All Aussie Adventures
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television entertainment |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Television show |
| Website | bigcoight |
All Aussie Adventures, also referred to as Russell Coight's All Aussie Adventures, is an Australian mockumentary television series that satirizes the travel and adventure show format. The program stars comedian Glenn Robbins as Russell Coight, a self-styled survival and wildlife expert whose ill-fated journeys throughout Australia are marked by misinformation and mishaps.
The show initially broadcast two seasons on Network Ten between August 2001 and September 2002. In November 2004, a telemovie titled Russell Coight's Celebrity Challenge, featuring fictional celebrities in the outback, was released. A third season debuted in August 2018.
The official website “bigcoight.com,” referenced in episode credits, remained dormant from 2004 until mid-2019, when it was acquired and redirected to the primary All Aussie Adventures webpage.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Original air dates | DVD release | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | Region 4 | |||
| 1 | 6 | 5 August 2001 | 9 September 2001 | 20 November 2002 | |
| 2 | 7 | 18 August 2002 | 29 September 2002 | ||
| TV Movie | 1 | 14 November 2004 | 16 November 2004 | ||
| 3 | 7 | 5 August 2018 | 9 September 2018 | 3 October 2018 | |
Premise
This series humorously mocks the adventure travel genre popularized by personalities such as the Leyland brothers, Steve Irwin, and Malcolm Douglas. These types of shows typically feature hosts exploring remote areas, interacting with locals, and highlighting native flora and fauna, often leaving environmental footprints through excessive diesel consumption and soil erosion. The narration—usually delivered by the host—tends toward exaggeration.
Episodes generally follow a consistent pattern: Coight welcomes the audience, outlines his latest outback expedition—commonly to assist a "mate"—and concludes with the catchphrase "So what are we waiting for, let's get cracking on another All Aussie Adventure."
Russell Coight
Although depicted as a genuine individual, Russell Coight is actually portrayed by Glenn Robbins, who remains uncredited aside from a brief acknowledgment for "directorial assistance" during the closing credits.
Coight is characteristically accident-prone—if something can go awry, it invariably does—embodying a comedic interpretation of Murphy's law. He is outgoing and comfortable in front of the camera, candidly sharing eccentric personal habits such as showering on film and possessing a card from a local adult video outlet.
Identifying himself as an 'outback man,' Coight advocates for rural living over city life. He disparages stranded tourists as "city slickers," perceiving them as affluent individuals who indulge in "high-tech gadgets" and luxurious accommodations, contrasting sharply with his preference for handcrafted furniture and freshwater baths in billabongs.
His sister Meredith, never seen on screen, is humorously credited with roles ranging from crocodile tamer to stunt coordinator. In one episode titled "Daintree," she performs a questionable song from her album Daintree, released under the Daintree label.
Following the initial series' popularity, comedian and television host Rove McManus conducted an interview with Coight that expanded upon his fictional background.
The character "Wallaby Jack," featured on The Late Show, is regarded as an early inspiration for Coight; writer Tom Gleisner acknowledges this link in the DVD audio commentary.
Beginning in 2023, Russell Coight has appeared in advertisements for Mitsubishi Outlander aimed at challenging misconceptions about electric vehicles' offroad capabilities.
In 2024, he made a guest appearance on season six, episode one of Thank God You're Here.
Recurring comedic themes
The humor in All Aussie Adventures primarily stems from sight gags such as tents collapsing, campfires spiraling out of control, cars running amok, and Coight’s frequent stumbles and falls.
Coight is frequently depicted experiencing flatulence, particularly in quiet environments like swimming pools where bubbles surface. He also occasionally emits gas while bending forward.
Although Coight strives to safeguard native wildlife and heritage sites, his bumbling nature often leads to accidental damage.
He attempts to engage in banter with his companions on the show, but most of his jokes fail to land. Coight presents himself as having numerous "mates" across Australia, inviting them onto the program despite their apparent reluctance or unfamiliarity.
In one episode, an Indigenous Australian instructs Coight about bush tucker. Coight’s pun about a "seafood diet" goes unnoticed, while the guest dismisses his comments, pointing out that wild bananas are not in season.
Coight boasts about his skills as a bird-caller, claiming to know over 100 calls (which are mostly indistinguishable). His demonstrations are often interrupted by his flatulence, which he humorously refers to as "the reply call of an injured bird."
Recycled footage
Another source of comedy is the regular use of stock footage placed in incongruous situations. A well-known example is the "handshaking shot," showing close-ups of handshakes that clearly involve different individuals than those appearing on screen—emphasizing the staged nature of the show's interactions.
Scenic shots are frequently reused between episodes; for example, footage from Victoria is shown when Coight is supposedly exploring the Northern Territory.
Clips featuring the show's Toyota Land Cruiser are recycled, resulting in inconsistent number plates within single episodes. From Season 3 onward, the vehicle was replaced by a Land Rover Defender.
Season 3 (2018)
On 4 November 2016, All Aussie Adventures was confirmed for a third season, originally planned for release in 2017 but postponed until 2018. The new season debuted on 5 August 2018, with its final two episodes broadcast back-to-back on 9 September 2018.
Viewership
| Season | Episodes | Original air dates | Viewers (millions) |
Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||||
| 1 | 6 | 5 August 2001 | 9 September 2001 | 1.554 | #6 | |
| 2 | 7 | 18 August 2002 | 29 September 2002 | 1.721 | #2 | |
| 3 | 7 | 5 August 2018 | 9 September 2018 | 0.713 | TBA | |
External links
- Articles with short description
- 2000s Australian comedy television series
- 2010s Australian comedy television series
- Network 10 original programming
- Adventure travel
- Australian mockumentary television series
- 2001 Australian television series debuts
- 2002 Australian television series endings
- 2018 Australian television series debuts
- 2018 Australian television series endings
- Australian television series revived after cancellation
- Television shows set in the Outback