailed plans for each stunt, with an emphasis on "safety". He would boast about his own significance, mumbling and glossing over any questions relating to poorly funded, rundown buildings and stunt apparatus variously referred to as 'Stunt HQ' . Mick would always manage to ruin Rob's planning, inevitably resulting in physical injury for Rob. The first two Shitscared sketches were shot at Channel Nine for the unaired pilots of The Late, Late Show.
Examples (from Pissweak Town):
Similar to Roy and HG
, Graham and the Colonel were two satirical sports commentators, played respectively by Sitch and Cilauro dressed in green ABC sports jackets. Whilst the characters often forgot lines and used many corny and humourless jokes, the segment was much loved. This segment aired just before the end of each episode.
The intro music for the segment was "Light and Tuneful" by Keith Mansfield
, the same music used by the BBC
to introduce its Wimbledon coverage.
in the 1970s. It was aired during the first series of the show.
Tony Martin did the voice of the star of the show, Governor Frontbottom (as well as Judge Muttonchops). Mick Molloy supplied the voice for the John Waters'
character Sergeant Olden. Other characters were used intermittently.
The Olden Days was released by the ABC as a VHS video containing all the segments in order, although it has been out of publication for a number of years. On 15 August 2007, it was released on DVD in The Late Show Presents Bargearse and The Olden Days.
Actor John Waters appeared as a surprise guest on The Late Show.
, Australia
. The segment was originally to be an overdubbing of an Australian soap opera, The Young Doctors
, titled "Medical Hospital", but the rights to the footage were pulled at the last minute. The ABC series Truckies was considered for overdubbing in a segment intended to be titled "Truck Wits", before the writers settled on Bluey. This change left the writers with very little time, and as a result the planned 20 short episodes was cut down to 10, which aired in the second half of series two.
Bargearse was named after its protagonist, Detective Sergeant Bargearse, an overweight, moustache-sporting "rough-and-tumble" cop. The sketches exploited Bluey's weight with plentiful fat jokes, as well as many fart noises.
Bargearse was voiced by Tony Martin
and his sidekicks, Ann Bourke and Detective Glen Twenty, were voiced by Judith Lucy
and Rob Sitch
respectively. Other minor characters were revoiced by Santo Cilauro
, Mick Molloy
and Jane Kennedy
.
Lucky Grills, who played Bluey
appeared on The Late Show three times: as a guest in the mock press conference for the Biodome participants, as the character Bluey protesting the last episode of Bargearse and in the musical appearance as noted above.
On 15 August 2007 a Bargearse and The Olden Days double feature DVD was released.
as played by Russell Crowe
. Although in a "best-of" episode two weeks prior, it was suggested that Shirty was routinely played by Mick. It was stated on "The Best Bits of The Late Show" DVD commentary by Jane that Rob Sitch was in the suit.
and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
in which the animal regularly ends up saving the day. Charlie was a dog owned in real-life by Gleisner.
The sketch featured purposely bad overacting from the children and usually involved an unimposing villain or disaster (such as a "smuggler" stealing "native fauna" - sticks and twigs - from the bush) that had to be prevented. The actors would constantly praise Charlie as a highly intelligent "wonder dog", in contradiction of the behaviour of Charlie himself, who regularly had to be dragged around by a rope to perform stunts. When the dog was required to bark to alert the others of danger, obvious overdubbing was used over footage of Charlie with his mouth closed or looking distracted.
As the series went on, the problems and situations that Charlie faced became more and more over the top. Charlie was eventually assassinated in one of the sketches, only to come back in the Charlie the Wonderdog Christmas Episode.
Geoff and Terry (Sitch
and Cilauro
respectively) were two conman entrepreneurs, who would appear regularly with a "new exciting product" or scheme. Sitch and Cilauro primarily used the segment to make Jane Kennedy, who played the interviewer, laugh and forget her lines. Jane Kennedy also admitted in the Best of the Late Show DVD commentary that she was in fact drunk during one of the live sketches.
After a particularly bad performance Sitch and Cilauro vowed never to do Geoff and Terry again and the pair were reborn as the Oz brothers.
Jane Kennedy
, Tom Gleisner
, Santo Cilauro
and Rob Sitch
formed Working Dog Productions
, and made the successful TV programmes Frontline (1994–1997), Funky Squad (1995), A River Somewhere
(1997–1998), The Panel
(1998–2004), All Aussie Adventures
(2001-), and Thank God You're Here
(2006-), and the successful movies The Castle (1997) and The Dish
(2000).
Tony Martin
and Mick Molloy
had a top-rating radio show Martin/Molloy
(1995–1998), before moving into film with Tackle Happy
(2000), Crackerjack (2002), Bad Eggs
(2003) and BoyTown
(2006). Tony Martin
hosted a radio show on the national Triple M
network called Get This
(2006–2007), has written two books of humour- Lolly Scramble
(2005) and A Nest of Occasionals
(2009), has directed episodes of the ABC-TV comedy series The Librarians
and in September 2011, began co-hosting The Joy of Sets
on Ch-9. Molloy hosted Tough Love
from 2004 to 2006 and was then dropped from the radio station.
Judith Lucy
appeared in both Crackerjack and Bad Eggs
, and continues to tour with a series of successful one-woman shows and in 2011, appeared in the ABC-TV series Judith Lucy's Spiritual Journey. Jason Stephens is now the Director of Development for Fremantlemedia Australia, one of Australia's leading independent television production companies.
He was the creator behind The Choir of Hard Knocks
Article - 'Choir offers sanctuary from ‘Hard Knocks’ '
He also produced and Co-Executive produced the 2007 film The King
, the telemovie based on the life of Graham Kennedy
lifestory.
Jason also developed the comedy Newstopia
(2007) starring Shaun Micallef.
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 comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
show, which ran for two seasons on ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.
Cast
The Late Show has its roots in the 1980s comedy group, The D-GenerationThe D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
. Consisting mostly of Melbourne University
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
students, The D-Generation managed to gain a cult following with their radio and TV appearances.
After the breakup of the original The D-Generation
The D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
, some of the members went on to perform on the commercial TV programme Fast Forward. The remaining members filmed several pilots for what was to be called The Late Late Show at Channel Nine. These were rejected, and so the group accepted the ABC's offer of a one-hour timeslot on Saturday night. The cast members were:
- Santo CilauroSanto CilauroSanto Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
- Tom GleisnerTom GleisnerTom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
- Jane KennedyJane Kennedy (actor)Jane Kennedy is an Australian actress, comedian, radio presenter, and television producer best known for her work with the Working Dog Productions – a tight-knit group of performers responsible for a variety of television and films....
- Judith LucyJudith LucyJudith Mary Lucy is an Australian comedian, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. She has toured Australia with several highly successful one-woman shows, including No Waiter I Ordered the Avocado , King Of The Road , An Impossible Dream , The Show , The Show 2 , Colour Me Judith...
(second season only) - Tony MartinTony Martin (comedian)Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
- Mick MolloyMick MolloyMichael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
- Rob SitchRob SitchRobert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
- Jason Stephens
Introduction: Stand up
The show opened with a stand-upStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
routine by Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
. The stand-up was topical, usually focusing on the week's news. In 1995, the duo later went on to host their own radio show, Martin/Molloy
Martin/Molloy
Martin/Molloy was an Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. It was broadcast nationwide on 54 radio stations for two hours on weekday evenings between 1995 and 1998....
on the Austereo Radio Network
Austereo Radio Network
Austereo Radio Network formerly operated commercial radio networks in metropolitan and regional areas of Australia. On 6 April 2011, Southern Cross Media purchased a majority of the company and is in the process of unifying the Austereo networks with Southern Cross's regional brands...
.
The Late Show News Headlines
Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
, would blend the week's real news headlines with fake information and footage. For example, when covering the replacement of Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa
Kiichi Miyazawa
was a Japanese politician and the 78th Prime Minister from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993.-Early life and career:Miyazawa was born in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law. In 1942 he joined the Ministry of Finance...
, footage from an Asian bodybuilding competition was shown. The News Headlines would also feature interviews with newsmakers, most often played by Rob
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
. Some of the better-known impersonations included Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
, John Hewson
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM is an Australian economist, company director and a former politician. He was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1990 to 1994 and led the party to defeat at the 1993 federal election.-Early life:...
, Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
, Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Yassar Arafat, Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans (politician)
Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
, and Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
.
Street Talk
In Street Talk, Tony MartinTony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
would take to the streets of Melbourne and interview passers-by on issues of the day. These vox-pop interviews often proved more of an opportunity for the pair to ridicule their interviewees, especially their dress sense.
The Toilet Break
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
during the commercial-free show. The 2-minute long segment was played in the middle of every show, featuring old music clips, with a countdown
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of counting backward to indicate the seconds, days, or other time units remaining before an event occurs or a deadline expires. Typical events for which a countdown is used include the launch of a rocket or spacecraft, the detonation of a bomb, the start of a race, and the...
displayed on the top left-hand corner of the screen. During the first season, the toilet break consisted mostly of clips from The Natural 7 from The Saturday Show. The second season exclusively used clips from 1987's Pot Luck, which were judged by Bernard King
Bernard King (television)
Bernard King was an Australian stage actor, celebrity chef, and television personality.-Early life:King was born into a farming family in Maleny, Queensland. He attended a Christian Brothers College in Nudgee, Queensland on a scholarship. After graduation he taught school.-Acting career:King...
.
Musical finale
All episodes in the second series ended with a musical performance. Tony MartinTony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
would announce that Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
had organised for a major celebrity to perform, only for Molloy to sheepishly admit he had booked a minor celebrity of a similar name usually possessing no musical ability. The humour in Molloy's recurring "errors" in booking the performers may have run dry if not for the hilarity of having well-known Australian non-musical celebrities and politicians performing.
The performances included:
- Pete SmithPete Smith (announcer)Peter Philip Smith OAM is an Australian radio and television voice-over artist. He is primarily known for his work with GTV-9 Melbourne as their announcer, including being the announcer on the nationally screened Sale of the Century for twenty-one years.-Radio:Upon leaving school, Smith joined...
performing AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"Dude " is a song by United States hard rock band Aerosmith. It was released as the first of three singles from the Permanent Vacation album in 1987. It reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, #41 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, #4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at #45 on the UK...
" - Norman YemmNorman YemmNorman Yemm is an Australian actor who is probably best known for his long-running role as Norm Baker in the television drama The Sullivans....
singing R.E.M.R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's "Losing My ReligionLosing My Religion"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...
" - Mike WhitneyMike WhitneyMichael Roy Whitney is an Australian television personality and former cricketer, who played in 12 Tests and 38 ODIs from 1981 to 1993....
as Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
performing "I Will Always Love YouI Will Always Love You"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" - Former Australian Test cricketTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er Max WalkerMax WalkerMaxwell Henry Norman Walker AM is a former Australian cricketer and VFL/AFL footballer. Formerly an architect, he currently works as a media commentator and motivational speaker and has diverse business interests.- Football career :...
performing Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - Former Australian swimmer Hayley LewisHayley LewisHayley Jane Lewis is a retired Australian swimmer best known for winning five gold medals and one bronze at the 1990 Commonwealth Games as a 15-year-old....
with "Hip to Be SquareHip to Be Square"Hip to Be Square" is a song by Huey Lewis and the News, written by Bill Gibson, Sean Hopper, and Huey Lewis, and released in 1986 as the second single from the multi-platinum album, Fore!. The song features Pro Football Hall of Famers and then-San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott...
" by Huey LewisHuey LewisHuey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs... - French-Australian chef Gabriel GatéGabriel GatéGabriel Gaté is a French chef living in Australia. He has appeared on a number of Australian television shows and in 2000, Gaté received the La Croix de Chevalier dans L’Ordre du Merite Agricole.-Early life:...
performing "Accidentally Kelly Street" by Frente!Frente!Frente! are an Australian alternative rock group, formed in 1991. The original lineup featured singer Angie Hart, founder and guitarist Simon Austin, bassist Tim O'Connor , and drummer Mark Picton... - Ron BarassiRon BarassiRonald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...
as Shirley BasseyShirley BasseyDame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
singing the theme from the James BondJames Bond (film series)The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
film ThunderballThunderball (film)Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(actually a Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
song) - Game show host "Baby" John BurgessJohn Burgess (TV host)John Burgess is an Australian television and radio personality, best known for his hosting duties on Wheel of Fortune.-Television:Burgess was host of Wheel of Fortune on the Seven Network, from 1984 to 1996...
performing "One Word" by Baby AnimalsBaby AnimalsBaby Animals are a 1990s hard rock band from Australia.-Early history:The Baby Animals were formed in Sydney in 1989 by singer Suze DeMarchi, drummer Frank Celenza, guitarist Dave Leslie, and bassist Eddie Parise... - TV fisherman and football commentator Rex HuntRex HuntRex James Hunt is an Australian television and radio personality, and a former Australian rules football player. He is an Australian rules football commentator, currently on the 1116 SEN radio station with son in law Lee Raynor conducting a program called Off The Hook. He is better known around...
in a spangly costume covering T. Rex's "Get It On" - Actor Syd HeylenSyd HeylenSyd Heylen was an Australian actor, comedian, and variety performer who often performed in a traditional vaudeville type style....
covering the Van HalenVan HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
tune "JumpJump (Van Halen song)"Jump" is a song by the American rock group Van Halen. It is the only single the group released in their career to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was released in 1984 as the second track on the album 1984...
" - Actor Donnie SutherlandDonnie SutherlandDonald "Donnie" Sutherland OAM is an Australian radio and television presenter, best known for being the host of Sounds on Australian television between 1975 and 1987...
as Dame Joan SutherlandJoan SutherlandDame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.... - TV weatherman Brian Bury singing Ian Drury's "Hit Me With Your Rhythm StickHit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" is a song and single by Ian Dury & The Blockheads, first released 23 November 1978 and was first released on the 7" single BUY 38 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick / There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards by Stiff Records. It went to number one on the UK Singles...
" - Television vet Dr. Harry CooperHarry Cooper (veterinarian)Harold Leonard Cooper , is an Australian vet and well known in the media.Cooper began his media career in a veterinary segment on a morning television talk show in Sydney. Later he became known as the resident veterinarian on the long-running series Burke's Backyard...
as Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
performing "Department of Youth". - Grassby, Grills, Nudge & Plumb as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The "group" was composed of Al GrassbyAl GrassbyAlbert Jaime Grassby, AM , Australian politician, was Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Labor government. He initiated sweeping reforms in immigration, human rights, and is often known as the father of Australian "multiculturalism".-Early life and state politics:Born Albert Grassby in...
(former Australian Immigration Minister); Lucky Grills (from '70s cop show BlueyBlueyBluey is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network in 1976.The series was another crime TV series from Crawford Productions, but was different from previous series - Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police - in that it focused on a single detective rather than...
); Christopher TruswellChristopher TruswellChristopher Truswell is an Australian actor best known as "Nudge" in the Australian TV sitcom Hey Dad...! He also voiced the character of Gilramos Libkath in United States film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones which was filmed in Sydney, Australia...
(who played the character of "Nudge" in the Australian sitcom Hey Dad); and veteran Australian actress Gwen PlumbGwen PlumbGwen Plumb AM BEM was a veteran Australian performer of stage, radio and television.-Biography:Gwendoline Jean Plumb was born in 1912...
. - Australian cricketer David BoonDavid BoonDavid Clarence Boon MBE , nicknamed Boony, is a former Australian cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1995...
performing "Once in a LifetimeOnce in a Lifetime (Talking Heads song)"Once in a Lifetime" is a song by New Wave band Talking Heads, released as the first single from their fourth studio album Remain in Light. The song was written by David Byrne, Brian Eno, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth, and produced by Eno...
" as Talking HeadsTalking HeadsTalking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
frontman David ByrneDavid Byrne (musician)David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
. - Former Premier of Victoria Joan KirnerJoan KirnerJoan Elizabeth Kirner AM , Australian politician, was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, the first woman to hold the position, which she held for two years prior to a landslide election defeat.-Biography:...
covering Joan JettJoan JettJoan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
's "I Love Rock 'n' RollI Love Rock 'n' Roll"I Love Rock 'n Roll" is a rock song written in 1975 by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of Arrows, who recorded the first released version. The song was later made famous by the hit version recorded by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in 1981....
", accompanied on guitar by her former Health Minister David White who actually did play the guitar for the segment. - Australian variety show host, singer and entertainer Jimmy HannanJimmy HannanJimmy Hannan is a retired Australian variety show host, singer and entertainer. Hannan won the 1965 Gold Logie award.One of his daughters is Melissa Hannan who won the Miss Australia title in 1981 and was also in the Miss World competition held in London.-Filmography:*The Sentimental Bloke *Jimmy...
standing in for Jimmy BarnesJimmy BarnesJames Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
(former Cold ChiselCold ChiselCold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
frontman) singing "Working Class ManWorking Class Man"Working Class Man" is a song performed and made famous by Australian singer Jimmy Barnes. It was written by Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain. "Working Class Man" is generally considered Barnes' signature song as a solo artist....
". - Lester Ellis as VangelisVangelisEvangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
playing the theme from Chariots of Fire on piano (not included on the DVD).
The Late Show finale in 1993 had a 'real' guest on to sing at the finale: Don Lane
Don Lane
Don Lane , born Morton Donald Isaacson, was an American-born talk show host and singer. Don Lane is best known for hosting The Don Lane Show, which was aired on The Nine Network in Australia from 1975 to 1983....
, who was notably appearing on a competing network during the show's Saturday night timeslot. A famous non-guest was Jana Wendt whom the producers had hoped would either sing a song by Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
(Javana) or Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
(Janarama). Wendt never appeared. Other famous non-guests were Robert Gottliebson (Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer) and Tony Bonner (This Used to Be My Playground by Madonna).
Shitscared
Shitscared starred Rob SitchRob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
as a stuntman combining Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
and Ed Wood (in that he was similarly unable to grasp his own sheer incompetence and lack of aptitude in his chosen field) compounded by the 'spanner in the works', Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
as his half-witted assistant and Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
as the interviewer. Rob
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
played the arrogant expert, who loved to pontificate about "the stunt game". He would fashion detailed plans for each stunt, with an emphasis on "safety". He would boast about his own significance, mumbling and glossing over any questions relating to poorly funded, rundown buildings and stunt apparatus variously referred to as 'Stunt HQ' . Mick would always manage to ruin Rob's planning, inevitably resulting in physical injury for Rob. The first two Shitscared sketches were shot at Channel Nine for the unaired pilots of The Late, Late Show.
Pissweak World
Several-minute advertisements for mediocre theme parks with the 'Pissweak' brandname, e.g. Pissweak World, Ye Olde Pissweeke Worlde, Pissweak Movieworld, Pissweak Town. Each would feature a guided tour with examples of the many low-quality attractions. Featuring the Pissweak Kids and narration by Tony Martin.Examples (from Pissweak Town):
- "Ride a bucking Bronco" - clip showing a child sitting on a Labrador (a.k.a. Charlie the Wonderdog).
- "See a bush printing press" - clip of a man holding a child's head on top of a photocopier printing out a copy.
- "Ride a stage coach" - clip shows dejected children inside a trailer being driven down a road.
Graham and the Colonel
Roy and HG
Roy & HG is an Australian comedy duo, comprising Greig Pickhaver in the role of "H [Harry] G Nelson" and John Doyle as "'Rampaging' Roy Slaven". Their act is an affectionate but irreverent parody of Australia's obsession with sport. Their characters based on archetypes in sports journalism: Nelson...
, Graham and the Colonel were two satirical sports commentators, played respectively by Sitch and Cilauro dressed in green ABC sports jackets. Whilst the characters often forgot lines and used many corny and humourless jokes, the segment was much loved. This segment aired just before the end of each episode.
The intro music for the segment was "Light and Tuneful" by Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the Grandstand theme for the BBC...
, the same music used by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to introduce its Wimbledon coverage.
The Olden Days
The Olden Days was a segment where the cast overdubbed Rush, a black-and-white historical drama series produced by the ABCAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
in the 1970s. It was aired during the first series of the show.
Tony Martin did the voice of the star of the show, Governor Frontbottom (as well as Judge Muttonchops). Mick Molloy supplied the voice for the John Waters'
John Waters (actor)
John Russell Waters is a film, theatre and television actor and musician best known in Australia, to where he moved in 1968...
character Sergeant Olden. Other characters were used intermittently.
The Olden Days was released by the ABC as a VHS video containing all the segments in order, although it has been out of publication for a number of years. On 15 August 2007, it was released on DVD in The Late Show Presents Bargearse and The Olden Days.
Actor John Waters appeared as a surprise guest on The Late Show.
Bargearse
Replacing The Olden Days in the second series of the show, Bargearse was an overdubbed version of Bluey, a 70s police drama set in MelbourneMelbourne
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...
, Australia
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...
. The segment was originally to be an overdubbing of an Australian soap opera, The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...
, titled "Medical Hospital", but the rights to the footage were pulled at the last minute. The ABC series Truckies was considered for overdubbing in a segment intended to be titled "Truck Wits", before the writers settled on Bluey. This change left the writers with very little time, and as a result the planned 20 short episodes was cut down to 10, which aired in the second half of series two.
Bargearse was named after its protagonist, Detective Sergeant Bargearse, an overweight, moustache-sporting "rough-and-tumble" cop. The sketches exploited Bluey's weight with plentiful fat jokes, as well as many fart noises.
Bargearse was voiced by Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and his sidekicks, Ann Bourke and Detective Glen Twenty, were voiced by Judith Lucy
Judith Lucy
Judith Mary Lucy is an Australian comedian, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. She has toured Australia with several highly successful one-woman shows, including No Waiter I Ordered the Avocado , King Of The Road , An Impossible Dream , The Show , The Show 2 , Colour Me Judith...
and Rob Sitch
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
respectively. Other minor characters were revoiced by Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
, Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
and Jane Kennedy
Jane Kennedy (actor)
Jane Kennedy is an Australian actress, comedian, radio presenter, and television producer best known for her work with the Working Dog Productions – a tight-knit group of performers responsible for a variety of television and films....
.
Lucky Grills, who played Bluey
Bluey
Bluey is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network in 1976.The series was another crime TV series from Crawford Productions, but was different from previous series - Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police - in that it focused on a single detective rather than...
appeared on The Late Show three times: as a guest in the mock press conference for the Biodome participants, as the character Bluey protesting the last episode of Bargearse and in the musical appearance as noted above.
On 15 August 2007 a Bargearse and The Olden Days double feature DVD was released.
Shirty: The Slightly Aggressive Bear
Shirty: The Slightly Aggressive Bear was a parody of children's TV shows. The twist was that the main character, Shirty, would react harshly to even the smallest insult. Many episodes ended with a destroyed set, a firearm being shot, or injury to the other characters. In the last episode of the first series, a sketch revealed that Shirty was played by the "Hando" character from Romper StomperRomper Stomper
-Awards:The film was nominated for nine Australian Film Institute Awards. It won Best Achievement in Sound, Best Actor in a Lead Role and Best Original Music Score.-Box office and Reception:Romper Stomper grossed $3,165,034 at the box office in Australia,...
as played by Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
. Although in a "best-of" episode two weeks prior, it was suggested that Shirty was routinely played by Mick. It was stated on "The Best Bits of The Late Show" DVD commentary by Jane that Rob Sitch was in the suit.
Charlie the Wonderdog
Charlie the Wonderdog was a series of short episodes which first aired during The Late Show's second series. The segment was created after last-minute changes led to Bargearse's planned twenty episodes being cut down to ten. Starring Charles 'Bud' Tingwell and the "Pissweak Kids" (a group of children who also starred in the Pissweak World sketches), Charlie was a parody of fictional animal shows, such as LassieLassie (1954 TV series)
Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973...
and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series for children created by John McCallum, produced from 1966–1968, telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, in the Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.Ninety-one 30-minute...
in which the animal regularly ends up saving the day. Charlie was a dog owned in real-life by Gleisner.
The sketch featured purposely bad overacting from the children and usually involved an unimposing villain or disaster (such as a "smuggler" stealing "native fauna" - sticks and twigs - from the bush) that had to be prevented. The actors would constantly praise Charlie as a highly intelligent "wonder dog", in contradiction of the behaviour of Charlie himself, who regularly had to be dragged around by a rope to perform stunts. When the dog was required to bark to alert the others of danger, obvious overdubbing was used over footage of Charlie with his mouth closed or looking distracted.
As the series went on, the problems and situations that Charlie faced became more and more over the top. Charlie was eventually assassinated in one of the sketches, only to come back in the Charlie the Wonderdog Christmas Episode.
Geoff and Terry
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
and Cilauro
Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
respectively) were two conman entrepreneurs, who would appear regularly with a "new exciting product" or scheme. Sitch and Cilauro primarily used the segment to make Jane Kennedy, who played the interviewer, laugh and forget her lines. Jane Kennedy also admitted in the Best of the Late Show DVD commentary that she was in fact drunk during one of the live sketches.
After a particularly bad performance Sitch and Cilauro vowed never to do Geoff and Terry again and the pair were reborn as the Oz brothers.
Other segments
- "The Oz Brothers", stereotypical Australians also played by Sitch and Cilauro, who were obsessed with cricketer David BoonDavid BoonDavid Clarence Boon MBE , nicknamed Boony, is a former Australian cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1995...
and often prayed to him while facing his home town, LauncestonLaunceston, TasmaniaLaunceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
. - Music video parodies, usually with a high-degree of visual accuracy.
- Celebrity interviews, where Martin went through hours in make-up to play Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. - "Commercial Crimestoppers", where amateurish commercials from regional Australia were mocked.
- "Countdown Classics", a segment where footage from the Australian TV series Countdown was presented by TomTom GleisnerTom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
and JaneJane Kennedy (actor)Jane Kennedy is an Australian actress, comedian, radio presenter, and television producer best known for her work with the Working Dog Productions – a tight-knit group of performers responsible for a variety of television and films....
, who were dressed in 70s-era clothing, sitting on beanbags. - "Muckraking", a kind of celebrity gossip segment hosted by Molloy and Stephens, which often degenerated into irrelevant ranting.
- "Mick's Serve", usually accompanying the news headlines Gleisner would get Molloy to comment on a topical issue. This resulted in Molloy ranting over the issue whilst becoming increasingly enraged. The event would end with Gleisner calling in men in white coats to douse Molloy and the news desk with fire extinguishers.
- Tony Martin's "Masterpieces of Modern Cinema" where Martin would criticise substandard cinema, for example Jaws: The RevengeJaws: The RevengeJaws: The Revenge, Also known as, 'Jaws 4: The Revenge', is a 1987 thriller film directed by Joseph Sargent. It is the third sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the final installment of the series....
, Armour of God and Houseboat HorrorHouseboat HorrorHouseboat Horror is an Australian slasher film released to video in 1989.-Plot:A film crew composed of media types and party animals from the city embark on a road trip to record music videos of a hard-living rock band at rural Lake Infinity....
. - "Sink the Slipper", a segment where Martin and Molloy would identify and criticise a noted personality who had done or said something outrageous during the preceding week, and would then proceed to kick a fake pair of buttocks poking through part of the set which represented the personality. These segments were excluded from the VHS/DVD releases, purportedly for legal reasons.
Specials
- Backchat Highlights Special (26 September 1992).
- The Late Show by Request (28 November 1992).
- The Olden Days Special (14 August 1993).
- The Best of the D-Generation (21 & 28 August 1993).
- The Devil at Your Heels Special (16 October 1993).
Video/DVD releases
- Three volumes of The Best Bits Of The Late Show were released on VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, along with standalone compilations of Bargearse and The Olden Days. - In 2001, the ABC released a DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
entitled The Best Bits Of The Late Show: Champagne Edition, a double disc set collecting all three "Best Bits" volumes, as well as an additional hour of footage and a number of easter eggs. The DVD also featured a commentary track hosted by Tony Martin, but involving the entire cast and several special guests. - The Olden Days and Bargearse were released together on a double-feature DVD on 15 August 2007. The DVD also contains several excerpts and sketches from The Late Show in the form of special features as well as commentary tracks by Tony Martin & Santo Cilauro. Additionally, there are another 17 excerpts hidden in the DVD menus.
After "The Late Show"
Citing the enormous effort involved in producing each week's show, and the desire to explore other formats, the cast decided that the second season of The Late Show would be the last. Most of the performers have remained prominent in the Australian comedy scene.Jane Kennedy
Jane Kennedy (actor)
Jane Kennedy is an Australian actress, comedian, radio presenter, and television producer best known for her work with the Working Dog Productions – a tight-knit group of performers responsible for a variety of television and films....
, Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
, Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
and Rob Sitch
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
formed Working Dog Productions
Working Dog Productions
Working Dog Productions is a small film and television production company based in Melbourne, Australia. It was originally known as Frontline Television Productions Pty Ltd...
, and made the successful TV programmes Frontline (1994–1997), Funky Squad (1995), A River Somewhere
A River Somewhere
A River Somewhere was an Australian documentary television series originally broadcast by ABC TV in 1997 and 1998. It was produced by Working Dog Productions, and was hosted by Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch...
(1997–1998), The Panel
The Panel
The Panel was an Australian television talk show broadcast by Network Ten and its affiliates; it was also simulcast on the Triple M radio network...
(1998–2004), All Aussie Adventures
All Aussie Adventures
All Aussie Adventures is an Australian mockumentary television series that parodied the travel-adventure genre. Glenn Robbins plays Russell Coight, a survival and wildlife expert who charts his disastrous travels through Australia, spreading misinformation and causing accidents...
(2001-), and Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
(2006-), and the successful movies The Castle (1997) and The Dish
The Dish
The Dish is a 2000 Australian film that tells the story of how the Parkes Observatory was used to relay the live television of man's first steps on the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969...
(2000).
Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
had a top-rating radio show Martin/Molloy
Martin/Molloy
Martin/Molloy was an Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. It was broadcast nationwide on 54 radio stations for two hours on weekday evenings between 1995 and 1998....
(1995–1998), before moving into film with Tackle Happy
Tackle Happy
Tackle Happy is an Australian documentary film released in 2000 about the live performance show Puppetry of the Penis starring Simon Morley and David Friend. It was produced and directed by comedian Mick Molloy, whose radio show Martin/Molloy had chronicled the chaotic 1998 tour captured in the film...
(2000), Crackerjack (2002), Bad Eggs
Bad Eggs
Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. It stars Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin and Judith Lucy, with Alan Brough, Bill Hunter, Marshall Napier, Nicholas Bell, Steven Vidler, Shaun Micallef, Robyn Nevin, Brett Swain, Denis Moore and Pete Smith having supporting...
(2003) and BoyTown
BoyTown
BoyTown is a 2006 Australian comedy film, directed by Kevin Carlin and starring an ensemble cast of prominent Australian comedians, including Glenn Robbins, Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Wayne Hope and Gary Eck. It was filmed in Melbourne, Victoria....
(2006). Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
hosted a radio show on the national Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
network called Get This
Get This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
(2006–2007), has written two books of humour- Lolly Scramble
Lolly Scramble
Lolly Scramble: A Memoir of Little Consequence, published in 2005, is collection of autobiographical essays by New Zealand-Australian comedian Tony Martin...
(2005) and A Nest of Occasionals
A Nest of Occasionals
A Nest of Occasionals , published in 2009, is collection of autobiographical essays by New Zealand-Australian comedian Tony Martin. It is a follow up to his first book Lolly Scramble...
(2009), has directed episodes of the ABC-TV comedy series The Librarians
The Librarians (TV series)
The Librarians is an Australian television comedy series which premiered on 31 October 2007 on ABC TV. In Ireland the show airs on RTÉ Two. The series is produced and written by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope who are also the principal cast members. Hope is also the series' director. The first...
and in September 2011, began co-hosting The Joy of Sets
The Joy of Sets
The Joy of Sets is an Australian comedy television series looking at the elements used to construct television shows. The show was originally broadcast weekly by the Nine Network, premiering on 20 September 2011....
on Ch-9. Molloy hosted Tough Love
Tough Love with Mick Molloy
ToughLove was an Australian comedic radio talk program broadcast from Melbourne through the Triple M network from 12:00PM - 1:00PM AEST in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide....
from 2004 to 2006 and was then dropped from the radio station.
Judith Lucy
Judith Lucy
Judith Mary Lucy is an Australian comedian, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. She has toured Australia with several highly successful one-woman shows, including No Waiter I Ordered the Avocado , King Of The Road , An Impossible Dream , The Show , The Show 2 , Colour Me Judith...
appeared in both Crackerjack and Bad Eggs
Bad Eggs
Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. It stars Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin and Judith Lucy, with Alan Brough, Bill Hunter, Marshall Napier, Nicholas Bell, Steven Vidler, Shaun Micallef, Robyn Nevin, Brett Swain, Denis Moore and Pete Smith having supporting...
, and continues to tour with a series of successful one-woman shows and in 2011, appeared in the ABC-TV series Judith Lucy's Spiritual Journey. Jason Stephens is now the Director of Development for Fremantlemedia Australia, one of Australia's leading independent television production companies.
He was the creator behind The Choir of Hard Knocks
The Choir of Hard Knocks
The Choir of Hard Knocks is a choir consisting of homeless and disadvantaged people formed in Melbourne, Australia. It came to prominence as the subject of a five-part Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary television series broadcast in 2007....
Article - 'Choir offers sanctuary from ‘Hard Knocks’ '
He also produced and Co-Executive produced the 2007 film The King
The King (2007 film)
The King: The Story of Graham Kennedy is an Australian telemovie examining the life of Australian entertainer Graham Kennedy.Produced in Australia by the Sydney based independent production company Crackerjack Productions for TV1 and the Nine Network, The King was first shown on 20 May 2007 on TV1...
, the telemovie based on the life of Graham Kennedy
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
lifestory.
Jason also developed the comedy Newstopia
Newstopia
Newstopia is an Australian half-hour satirical comedy programme hosted by Shaun Micallef. The first series premiered at on SBS TV on 10 October 2007 and concluded on 3 December 2007. A second season began on 27 February 2008 and concluded on 30 April 2008. A third season of the show screened from...
(2007) starring Shaun Micallef.