Jun 14 2012

Scarcely E-Relevant

Scarcely Relevant

Scarcely Relevant – at least it’s not a virtual box of sand. (Pic: TonyMartinThings.com)

Okay, so the header paints this in a negative way.. but it isn’t! It’s supposed to be a pun on the whole story. It just sounds wrong.

The “E” in “E-Relevant” is referring to the e-reader / e-book, because Tony Martin has compiled his scribblings from his now defunct site The Scrivener’s Fancy and compiled them into a fancy virtual binding e-book.

After having two books physically published Lolly Scramble (2005) and A Nest Of Occasionals (2009), Tony had started a website to publish his weekly scribblings The Scrivener’s Fancy from 2009 to 2011. Alongside his regular stories, many of his close friends wrote for the site – such as Andrea “I’ve Never Heard Of Nickelback!” Powell, Matt Quartermaine, Garry McCaffrie, Tony Wilson, “Let’s Startle” Bob Franklin, Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope, Shaun Micallef, and pseudonym “Avril Rolfe” Sarina Rowell, along with other ‘guest Scriveners’. Just to name a few. There were a lot more.

With the popularity of the site and what appears to be heavy in reading content, Tony has gathered his writings and combined them together as an e-book called Scarcely Relevant – Writings from The Scrivener’s Fancy – formatted and available in pdf / epub / mobi format, on his new site TonyMartinThings.com for a brain-snapping bargain basement price of AU$6. Covering roughly 464 pages of ‘lowbrow commentary in elegant surrounds’ (which translates to 1.293103448275862 cents per page), you can re-live the site that made you laugh every Wednesday once a week when you weren’t checking out the Green Guide letters or vandalising Wikipedia.

You can read the e-book on your computer as PDF, or transfer the files to read on your smartphone or e-reader. After purchasing the book, the cash register goes through PayPal security, in which you need to use some type of credit or online debit card. Make sure you use a legit e-mail address, as once the purchase is done, you will receive a disposable link that will give you a time frame of downloading the format to your liking. Roughly 1 – 2MB for the book, it sure is cheap, but it’s not nasty and downright boring!

Purchase the e-book here: Tony Martin Things. Only available on that site too, so no lending Fleety $20, because it’s only $6.

Jun 08 2012

Mick Molloy = Boy(s)Town!

A big hug and heartful congratulations to Mick Molloy! Mick made a major announcement on Triple M Melbourne’s “The Hot Breakfast” show this morning (Friday 8 June, 2012) that he will become a father for the first time.

To the amazement to his on-air colleagues who knew nothing of the news, the double zinger was thrown in at the end – he will be a father to twin boys.

He’s always had a thing for twins… The Blakeneys, anyone? 😉

Hear the announcement here (audio from Triple M Melbourne):

Congratulations Mick!

Jun 04 2012

Will There Ever Be A DVD Box Set Of The Entire “The Late Show”?

Many people come to this site, being fans of The Late Show, reminising about the sketches they remember in their minds and wearing out their VHS and Betamax tapes of episodes recorded 20 years ago. There’s the Champagne Edition DVD which has Volumes 1 – 3 of The Late Show, as well as “More Bits”, and the extra bits hidden as easter eggs on Bargearse and The Olden Days DVD release.

So, the question day in and out that always gets asked  by fans of the show to the D-Generation crew, as well on Facebook / Twitter / Forums is:

Q: Will The Late Show ever be released on DVD in its entirety?

Tony Martin answers the question to a follower on Twitter.

So the clear answer is: unfortunately no.

As much as we don’t want to highlight the copyright issues, when you look back at it, here are a few issues which did not appear in Champagne Edition DVD release.

* Theme song –  the original theme was James Brown – (Turn Me Loose) I’m Dr Feelgood, which was replaced by a generic tune.

* Countdown Classics – the segment where Tom Gleisner and Jane Kennedy reminise over fashion, songs and Molly Meldrum’s antics, most of the segments use song samples that range from 30 seconds to a minute. A big breakdown on the song Escape / Pina Colada Song by Rupert Holmes was used. Even the first episode had a chunk of The Bee Gees – Jive Talkin’, with the scene where Robin Gibb ‘won an award’ for ‘most mystifying cut-away’, while trying not to stumble out to the back yard. Don’t forget the full song My Little Angel performed by 70s rock glamour star William Shakespeare (the late John Cave).

* Commercial Crimestoppers – a lot of products and companies lampooned and demonstrated.

* Muckraking – Using samples from other TV shows (Let’s run over Todd, from Neighbours!), as well as the Muckraking Mystery Tour where a sample of Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles was used.

* Toilet Break – Scenes from 70s light entertainment show The Saturday Show, using songs from local and international artists (Damn Yankees – The Game, Ice T – Cop Killer) and from talent show Pot Luck (Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hanging’ On, Billy Joel – My Life)

* Undiscovered Masterpieces Of The Cinema – Grabs of films Jaws: The Revenge, Houseboat Horror, The Armour Of God…

* Musical Closing Credits / Finale – only able to use samples, or “hooks” of the songs which are on the Champagne Edition DVD.

.. and that’s just scratching the surface.

Remember, at the time the show was on air, there was no idea or possibility of TV shows of this stature being released to the general public. There was no such thing as DVD existing in 1992 – 93. Also, Santo Cilauro and Tony have mentioned in previous interviews that there were a few jokes that didn’t perform well, as well as gremilins in the control room with delayed video plays.

So, what can you get? If you already own the Champagne Edition DVD and Bargearse / The Olden Days DVD, the best bet  to watch other clips is to keep surfing YouTube for random uploads from various people, watch  the Twitterverse, or find a friend who has tapes and watch them at their place. *nudge nudge*

Oh, and one last thing:

Q: If Foxtel replay Fast Forward, Full Frontal, Good News Week etc on Comedy Channel, why can’t they do that with The Late Show?

A: Pretty much the same answer above – copyright issues and some very poor sketches.

The End.

May 28 2012

Tony Martin on Late O’Clock With Rob Hunter

"French Chicks In The Nuddy II - The Search For Bum Nuggets"

Everyone’s favourite nerdy Comedian Tony Martin graced the brown velour desk for Late O’Clock With Rob Hunter  starring Comedian Rob Hunter.

Rob Hunter is a comedian and writer who began his career in Adelaide eventually moving himself to comedian capital of Australia –  Melbourne.

A wealth of experience behind him, Rob has performed stand-up all around Australia and the UK and has written for various radio and TV shows including Spicks And Specks (ABC), Rove (TEN), The Comedy Hour (ABC Radio) and You’re Skitting Me (ABC3).

Lifted directly from Rob Hunter’s site:

Late O’Clock is Rob’s horrifyingly awkward talk show. The interviews are a bit like those conducted by Shaun Micallef, Andy Kaufman, Zach Galifianakis and anyone else who has ever been a butthole to a guest.

Rob started writing questions in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2010 that someone agreed to be a guest on his show. That guest was television’s Lehmo and the interview can be seen on Rob’s Youtube channel along with other interviews.

Rob also performs the show live with his friend Luke McGregor at various comedy festivals. The show was first performed at the 2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and quickly became a hit, with guests including Charlie Pickering, Wil Anderson, Greg Fleet, Tom Gleeson, Eddie Ifft and DeAnne Smith.

In this recent interview, Rob nearly goes on a slinging match with Tony, with a few minor stabs at Tony’s film Bad Eggs, as well as a script read and newspaper fwapping. (No wet ones)

Check out Rob’s other interviews on his YouTube channel.

May 26 2012

Happy Birthday Bargearse!

Today (26/5/12) marked  Detective Sargeant Bargearse‘s 84th birthday.

Well, kind of.

It was the great, late actor Leo “Lucky” Grills who played Detective Sargeant ‘Bluey’ Hills in the Channel 7 drama production Bluey from 1976 to 1977. Bluey wasn’t your typical detective. What made him unique was that he drank, ate, smoked and did all the sleazy stuff – which made the character the perfect piss-take for The Late Show.

Bargearse was made up of spliced scenes from Bluey, dubbed by The Late Show cast and crew, telling the story of Detective Sargeant Bargearse who solves crimes by eating and farting his way to victory. It was 100% toilet humour which was played in 10 parts during the second season of The Late Show – successor to The Olden Days in Season One. (More on The Olden Days in future posts.)

Bargearse was that popular, it is generally quoted this very day by dedicated fans, such as yourself (Yes, you’re a fan, because you wouldn’t be at this site if you weren’t!)

Years ago, Tony Martin had released Bargearse on VHS, and fought long and hard to get the DVD release in 2007 (along with The Olden Days). Two days before the release, Lucky Grills passed away in his sleep in Queensland, aged 79. To celebrate Lucky’s 84th birthday (and 5 years since the DVD release), we hit the Twittersphere and invited Bargearse fans to watch their DVD or VHS copy at 6pm AEST, and quote the show using the hashtag #Bargearse as much as possible.

The result:

Number One on the Australian Twitter Trends.

That’s an epic thing to happen. Especially when it isn’t Bieber or 1 Direction related. Facing stiff competition against Eurovision on SBS and the footy, it’s fantastic to see that Bargearse still has a warm dutch oven ready in everyone.

The trend lasted on and off for about 2 hours, but for what it was worth, lots of laughter and memories were had.

#Bargearse trend listing here.

If you still don’t have a copy of Bargearse & The Olden Days on DVD, you can purchase at any quality DVD store. It’s worth your 8 & 1/2 cents a day.

 

May 13 2012

Remembering: Impressions of Rob Sitch

Over the two seasons, Rob Sitch has played many characters, such as Graham from Graham & The Colonel, the egotistical chauvinistic character in the dinner party sketches, Gavin Oz from The Oz Brothers and more.

But he’s well-known (and stated by Santo Cilauro on the show) that he is the master of disguises. His first impression was 1992 US Presidential candidate Ross Perot, being interviewed by Tom Gleisner behind The Late Show News Desk.

As the show went on, Rob’s impressions improved, and even generated well-coined quotes that are remembered (and occasionally used) to this day. Most of the impressions rotated around the News Desk.

Dovetail: Who was the person Rob impersonated the most? Bruce McAvaney at a tally of 6 appearances.

May 08 2012

Remembering: Music Video Parodies

This site is not profound.

Nearly every sketch comedy show – without fail – create their own song parodies. Most of the piss-takes are around songs or artists which are popular at the time. Sometimes the parody songs are that funny and entertaining, they can out-do the actual song. Even to the point that when you hear the original, you can’t help but sing the parody version of it.

Throughout the two years of broadcast, The Late Show paid a beautiful homage to popular songs and artists. Covering the tune, the band’s image, and even mimicking the video clip, they couldn’t go wrong.

Here’s a list of video clips that were parodied:

Season One

Ep 3: Sarah Brightman and José Carreras – Amigos Para Siempre
Ep 13: Harry Connick Jr (generic tune)
Ep 15: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge
Ep 20: Frente – Accidentally Kelly Street (Accidentally Was Released)

Season Two

Ep 4: Things Of Stone & Wood – Happy Birthday Helen (We’re Out Of Melbourne Cliches)
Ep 7: Cameron Daddo – Fifteen Minutes Of Fame (Four And A Half Minutes Of Shit)
Ep 8: Peter Andre – Gimme A Little Sign (It’s A Repetitious Song Girl)
Ep 9: Snow – Informer (Inform Me)
Ep 12 : Ween – Push The Lil Daisies (Sing Like A Dickhead And Dance Like A Duck)
Ep 14: Dannii Minogue – This Is It (Holy Shit)
Ep 15: The Sharp – Scratch My Back (Skivvies Are Back)
Ep 16: Madonna – Rain (Same)
Ep 18: Billy Joel – River Of Dreams (End Of My Career)
Ep 19: R.E.M – Everybody Hurts

Just a side note – the above does not include the other songs parodied on the show, such as Tony Martin singing his version of R.E.M – Stand, Rob Sitch impersonating Elton John, and others.

Enjoy the playlist!

Apr 28 2012

Two Entries In “The Guide” Birthday Celebrations

Who are these hornbags?

This is just pure evidence again that the guys aren’t just fantastic hard workers, but they leave a mark in the entertainment industry.

Fairfax’s TV/Radio/Movie liftout The Guide celebrate 30 years of publishing in the Sydney Morning Herald and sister papers. Critics Michael Idato and Greg Hassall have dissected and filtered through the last 30 years of television that has graced our CRTs and LCDs, picking one show to represent each year.

Not surprisingly, the show that started it all for Working Dog, The D-Generation, represents 1986 – the first year of the show. However, if you skip to 1992 and 1993, there is no entry of The Late Show. 1992 is represented by possibly the first ever Australian reality show Sylvania Waters (in which The Late Show never ceased to take the piss out of), and 1993 had the US drama cop show Homicide: Life On The Street (which was its own version of HBO’s classic The Wire, back in the days). However, just when you think “What? That’s it? Un-bulleave-able Neville!”, there’s another entry from the Working Dog offices.

But I won’t ruin it for you… just keep clicking!

View the list here.

Apr 21 2012

Capril 2012 Wrapping Up Soon

As mentioned previously, the month of April has had a cape worn upon its back for Capril: Are you Cape-able?. There’s only a few days left of April to get your own excuse to wear your beloved cape in public!

With word-of-mouth, social media and radio interviews galore to promote the awareness of depression and in honour of the late Get This sidekick Richard Marsland, funds raised for Beyond Blue have been pouring in left, right and centre. Some fund raising merchandise have been specially designed t-shirts, with profits donated to Beyond Blue. (Note due to legal reasons, the logo for Capril has been changed to what appears in the image here.)

The goal is to hit $3000 this year, but funds are well short of the target. To donate:

Everyday Hero: Click here

Zazzle Capril T-Shirts: Click here

Official Capril site: Click here

If you do need to talk to someone about any issues, no matter how small or large they are, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14 or SANE Australia on 1800 18 SANE (7263)

Apr 19 2012

Pictures Of You Returns

Brian Nankervis

After a ‘preview’ episode screening in what appears to saviour the My Kitchen Rules audience attention, Working Dog‘s new show Pictures Of You is returning to the Channel 7 screen Monday 23rd April, at 9:30pm.

Host Brian Nankervis presents images of the guest’s past to open their heart and mind to the history of that photo. Whether it covers a birthday party from their ankle-biter years, to graduating from school, even viewing a photo of a family member they’ve idolised all their life, Pictures Of You taps into the cockles of the heart.

After a preview screening last month of 1.6 million viewers, this could be a huge hit on Working Dog‘s hands. A simple and heartwarming concept – just make sure the storytelling is beautifully smooth. I’m sure it will!

Pictures Of You – Mondays 9:30pm on Channel 7.