We Feel Like Chicken Tonight

We rarely bother with the commercial network’s upfronts, mostly because they rarely bother with comedy. But this did catch our eye:

Comedy returns to prime time on Seven with a new format featuring Mick Molloy and Glenn Robbins and funny friends as guests. It is produced by Molloy Boy Productions.

AR: “This was the best pilot we’d seen for years. We just absolutely laughed our heads off. We really want to make sure no one steals the idea before we get it to air. Hence why, we haven’t put a title against it at this stage!”

Maybe the idea really is so good they want to keep it secret. Or maybe the title will be Mick Molloy Tonight because it’s probably a tonight show. “Funny friends as guests”? Please.

We can see it now. Mick’s behind the desk, Glenn Robbins is the sidekick / announcer, any resemblance to Sam Pang Tonight is purely coincidental. Especially as Mick can point to The Front Bar (which is also returning) and say he’s been hosting a (footy-based) talk show for ages.

Mumbrella has a little more information in their look at the upfronts:

[Brooke] Hall is coy about the details, only revealing to Mumbrella: “It’s not a quiz show, it’s not reality, and it’s not scripted — but it’s fucking funny.” Sold!

“I think if we can make it work here, these guys might have a successful format that will travel around the world, because it’s transferable.”

Yeah, that doesn’t exactly rule out a talk show, though it does suggest it’ll have at least one trademarkable angle. Talk show but it’s at a pub?

We’d like to think this is going to be an Australian version of The Trip. Mick and Glenn driving around wineries cracking jokes? Sign us up. But Seven has been trying to get a talk / tonight show up for at least a decade: if Ten has one that works starring one of Mick’s mates, why not tap him on the shoulder? And if it’s not a quiz show, not a reality show, not scripted but does feature funny friends… what other options are there? Mick and Glenn Pull Down People’s Pants?

Special shout-out to Seven Group Managing Director, Television, Angus Ross for saying “This was the best pilot we’d seen for years”. You’ll notice he didn’t say “comedy pilot”, because when was the last time Seven was seriously interested in local comedy – back in 2014 when they gave Kinne a go? Sure, that was also when Paul Fenech’s Bogan Hunters made its debut, but unlike AR we’re talking about comedy here.

Snark aside, at least Seven is trying. Over on Nine, their upfronts were notable for, well, let’s let a Nine publication point it out:

Notably, no new scripted drama or comedy was announced, with the free-to-air broadcaster instead leaning heavily on its ratings-winning combination of sport, game shows, reality and crime for the next 12 months.

At least Outback Murder Highway promises to be a bundle of laffs.