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Club Buggery

From Alfawiki
Club Buggery
Company typeTelevision series
IndustryEntertainment, Television
Founded1996
FounderJohn Doyle and Greig Pickhaver (Roy and HG)
Defunct1997
Headquarters
Australia
ProductsTelevision comedy series

Club Buggery was a 1990s Australian television series developed and performed by the comedic duo Roy and HG (John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver). It was broadcast on the ABC during 1996 and 1997.

Development

This show originated from Doyle and Pickhaver's extensively popular improvised radio program This Sporting Life (TSL), which aired on Triple J between 1986 and 2008. Their first attempt to transition to television in 1993 met with limited success, largely due to its format relying heavily on 'talking head' segments.

Club Buggery broke away from these limitations by merging elements of variety, talk, and sketch comedy, inspired by Australian club entertainment and classic TV genres including sport, quiz shows, talk, and musical performances. The show's title itself embodied its layered, subversive comedic style.

The series produced two seasons totaling 28 episodes under the name Club Buggery before it was renamed The Channel Nine Show for an additional ten episodes in 1998, while retaining the original format. This new title referenced an old Sydney broadcast of Melbourne’s variety program In Melbourne Tonight and hinted at speculation regarding the duo’s potential move from ABC to the Nine Network.

Later that same year, they created Planet Norwich, filmed in the United Kingdom for British audiences, and also contributed segments to a UK comedy series hosted by Ben Elton.

Title

In many English-speaking regions, "buggery" strictly denotes either anal intercourse or the legal offense associated with it. However, within Australian English, "buggery" has taken on a broader, often exaggerated and humorous connotation that is widely accepted without being considered highly offensive. This distinctive Australian meaning appealed to Doyle and Pickhaver when choosing the show’s title.

For instance, the phrase "go to buggery" serves as a more forceful way of saying "go away." The adjective "buggered" is frequently used to describe something malfunctioning ("my car's buggered") or to express fatigue ("I'm buggered after that bushwalk"). It can also imply scarcity, such as in "There's bugger-all (money) left in the bank." This uniquely Australian usage occasionally surprised international guests like Canadian comedian Mike Myers.

Format

The program blended elements of variety shows, talk shows, and sketch comedy. It included guest interviews, prize giveaways, commentary by Roy & HG, musical performances, pre-recorded comedic segments—including a soap opera parody featuring sports figures such as footballers Paul Sironen and Warren Boland—and ended with live performances by prominent Australasian musicians.

Interviews were a standout feature, highlighting Roy and HG’s dynamic "good cop/bad cop" interviewing approach: HG posed seemingly innocent questions laced with subtle barbs, while Roy employed sarcasm to challenge guests. Noteworthy interviews included actor/comedian Mike Myers, who shared jokes with Doyle and danced alongside him. Other distinguished guests comprised actor Roger Moore, singer Pat Benatar, musician Nick Cave, and comedian/writer Alexei Sayle. Interestingly, Sting declined an invitation due to concerns about the show’s provocative title.

Additional recurring segments featured:

  • The Nissan Cedrics—a vocal duo formed by Dannielle Gaha and Louise Anton—who provided musical interludes and jingles introducing guests and segments. Named after a classic 1960s automobile model, they released a self-titled album of cover songs in 1997.
  • Pre-taped sketches showcasing Australian sporting or entertainment celebrities lip-syncing classic tunes—for example, actor Andrew McFarlane parodied a World War II film while miming Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody."
  • The weekly 'This is Living' prize giveaway rewarded best-dressed studio audience members. Early prizes included an oversized 'Meat-Tray', humorously described by Roy and HG; later rewards featured curated experiences such as dinners at RSL clubs, visits to Greyhound racing tracks, or premium seats for films like Kenneth Branagh's extended 4-hour rendition of Hamlet.
  • Ian Turpie—known as 'Turps'—acted as 'Club President' (MC) throughout all four years of the show. Nicknamed The Giant of the G-Chord, he performed musical numbers and starred in recurring comedic sketches including Turps about the House (portraying the Nissan Cedrics’ flatmate), the police drama spoof Sam Stain, and Star Trek parody Captain Ajax. These segments featured actors such as Harold Hopkins, TV presenter Indira Naidoo, and newsreader Anne Fulwood.
  • The soap-opera spoof Ian regularly showcased footballers Sironen and Boland alongside musician Col Joye, athlete/actress Lisa Forrest, cricketer Greg Matthews, and TV personality Annette Shun Wah. HG typically introduced this segment as featuring extraordinary people doing bloody ordinary things.

2000 Olympics

The pair reached the height of their fame in 2000 following their transition to the commercial Seven Network, which served as the official Australian broadcaster for the 2000 Summer Olympics. During this period, they introduced a refreshed iteration of This Sporting Life titled The Dream with Roy and HG. This new show garnered unprecedented viewership, broadened their fan base, and elevated their unofficial mascot, 'Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat', to a symbol recognized nationwide.

Awards

See also

External links

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