Monkey Tennis

You’d think that after Randling tanked the ABC would be steering clear of comedy panel quizzes, but no, that’s the kind of thing a sane broadcaster would do. What the ABC has done is give the green light to…

MEDIA RELEASE: ‘TRACTOR MONKEYS’ RIDE INTO TOWN

Released Friday 19th October 2012

ABC TV will begin production next month on Tractor Monkeys – a new comedy quiz show for ABC1.

Sitting in the host hot seat will be comedian and TV and radio star Merrick Watts. The eight-part series will see two teams, one led by comedian Dave O’Neil and the other by radio’s Katie “Monty” Dimond, battle their way through quick fire rounds of questions and games inspired by ABC TV’s eclectic archive vault.

“I’m genuinely excited to be hosting this show for the ABC. Aunty’s film vaults are an endless source of comedy gold that I can’t wait to unlock.” says Merrick Watts.

Jennifer Collins, ABC TV’s Head of Entertainment says, “With Merrick at the wheel, Tractor Monkeys promises a fast and chaotic ride through the bizarre, wonderful and at times disturbing trends, fads and social phenomena that have shaped us all”.

Tractor Monkeys starts filming in Sydney mid November, and will screen in 2013 on ABC1.

To be part of the studio audience visit abc.net.au/tractormonkeys

Bookings will open from 30th October.

Yes, it really has come to this: an ABC re-make of The White Room. And the latest in a long line of attempts to ape the success of Spicks & Specks with as little budget as possible. Makes you wonder if we’re almost at the point where a program will get made which consists entirely of random tweets put up on the screen while Andrew Denton laughs.

Obviously Tractor Monkeys could turn out to be utterly hilarious, but having seen Thursday’s episode of The Unbelievable Truth, which featured Merrick Watts going hell for leather in the “nice but dumb” stakes and dying on his unfunny arse, we suspect not. This will most likely be 8 half hours in which a regular cast with near identical comedy personas will answer pointless questions about weird old footage that was used to better comic effect in Barry Humphries Flashbacks. Cheap it may be for the ABC to make this show, but the laughs on offer will be even cheaper.

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2 Comments

  • Glen says:

    I onceI heard Katie Dimond say she didn’t like or understand The Simpsons therefor I could never watch anything with her in it.

  • UnSubject says:

    Dave O’Neil is a nice enough guest, but is he really strong enough to be a pillar for show like this? I don’t see it working at all.