Australia You're Standing In It
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television comedy |
| Founded | September 1983 |
| Defunct | December 1984 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Sketch comedy television series |
| Parent | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
Australia You're Standing In It is a sketch comedy program from Australia, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It premiered in September 1983, followed by a second season in September 1984. To commemorate its 30th year, the entire series was made available on DVD on 13 March 2013.
Cast
- Rod Quantock
- Mary Kenneally
- Stephen Blackburn
- Geoff Brooks
- Sue Ingleton
- Evelyn Krape
- Tim Robertson (Season 1)
- Peter Browne (Season 2)
Format
The show Australia You're Standing In It included repeated sketches and characters that satirized famous figures, pop icons, television shows, and advertisements from the time period, such as:
- A pair of snobbish society ladies (Ingleton and Kenneally) alongside a third character (Krape) who was ostracized by them. Their signature line: "Helloo Daaaahlings!"
- The Dodgy Brothers (Blackburn and Brooks), portrayed as bungling entrepreneurs featured in low-budget commercials promoting questionable products, lampooning typical bargain-bin advertisements.
- "Brainspace," a segment inspired by new-age themes performed by Tim and Debbie (Kenneally and Blackburn), characterized by grandiose but empty dialogue. Catchphrase: "Amaaazing!"
- Faux advertisements for imaginary items like "Chunky Custard," spoofing genuine product ads such as Big M or Four'N Twenty Pies; subsequently replaced with "Hot Yak Fat," advertised using the phrase "crack a Fat today."
- Parodies of hit songs and music videos, including Mary Kenneally’s portrayal of Bonnie Tyler in "Total Eclipse of the Brain."
- Bruce Rump (Brooks), a caricature of Bruce Ruxton, ending with the line "And that's why we should keep the bloody flag the same! Now clear out!"
- Rod Quantock’s stand-up segments where he directly engaged with the audience, featuring an episode that attempted to hypnotize Victorian viewers using Australian Rules football themes.
- Recurring bits like "Fair Cops" and The Catalogue Collectors—two Melburnians wrapped in scarves living in a caravan gathering catalogues. Their catchphrase: "Home is where the front door is."
Spinoffs
- Tim and Debbie briefly hosted Reel To Real on ABC, where they humorously presented and critiqued vintage B-movies such as The Boy with Green Hair through voice-over commentary.
- A vinyl record featuring Tim and Debbie’s sketches was released under the title Brainspace, Vol. II, followed by Australia - you're standing in it (Brainspace Vol III) in 1986.
- Characters like The Dodgy Brothers (Blackburn and Brooks) and Bruce Rump (Brooks) later appeared in the television series Fast Forward.
ARIA Music Awards
Since its inception in 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), the ARIA Music Awards recognize outstanding achievement and creativity within Australian music.
! Ref. |- | 1987 | Australia You're Standing In It | Best Comedy Release | |-
See also
References