Jun 15 2020

“Thank God” You’re on 10 Play

Come (back) any time…

The classic theatre sports series by Working Dog which threw Australian comedians and entertainers into random and unpredictable scenarios which they had to bluff their way out of is back… in a way.

Hosted by Shane Bourne and judged by Tom Gleisner, the four season series ran from 2006 to 2009 (Season One to Three on Channel 10, Season Four on Channel 7) and was a ratings bonanza, with the format sold internationally, and DVD box set releases entering family homes.

Some victims… I mean stars that walked through the blue door and introduced into the scene with a “Thank God You’re Here!” were Tony Martin, Fifi Box, Angus Sampson, Hamish Blake, Shaun Micallef and Santo Cilauro, just to name a few. As well as an early entry point for Ed Kavalee as a member of the TGYH improv team.

If you’ve lost your DVDs, you can now watch all of Season One on 10 Play, streaming now for free.

Fingers crossed the rest of the seasons become available on 10 Play!

Update July 6, 2020: All Four seasons are now on 10 Play.

May 31 2020

Official ‘Get This’ Podcasts on Tony’s official YouTube

Tony Martin, Ed Kavalee, Richard Marsland

If you are a latecomer to Tony Martin’s radio show Get This which ran on Triple M from 2006 – 2007 and not 100% tech-savvy with your electronic device, here’s a solution for you.

Since the axing of the popular radio show in 2007 – hosted by Martin, with co-host Ed Kavalee and Panel Operator Richard Marsland – the official podcasts that were put together by Matt ‘Pots n Pans’ Dower were removed from the Triple M podcast feed. Those podcasts plus unofficial full episode bootlegs lived on through unofficial fan sites *cough* and podcast channels which were paid for by fans themselves. But there was not any ‘official’ location to listen to the glory days of interviews with John “1 Cent” Howard, plum distress, and Warwick Capper “calling” his mates.

Over the last few weeks, the original podcasts have been released on the Tony Martin’s SIZZLETOWN YouTube channel, along with other bits and pieces from the show, such as behind the scenes photos and individual sketches.

So now you can jump directly onto YouTube and show your work colleague / partner / unnamed source why you keep referring to things being ‘dizzy stuff’, and explain to the parking officer that you’ve been parked there for ‘at least 30 seconds’.

Still unsure what the show was all about? Here’s a brief explainer here.

Apr 22 2020

Site Issues and Upgrades

Just a quick note for our regular visitors.

While there has been a fair bit of news going on with the people we admire – such as podcasts, new shows etc, we haven’t published much lately due to site issues we’ve had for a long time.

Our Forum has been having some upgrade issues, as well as this news landing area where there’s some strain on our server. But please bare with us while we eventually move / update / upgrade. We don’t make money from this site as it is a passion project for us to share the love of Australia’s finest comedy troupe, so please be aware of a few broken things. We know and we’re working on it.

We’ll be back – right after these noises….

Apr 17 2020

HYBPA Returns May 4

Most of the world is stuck indoors, but that doesn’t stop the show from going on!

Australia’s favourite game show Have You Been Paying Attention? returns to our TV screens Mondays from May 4, on Channel 10. To launch the eighth season of the hit series, it’ll be a bit different.

Due to the events of COVID-19, the ‘self-isolating’ edition will have the contestants filming from their own individual places. This may mean we will finally see the inside of Tom Gleisner‘s nursing home *boom* TISH!

So keep your backside on the couch and enjoy the return of Have You Been Paying Attention? – Isolation Edition. It’ll probably say it’ll start 8:30pm but we all know it’s a hit-n-miss.

Feb 28 2020

Undiscovered Masterpieces: Martin Molloy win at 1999 ARIA Awards

As previously highlighted in this post, we promised to share with you the video of when Tony Martin and Mick Molloy won their third ARIA for Eat Your Peas – a comedy compilation of their radio bits from their Martin/Molloy radio days on the Austereo Network.

Well, the official ARIA YouTube channel finally released the clip from the 1999 award ceremony. For those do don’t remember it, here is Mikey Robins and Steve Abbott’s alter ego The Sandman presenting the award.

But, there’s a twist… they were also up against The Late Show alumni Judith Lucy!

We’re not sure why they didn’t turn up, but nonetheless, you can now collect the whole set of Martin/Molloy ARIA wins!

Oh, and if you’re asking “Why isn’t Martin/Molloy on Spotify, itunes etc…?” It’s down to a combo of legal reasons, and some lawyers believe that the odd person will think some very dated news references happen today (imaginary rats, anyone?)

Dec 22 2019

Happy Holidays

Thanks everyone for visiting ChampagneComedy.com – a site dedicated to… well, you already know.

A quick round-up on what’s happening next year:

  • Have You Been Paying Attention? returns on Channel 10 in 2020 for a record eighth season. It will surpass The Panel as the longest TV show Working Dog has produced (seven seasons), but HYBPA? will take a while to match the 237 episodes that The Panel churned out. HYBPA? is only up to 179 episodes.
  • Tony Martin’s SIZZLETOWN has completed a second season, but is taking an indefinite hiatus. Stay subscribed to it because Tony did mention a random special episode may appear from time to time.  iTunes | Podbean.
  • Utopia – the ABC comedy based on the fictional government organisation Nation Building Authority, enjoyed a successful fourth season. No word on if there will be a fifth season, but you can purchase the entire series on DVD and iTunes.
  • The Front Bar enjoyed a successful year, with Mick Molloy at helm with Sam Pang and Andy Maher. Even with Santo Cilauro occasionally appearing, the AFL based show returned to the screens to cover the start of the cricket season. You can catch the cricket edition here on 7Plus. The Front Bar will return in 2020.
  • Kennedy/Molloy with Jane Kennedy and Mick Molloy driving you home on the Triple M radio network returns in 2020. Check your local Triple M radio station for broadcast times. Download and listen here.
  • Santo, Sam and Ed – covering everything soccer / football are still churning out the podcasts – either as a standalone, or through the ABC. The recent coverage has been through ABC Radio as 2 on 1, which you can listen here. Stay subscribed to their feed as they may randomly appear again in 2020 in a different form.
  • Hughesy & Ed – for Ed Kavalee fans, Ed has permanently stepped in for Kate Langbroek, with Hughesy & Kate changing to Ed on the Hit Network for the drive home (against sister show Kennedy/Molloy) for 2020. Check your local Hit Network station for times.
  • Five In A Row – 2019 marked 30 years since The D-Generation released the Australian music tribute track, reaching Number 12 on the ARIA charts. 2020 will mark 30 years since the pissweak follow-up – Five More In A Row – came out for a cash grab.
  • The Bachelorette – Judith Lucy is still not a Bachelorette 2020 contestant, despite the Change.org petition nearly hitting 20,000 signatures. Boo…

Most importantly, thank you for coming to visit this site, eating up our bandwidth, and interacting with us on our Twitter and Facebook pages. While we do our best to post most news here, we’re active on socials more than anything. So best to keep this site bookmarked and follow on the social media accounts!

Also, we sneakily updated the episode guide for The Late Show. So if you’re after a sketch and what episode it was from, you can check it here. Note: We cannot supply any video as we do not have the rights to distribute.

Have a fantastic break, and see you next decade!

Oct 30 2019

Vote 1: Lucy For Bachie

Out of all the petitions in all the worlds, we’ve come to this.

Judith Lucy, the latecomer to The Late Show in Season Two, and partner-in-crime for Mick Molloy in Crackerjack and Bad Eggs, has received support to get her as the new contestant for Channel 10’s dating reality show The Bachelorette.

Since the show is happy to get anyone on board as the desperate-and-dateless, Comedian Nelly Thomas has decided that Lucy would be the next perfect head-runner for the show, which either she could score a partner, or shred them apart with her sparkling repartee.

Inspired by a chat on ABC radio with Virginia Trioli and a caller, the petition says the following:

As a single woman over the age of 30, Judith would be a relatable – but revolutionary – presence on a television dating show.

To quote one person I spoke to, “I would watch the sh*t out of that.”

Judith has just completed a sold out tour of her show “Judith Lucy v Men” about her somewhat lacklustre dating history. Time to get this woman back in the game with some quality Aussie blokes. They’ll be lining up – and at their age they’re probably not even trawling for Insta followers!

Judith is an utterly compelling woman who is not only funny, but deeply caring and kind.

And imagine how fascinating the coterie of men interested in this Aussie icon would be!

Here’s the petition in question.

Maybe Piffy the Bell Ringer can put his hand up… Judith wouldn’t have to wait anymore longer.

 

Sep 18 2019

‘Get This’ featured on Mastermind

 

You know how this site is 100% dedicated to all things The D-Generation, The Late Show and other spin-offs from the main cast? You wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case… one fan has taken his passion for all things funny to a whole new level.

From 2006 to 2007, Tony Martin hosted a radio show on Triple M called Get This, alongside Ed Kavalee and panel operator Richard Marsland.  With 358 episodes broadcast, the show gained a cult following until it was axed, mainly due to being ‘too successful’ for the station. You can get a more detailed debrief and episodes here.

With running jokes galore, and along with the internet and bootleg recordings, the show lived on, creating new fans along the way. 12 years later, ‘This is dizzy stuff, folks!’, ‘How do ya like yer eggs?’, and altered song lyrics still get quoted to this day to anyone involved with the show.

Dedicated fan Stephen Donohue went one further and showed his appreciation to the show by featuring on quiz / trivia show Mastermind, hosted by Jennifer Byrne on SBS. Here’s a snippet (no spoilers):

Good on you, Stephen! It’s funny to hear inside jokes being asked as questions.

Pity he wasn’t asked about a famous composer beginning with ‘M’ and ending in ‘Z A R T’.

For the full episode, watch SBS On Demand here. You have roughly 4 years to view it.

Sep 13 2019

And The ARIA Goes To…

MMARIA

A recent business deal between the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and YouTube has allowed archival footage of the ARIA Awards to be released into the wild.

And you know what that means…? We get to see some appearances from our favourite friends!

1993 – Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy and Tom Gleisner present Best Group.

1995 – Tony Martin and Mick Molloy (with D-Genner Michael Veitch) share a lift with TISM.

1996 – Tony Martin and Mick Molloy win Best Comedy Release for The Brown Album.

1996 – Tony Martin and Mick Molloy losing out on Highest Selling Album.

1997 – Tony Martin and Mick Molloy win Best Comedy Release for Poop Chute.

At the time of this post, the 1999 clip of Martin/Molloy winning Best Comedy Release of Eat Your Peas, but we will share it when it becomes available.

The channel is constantly updated, so head to TheARIAOfficial and subscribe.

Aug 10 2019

Behind the scenes with a bunch of D-Generates

The D-Generation in 1986 and ABC Props Maker Jeff Smart.

Exclusive to ChampagneComedy.com – If you ever wanted to know how The D-Generation ABC TV series from 1986-1987 operated behind the scenes, we have received a treasured archive of photos from a former staff member of the show.

Jeff Smart is an ex special props-maker for the ABC D-Generation TV series. The following are his words. The following is an excerpt from a published page here (see below).

In 1986 I got a job as a special effects prop-maker with ABC TV in Melbourne, and the very first thing I got to work on was a new pilot comedy sketch show, creating all manner of special effects props including a very tacky Thunderbirds model!

It was called The D-Generation!

Luckily I continued working on the show when it went to series, and even had some small involvement when they jumped ship later on to Channel 7. The shows afforded me many opportunities to do some fun, creative and interesting work for some really nice people.

As I was based at the ABC production facility workshops in Highett, I wasn’t on set all that often at the main studios in Ripponlea. But occasionally I would be unshackled and allowed to venture down to operate one of special props I had made, taking my camera along to take pics of my work.

Main Cast poses for the camera for a publicity pic I think.
SOURCE: JEFF SMART
Here we can see the real angle of the wall on the Batman and Robin “Fear of latent homosexuality” skit! (…no they didn’t really scale a ver†ical wall!). 
SOURCE: JEFF SMART
The cast casually go through script ideas (this was taken at the channel 7 studios a few weeks before the D-Gen Goes Commercial show).
SOURCE: JEFF SMART
SOURCE: JEFF SMART

If you want to see more images and read more behind the scenes, click on the top menu “Who The Hell Is Jeff Smart” or click here.