Dec 21 2024

Review: Working Dog on Demand

Here’s something from the news desk we did not expect:

Working Dog have announced via their social media accounts that they have launched a brand new ‘On Demand’ streaming service of their library – both television and film – Working Dog On Demand: watch.workingdog.com

While I have everything they have released on physical media, lots of their catalogue is now out of print and filling the shelves at op shops and eBay stores. Even some of their titles that were on iTunes and Google Play have dropped off the radar. We get the odd e-mail from fans like yourselves asking ‘where do we go to get a DVD as my ex kept it from me’ type situation.

Being that ChampagneComedy.com is a fitting place to review their new service, get ready for our rundown.

My initial reaction after discovering this news of this service was excitement, instantly thinking “How are they going to stream The Late Show? The D-Generation? The Panel?”

Currently on their site at the time of this review, the following are available to watch – after purchase:

While some of their catalogue on the site is currently missing (The Late Show, D-Generation, Funky Squad, The Panel, Santo Sam & Ed, Pictures Of You, The Campaign, Audrey Gordon, Blunderbirds <- that’s an obscure one!) Working Dog have mentioned more will come soon. Again, at the time of this review, the following pictured have links to current streaming services (free & paid):

When you click into those shows, there are direct links to where you can view these programs, such as Stan, Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, YouTube, and 10Play.

But what I was keen on was to own a copy of their 2016 adult animated series Pacific Heat, which was shown on Netflix worldwide, but restricted to Foxtel in Australia. Pacific Heat has never been released on DVD nor a deliverable digital service like iTunes, so I decided to buy this nugget for this review (since I owned the others on DVD).

Registration was quick and simple, receiving e-mail notifications instantly. Just an e-mail confirmation, followed by setting up my name and password. Once logged in, I clicked on Pacific Heat, and found the cost to be $17.99 for the entire series (13 episodes) or $2.99 for each individual episode. Currently, Working Dog are only accepting secure debit / credit card payments, or a promo code if you have been provided with one.  After the purchase, I received an e-mail receipt, and confirmation that the show was ready for me to stream instantly through their site.

Now, to watch this, I am using a Mac desktop and Google Chrome browser. There is a rundown on their site on what the minimum requirements are to view this service. There is a complete detailed listing here. One surprising thing is that you are limited to a maximum 3 devices for 1 account. There are options to remove any device which you can access via your account, so if you need to watch via your smart TV, tablet, phone, computer but you are out of options, just remove the unwanted devices.

Just like other streaming services, if you stop anytime through your viewing, you can pick it up where you left off. All your purchases go directly into your library as well, so you can skip and visit any part of your purchase.

All their video is DRM protected, which prevents me from even doing screenshots for reviewing purposes, but I can show you the resolution menu, which everything is provided in 1080p and lower, depending on your bandwidth.

As with every streaming service – you are paying for the unlimited access, and not ownership.

Some stray observations from me:

  • Currently with Utopia, you cannot buy streaming access on their site if you reside in Australia. This is due to streaming rights from other paid subscription services. We assume this will change when those rights have expired.
    • UPDATE 21/12:
      To test the geo-blocking on this, Champagne Comedy Podcast host Alison (who is based in the UK) has tried accessing Utopia, in which she was successful.

  • I have not purchased Frontline on demand as I own the first print DVD run, but judging by the recent remastering release on iView, the music might be different from the VHS / DVD versions due to licensing rights.
  • The 1991 documentary A Coffee With Ozzy is already available and free on their official YouTube channel, but we’ll see if it becomes embedded within their service.
  • Will Working Dog include their audio library? IE Music From The Panel? Any radio serial? Archived podcasts?
  • Registration is free so you can log in and explore. If you want to watch something, check out the trailer icon that appears in the show description which will have a video pop up. If it’s what you like, then purchase away.
  • UPDATE 21/12 v2:
    More from Alison: While the prices are tailored to the UK, it says I can get Any Questions for Ben? on Apple TV and that’s not the case in the UK.
  • UPDATE 28/01/2025:
    Funky Squad, All Aussie Adventures S1 – 3 + the Celebrity Challenge are now available to buy SVOD.

While I have no idea what and when they are releasing more of their catalogue,  I am keen to find out, and will update what we know, here.

Nov 08 2024

Things of Stone and Wood 35th Anniversary Show

Here’s something a little different for you from ChampagneComedy.com: Photographer / Pop Culture Lover / Live Gig fan Tim Chuma attended the Things of Stone And Wood 35th Anniversary performance on behalf of the site to see what ‘Melbourne cliches’ he could get out of the gig.

Things of Stone and Wood 35th Anniversary Show
Corner Hotel, Tuesday 5th November 2024

“I just ran out of Melbourne cliches!”

It must be said that some jokes have legs, both the band and the venue used The Late Show parody clip to promote the show and The Sharp does sell skivvies at their shows on the merchandise table. I saw Frente at the venue last year and regularly say hello to Angie Hart usually when I see her over at the Lomond Hotel after JVG Radio Method on RRR FM. That is where Greg Arnold was on the Sunday before the show promoting the gig and talked about how he did not mind playing the big hit as it is the reason people still remember the band.

The band’s original heyday was in the 1990s before I had finished high school and I didn’t really start going to see bands until 2003. Going back and looking at the Inpress archives on the Music website there were a lot of gigs every week at places at the Punters Club (now reopened), the Tote and the Espy. Dan & Al used to have 13 shows they could play per week according to Dan Warner. (I am going to see their Christmas show this year as usual.)

Having seen a lot of so-called “heritage” acts as house photographer at the Caravan Music Club when it was open in Oakleigh, the musicians involved have not stopped playing music in the intervening years and it is often much better so see them now than back in the day as they have more songs and experience. This was the case here even with the songs I did not know so well they still got the crowd pogoing along (I had a seat) and handing out musk sticks to share.

Greg Arnold talked about his first synth-metal band and offered to buy back any photos of the band. He also said he once fell through the stage at the Corner Hotel when it was a lot more run down than it was now and risked it by playing the exact same song.

The band did one folk set and one more rocking set. I only got photos from the first 3 songs but it was pretty much the same on stage for the whole show.

I enjoyed the day and may have done so a bit more if I did not go out to the Pulp Fiction 30th anniversary by the Tarantinos band the night before as I kept almost falling asleep in my chair. The band is well worth going to see even if you do only know one of their songs and just want a good show to go see.

Link:

Oct 05 2024

Working Dog merch and a Frontline surprise!

the late show shirt

The Late Show T-Shirts are now available at Working Dog’s store!

Working Dog productions has released an online store featuring merchandise from its popular shows and movies — including The Late Show!

The “Straight to the Pool Room” collection includes The Castle and All Aussie Adventures shirts ($55), and an homage to the original ABC The Late Show Cap (“Gotta Get That Cap!”), which costs $39.95.

UPDATE: The Late Show T-shirts are now available!

Matt Fulton has ordered and received said cap which he’s happy with.

The differences between the original Late Show cap and the 2024 Working Dog version include:

  • This one doesn’t have the white embroidering on it; it is a print.
  • There’s “Working Dog Official Merchandise” wording at the back, to distinguish between this and any potential knock-offs.
  • The original ABC version had green under the cap rim.

Other merch includes Nation Building Authority (Utopia) staff lanyards, The Cheap Seats and Have You Been Paying Attention? mugs, and the option of a digital gift card if you don’t quite know what your loved one might like from the array of delights on offer.

No word on The Late Show shirts but we will wait patiently! UPDATE 7/10: We didn’t have to wait long! The Late Show Shirts are here!

In other Working Dog news, it surprised us with remastered versions of Frontline episodes to celebrate 30 years since its debut! You can stream them all on ABC iView.

Aug 18 2024

Dude, looks like some Logies!

Congratulations to the Working Dog team for knocking it out of the ballpark with some Logie award wins for 2024.

  • Kitty Flanagan – Best Lead Actress in a Comedy – Utopia
    • Kitty was up against co-star Celia Pacquola for Utopia too.

  • Rob Sitch – Best Lead Actor in a Comedy – Utopia
    • This was Rob’s first individual Logie won.

  • Utopia – Best Scripted Comedy Program

  • Have You Been Paying Attention? – Best Comedy Entertainment Program
    • Thank God You’re Here was also up for the same gong.

Well done!

 

Jul 05 2024

Vote for Working Dog in the 2024 TV Week Logie Awards

“Dude, looks like a Logie!”
The Working Dog team have six chances out of four to win a C̶o̶p̶p̶e̶r̶ K̶r̶a̶z̶e̶e̶ 2024 TV Week Logie award, as voted by the general public.
To help you with your decision, we’ve highlighted the ones to look out for.
Visit the TV Week Logie Award site to cast and register your vote(s): tvweeklogies.com.au
** In order to make your vote count, you will need to register your details at the end of the voting form **

Jun 06 2024

“It’s John Blackman here from Telecom Mobilenet…”

Veteran TV and Radio personality John Blackman passed away on Tuesday 4th June after battling illness for years.

Known for his decades long stint of the voice of Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Blackman was a humorous prime target for mockery on The Late Show, in which he was the voice for a Telecom Mobilenet advertising campaign (errr.. Telstra), where he introduced himself as “It’s John Blackman here from Telecom Mobilenet”.

The infamous sound bite became a running joke throughout Season Two of The Late Show thanks to visual telephone gags during Tommy G at the News Desk.

Here at ChampagneComedy.com, we’ve put together an unofficial montage of these jokes. While the news is extremely dated and of its era of 1993, Blackman’s catchphrase is iconic and will warm your nostalgic hearts.

Vale.

Mar 06 2024

Skivvies are back! The Sharp reunites (thanks to a little nudge from us)

In exciting news, legendary Melbourne band The Sharp have announced that “Skivvies are Back!” after 31 years.

Their song and video clip, “Scratch My Back” was satirised so well by The Late Show in 1993 that the phrase “Skivvies are Back” became synonymous with the band.

A Facebook clip released on 4 March revealed that drummer Piet Collins and bandmate Charlie Rooke will be doing a series of gigs, playing their successful debut album This Is The Sharp from “top to bottom”. While bandmate Allan Catlin on double bass is not joining them, they have recruited Scott Owen from The Living End, along with musician Lee Harding on vocals.

Dates are to be announced, but we’d like to pat our own backs (ha, ha) for giving drummer Piet Collins a bit of inspiration to get most of the original line-up back together for another tour.

When Matt interviewed drummer Piet Collins about the classic clip for the Champagne Comedy podcast in 2022, he had nothing but praise for the comedians they admired so greatly, and didn’t rule out the idea of a gig potentially involving some of the other popular (and parodied) bands of the time.

“I remember hearing about [the parody] very soon after it happened and watching it and just  thinking it was the funniest thing I’d ever seen,” Piet recalled. “What a great compliment it was to get from a bunch of comedians who we we huge fans of. If you were living in Melbourne in in the early 90s you were you were going to be a fan of the D-Gen or you’re going to be a fan of The Late Show. Everyone you knew loved it.”

The clip gained notoriety for its uncanny imitations as well as its focus on the skivvy-wearing aspects, which you can see here on the official Working Dog YouTube feed.

Jan 02 2024

Utopia Season Five Coming To DVD

For the people who love their physical media, the fifth season of Australia’s favourite government department is finally being released on DVD: Utopia. Starring Rob Sitch, Celia Pacquola, Dave Lawson, Dilruk Jayasinha, and Kitty Flanagan, the hilarious antics of the Nation Building Authority continue, and you can own it from February 7th, 2024.

The fifth season of the award-winning series sees the beleaguered staff of the Nation Building Authority still trying to get the job done in the face of endless backflips, government interference and ever-shifting priorities. C.E.O. Tony Woodford and his loyal staff are forced to deal with project management teams interested only in talking points. Billion dollar projects announced without a business case or cost-benefit study. Shifting geo-political priorities. Rural road construction held up by a problematic statue. Cyber-attacks and an embarrassing UNESCO report.

 

You can purchase Utopia Seasons One to Four individually or as a boxset at where you can find it (JB Hi-Fi’s store listings are crap). Or, for the digital person – watch it now for free on iView or buy on iTunes. Also randomly available on paid streaming services, so check whatever you’ve subscribed to.

Nov 09 2023

Obscure Late Show Locations #621: The Marrickville Dental Surgery

Anyone who’s a fan of The Late Show will remember the time Mick and Tony took to the streets of Sydney and interviewed people about their reaction to Sydney winning the 2000 Olympic Games.

So many legendary quotes.

I”I’ve heard most of the big Olympic decisions have been made on the bus trip to Bowral.”

“Pull [your daks] up two or three inches mate.”

“What will you be doing in the year 2000? Going through puberty possibly.”

“That’s what happens when you take your John Fahey impression a little too seriously.”

“Gotta get that cap!” “Get that get that quick!”

“Thanks very much Senator Bronwyn Bishop.”

“Do Graham and the Colonel know you’ve got their jacket?”

And of course, the classic discussion of the potential Olympics theme song.

The “Jump in my car” classic moment happened in front of the dental surgery on Marrickville Road. Which is still there. That’s why one rainy weekend our roving reporter Matt and his mate Seb drove there to see how it looks now. Check out the video!

Oct 24 2023

Loose Talk, Foolish Pod Behaviour

If you are a subscriber to the Champagne Comedy Podcast (thank you), you would know we are working through the catalogue of The D-Generation / Working Dog‘s works. While we are on hiatus from completing Season One of Frontline, we have made a random bonus episode!

Behind the Scenes of Hard Quiz: Hester’s Late Show Specialty

In this unconventional bonus episode, Hester takes us behind the scenes of her time playing ABC TV’s Hard Quiz. But what’s truly intriguing is her specialty subject: The Late Show. Fans of this iconic late-night Australian television show are in for a treat as Hester shares anecdotes, trivia, and insider stories. Imagine diving deep into the world of your favourite TV show with someone who was part of it!

Going ‘Daily Mail’ Viral: The Madness of Mason Hell-Cat

Mason Hell-Cat, a regular contributor to Champagne Comedy, explains his wild experience of going ‘Daily Mail‘ viral. We all know that the Daily Mail loves a good story, and Mason found himself right in the middle of one. From the crazy events that led to his viral fame to the aftermath of dealing with internet trolls and admirers, Mason’s story is one for the books.

A Special Guest Appearance by Tony Wilson

No bonus episode is complete without a special guest appearance, and this one is no exception. Author, Media Personality, and D-Gen nerd Tony “Good one, Wilson!” Wilson joins the fun. With his witty banter and insightful commentary, Tony adds an extra layer of humour and nostalgia to the episode, such as how he became friends with the cast of the D-Gen, how he nearly became the third chair on Santo, Sam & Ed, and his contribution to Tony Martin‘s SIZZLETOWN.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a ‘loose and foolish’ bonus episode without a healthy dose of tangents and banter. Expect the unexpected we take you on a rollercoaster ride of hilarious digressions and spontaneous conversations. After all, sometimes, it’s the unplanned moments that make for the most entertaining content.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, we’re available on all your favourite podcast platforms.