We knew there were only two ways this story could end. Either Briggs didn’t return to The Weekly this week, turning the show into a laughing stock that couldn’t even accurately predict when core cast members were going to appear, or Briggs showed up and we could all go back to ignoring The Weekly. Almost... Read More »
Clarke & Dawe returned to our screens last week and once again reminded us how satirists should be doing it: it’s about pointing out where things are going wrong. Satire only achieves what it’s there to do if it leaves the audience laughing, better informed and angry for change. And this is something that’s only... Read More »
Does broadcast TV have a future beyond the things that only it can do best: news, live coverage of sport and big budget “event TV”? With Netflix, Amazon, Stan and other streaming services offering drama, documentary, and films to watch anytime you want, should broadcasters like the ABC even bother? When it comes to comedy,... Read More »
Hey, did you see this week’s episode of The Weekly? We’re loving that big shake-up where they ditched the opening credits and now Charlie Pickering stands around at the start – the show somehow seems more energetic and vital now, right? And is the lighting just that little bit different too? It makes the whole... Read More »
It’s press release time! A major investment in locally produced, prime-time programming. (20 February 2017) Channel Seven will begin work on three locally produced programs, two of which are original formats. “The quality of the work coming out of our development team is exceptional,” says Seven’s Director of Network Programming Angus Ross. “The three commissions... Read More »
If you’re telling the life story of someone famous, it might seem obvious to occasionally mention exactly why they became famous in the first place. But that’s the kind of rookie mistake that separates unpaid bloggers from Australia’s telemovie elite, because while we sat through four hours of Hoges wondering exactly when it was going... Read More »
An obvious omission from the first series of Stop Laughing…This is serious was Hey Hey It’s Saturday. A show which in its day was hugely popular, but on reflection seems embarrassing. And we don’t just mean the Jackson Jive. It was impossible not to watch all the clips from Hey Hey… – and the various... Read More »
As we really should have mentioned earlier, Ten has grabbed the free-to-air rights to the local version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and starting tonight they’re screening it in (roughly) the HYBPA? timeslot for comedy fans who demand their laughs at the same time each week. Unfortunately for those who demand their laughs be... Read More »
Is it just us – and it usually is just us – or did that bit at the very start of this week’s The Weekly (now back for 2017!) basically say new regular Briggs was hired because he’s black? Obviously that’s not what they planned to say with their hilarious and of-the-moment parody of that... Read More »
In news that surprised no-one with the slightest idea of how money works, this just happened: Hey I have news. We have decided Season 4 #PleaseLikeMe is the last. I've loved making this show for you all so much. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/QKAk5nZQLV — Josh Thomas (@JoshThomas87) February 2, 2017 While it’s mildly interesting to us... Read More »