To celebrate 30 years since The Late Show a number of former Late Show cast members have been doing the rounds on TV, print and radio. Here’s a quick round-up!
On Thursday 21 July, Jane Kennedy chatted to Sammy J on ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast. “When the show went to air at the time, the critics at the major newspapers were so harsh about it,” she recalls (as Sammy J interjects with a “WARNEKE!”). “They actually went as far to say, ‘Do not watch this show.’ … That was a red rag to a bull for us.”
Here’s the ABC interview link.
And on Friday 22 July, Rob Sitch chatted to WSFM presenters Jonesy & Amanda on JAM Nation. “This was the show that was instrumental to how Australians of our generation saw comedy,” Amanda says, reeling off some classic sketches.
Rob says of the show’s popularity, “Here’s the advantage we had back then: teenagers on a Saturday night were trapped at home, so we had an audience of hostages really… it was before social media so we really didn’t know who was watching, it was either 70 year old ABC viewers who wanted a BBC drama back on or 14, 15, 16 year olds, and eventually the feedback came back from them and that was the delight.”
Listen to the interview, below.
Another highlight of the week was The Australian’s article by Troy Bramston commemorating The Late Show, featuring interviews with Santo Cilauro and Tony Martin.
“The Late Show was something you recorded
on your home video cassette recorder and played again and againwith friends. If you missed it, and didn’t set your VCR timer to record it, you sought a friend who did. The sketches were retold on the school bus, around the office water cooler and at parties.”
Check out the cover of Mick in Shitscared! Says Santo in the interview: “We were young enough to be stupid and followed our instincts, sometimes against the better judgement of people who were more mature than us, and that was important.”
Also, Jane appeared on Studio 10 reminiscing about The Late Show (the caption incorrectly says 1982, but we aren’t that old!) “We had an hour of comedy to fill each week … writing things five minutes before we went to air… it was very much a flying by the seat of your pants style about it as well which made it pretty different.”
Funny lady Jane Kennedy reflects on 30 years of laughs, and how The Late Show shaped her career and changed the face of comedy. @Jane_L_Kennedy #Studio10 #TheLateShow pic.twitter.com/2ymmxt9lWt
— Studio 10 (@Studio10au) July 18, 2022
But the best appearance this week has got to be Tony Martin on Mad as Hell (right after Shaun Micallef channels It’s Academic on Brain Eisteddfod), who reprises his uncanny Woody Allen impression with a bit of Arnie thrown in, just for us fans!
First that and now Tony as Woody! https://t.co/iXQiAsNlwU pic.twitter.com/5BQJghjYb7
— kim (@jasminetea) July 20, 2022
