Doing Circle Work

File this under guardedly good news:

After months of rumours, Triple M has confirmed that longtime friends and comedy colleagues Mick Molloy and Jane Kennedy will host a national drive show in 2018.

On the one hand, hurrah! Mick is funny, Jane is also funny, and they’ve both been working in radio long enough to remember – and hopefully aspire to – the good old days when radio comedy involved actually making comedy rather than just taking talkback calls for 90 seconds between tracks.

On the other hand, which is currently slapping us in the face telling us to wake up to ourselves, we’re talking about commercial radio in 2018 – and drive time radio at that. Of course it’s going to be talkback-heavy, there’s zero chance of scripted sketches, and the selling point here is less “remember those guys you used to laugh at back in the late 80s” and more “He’s a guy! She’s a girl! Contrasting view points! Stuff about kids and commuter traffic and the footy and cooking! Like Hughsie and Kate for people who can’t stand Hughsie and Kate!”

“I can’t wait to get back to my natural habitat on the drive shift. I imagine the show will be a lot like my usual conversations with Jane minus a couple of good bottles of vino,” Mick said.

Jane says she’s rapt to be working with Mick again. “…I can’t think of anyone better to do Drive with. Plus Micky’s usual excuse of sleeping through the alarm won’t wash anymore!”

The show’ll be airing nationwide from early 2018. So probably less AFL material than we’re currently used to from Mick.