Monday, February 5, 2018 — Welcome aboard Sammy J, a brand-new weekly bite-sized satirical sketch series to broadcast on ABC at 6.55pm starting Thursday 8 February. Sammy J will also be available on ABC iview, ABC iview Facebook and ABC COMEDY YouTube.

Multi award-nominated comedian Sammy J is making his boldest pitch yet to the electorate: a three-minute frolic through the issues of the week. From craft activities with Malcolm and Bill, Question Time debriefs with the Government Coach, to singalongs in the Parliamentary Bar, Mr J will continue to flog our leaders with wet lettuce until they refer him to the High Court.

Sammy J’s unique comedic talents, satire, and his insatiable appetite for politics will blend with the successful characters and ‘small worlds’ of his previous two series, Sammy J’s Playground Politics and Sammy J’s Democratic Party, to create a new platform from which he can harass and heckle the politicians of the day.

Sammy J said; “In the words of Julia Gillard – there will be some days I delight you, there may be some days I disappoint you, but on every day, I will be working my absolute hardest for you. Thank you for inviting me into your living rooms, and I promise to clean up after myself.”

Sammy J is an award-winning comedian, writer and musician. He won the Best Newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and went on to performed in Edinburgh, Montreal, and every major Australian comedy festival. His album Skinny Man, Modern World received an ARIA nomination for Best Comedy Release. His current solo show, Hero Complex, won Best Comedy at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and was nominated for a Helpmann Award in 2017.

We’re a little surprised the ABC is keeping the Clarke & Dawe timeslot open without Clarke & Dawe – 6.55pm on a Thursday never felt like a much sought-after spot for original content – but Sammy J is probably the best current choice for it. Even if this does sound like they’ll just be parceling out segments from his somewhat hit and miss Sammy J’s Democratic Party in an easy-to-upload format.

Fingers crossed the focus on one sketch a week will sharpen things up, as we enjoyed a lot of Sammy J’s Playground Politics. Just less interviews with cardboard cutouts of Robert Menzies, please.