Hey Hey It's Saturday

Hey Hey It's Saturday
Company type	Television program
Industry	Television entertainment
Founded	1971-10-09
Founder	Daryl Somers, Ernie Carroll (Somers Carroll Productions)
Defunct	1999-11-20 (original run)
Fate	Ended original broadcast; later revived for specials and limited seasons
Headquarters	Australia
Key people	Daryl Somers (host, executive producer), Ernie Carroll (co-producer), Gavan Disney (producer until 1990), John Blackman (voice-over)
Products	Variety television show
Website	www.heyheyitssaturday.com.au

Hey Hey It's Saturday stands as a longstanding Australian variety television series that originally broadcast on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 until 20 November 1999, with a hiatus during 1978. The program was consistently hosted by Daryl Somers, who also took on the role of executive producer. Initially, production was managed by Gavan Disney until his departure in December 1990. Subsequently, Somers partnered with comedy writer and on-screen collaborator Ernie Carroll, known for performing the pink ostrich puppet sidekick Ossie Ostrich, to establish Somers Carroll Productions. Carroll retired in 1994, which marked the end of Ossie's appearances.

On 25 July 2009, the Nine Network revealed plans for two reunion specials that aired on 30 September and 7 October 2009, both achieving top ratings in their respective timeslots. Despite these strong viewership figures, the specials attracted international controversy due to a segment featuring performers in blackface.

Following the reunion, the show returned for a twenty-episode season in 2010. This season was divided into two segments airing from 14 April and resuming on 16 October, concluding on 27 November. However, because of diminishing audience numbers and elevated production expenses, the series was not renewed for a subsequent season in 2011.

To commemorate fifty years since its inception, a special titled Hey Hey It's 50 Years was broadcast on the Seven Network on 10 October 2021.

The official website has since transformed into a subscription-based streaming platform that provides access to full episodes and selected clips for a monthly fee.

Origins

Hey Hey It's Saturday debuted on 9 October 1971 as a Saturday morning children’s show featuring hosts Daryl Somers and Ossie Carroll presenting segments between cartoon programming. The initially low-profile timeslot allowed the creative team to cultivate comedic content, gradually replacing cartoons with live entertainment.

The hosts’ frequent ad-libbing, often laced with double entendre, along with voice-over contributions from John Blackman, helped build a dedicated fan base spanning various age groups. Drawing inspiration from vaudeville, the American Tonight Show format, and comedy ensembles such as the Marx Brothers and Monty Python, the program also reflected Somers’ admiration for Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton. Carroll brought experience from writing for In Melbourne Tonight (IMT).

During the early 1970s, as audience ratings and budget increased, Hey Hey transformed into an energetic live light entertainment / comedy variety show. Regular features included "What Cheeses Me Off," where viewer complaints were aired; "Media Watch Press," highlighting humorous newspaper errors; "Red Faces," a talent competition modeled after New Faces; and "Chook Lotto," a satirical lottery using numbered frozen chickens. The team also created revue-style parodies of current television programs and chaotic spoofs of popular genres. The humor was broad and sketch-oriented, with Blackman’s voice-over chuckles becoming a hallmark.

Embodying IMT’s “anything can happen” ethos, early episodes featured sketches and improvisations that often stretched into absurdity or ended abruptly. Sponsors were gently satirized through live advertising reads turned comedic bits—a method popularized by Kennedy. The show frequently broke the "fourth wall," offering viewers behind-the-scenes glimpses and involving crew members such as floor manager Phillip Lambert as part of the ensemble. While initially lacking a studio audience, this element was later introduced. Carroll occasionally appeared on camera, typically altering his voice or disguising his appearance.

A key factor in the program’s popularity was the fast-paced comedic rapport among Somers, Carroll, Blackman, and audio technician Murray Tregonning. Blackman delivered a continuous stream of jokes and voiced numerous fictional characters—some visually represented—including "Mrs McGillicuddy," "Angel," "Norman Neumann," "The Man From Jupiter," and the iconic mischievous schoolboy Dickie Knee—a ball adorned with a cap and wig manipulated by a stagehand that made cheeky remarks. Tregonning’s adeptness at selecting timely sound effects from tape cartridges became another defining feature well before digital samplers were available.

In 1978, Hey Hey It's Saturday went on hiatus when Daryl Somers and Ossie departed from the Nine Network to join rival 0–10 Network to host a primetime variety series titled The Daryl and Ossie Show. This program combined comedy sketches, audience involvement, and novelty games with co-hosts Betty Bobbitt and Monique Daams. Only forty episodes were produced between September and November 1978. Following this stint, Daryl and Ossie returned to Nine Network in 1979 to revive Hey Hey It's Saturday, now joined by popular Queensland presenter Jacki MacDonald as co-host.

Transition to Primetime

In 1984, the Nine Network transitioned the program from its morning schedule to a primetime slot on Saturday evenings, briefly renaming it Hey Hey It's Saturday Night before reverting to the original name. During this era, Hey Hey evolved into a prominent showcase for both domestic and international stars from music, film, and television. High-profile guests such as actor Sylvester Stallone, vocalist Tom Jones, guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, and wrestler André the Giant lauded the show's unique format and widespread popularity, often making repeat appearances. Leveraging Nine's extensive resources and advancements in satellite technology, Hey Hey frequently aired live broadcasts from diverse locations across Australia and abroad.

A landmark moment occurred in October 1984 when the reassembled Australian rock group Skyhooks performed live at their Melbourne Olympic Park concert, which drew 26,000 attendees. During this event, Daryl and Ossie were featured on a large screen above the stage. This collaboration proved fruitful, leading to Red Symons joining the program.

Throughout the 1980s, Hey Hey sustained high viewership and cultivated a devoted fan base, cementing its status as a cultural icon with an impressive roster of guests and musical performances. Noteworthy additions to the cast included former Skyhooks guitarist Red Symons, who contributed as part of the house band and served as a judge on the talent segment Red Faces. Australian rock saxophonist Wilbur Wilde, known for his work with Ol' 55 and Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, also became a longstanding member. The ensemble grew further with figures such as ex-Countdown presenter Ian "Molly" Meldrum, comedian Russell Gilbert, actor-comedian Maurie Fields, and former The Curiosity Show host Dr Deane Hutton.

The show preserved its core audience into the 1990s and briefly aired in primetime on TVNZ from 1992 to 1994 before shifting to late Saturday night slots due to diminishing ratings. In 1994, Ernie Carroll retired, taking his character Ossie Ostrich along; new characters like "Plucka Duck" were introduced to fill this void. Cartoonist Andrew Fyfe joined in the late 1980s, adding visual humor that complemented the existing audio-based comedy. Fyfe later became host of the children's game show GuessWhat? on Nine.

Numerous successful specials produced by Somers–Carroll, including "Red Faces" and Best of Hey Hey, were repeatedly broadcast with strong audience ratings. The program's impact was felt locally as well, exemplified by a lane near its studios being named in its honor.

In 1998, comedian Russell Gilbert launched his own sketch comedy series produced by Somers–Carroll on Nine titled The Russell Gilbert Show, which aired for one year. That same year marked a return to the show's origins with a Saturday morning children's spin-off called Plucka's Place, hosted by Plucka Duck alongside Livinia Nixon, who soon became co-host of the main program. This revival was bolstered by an extensive range of Plucka-themed merchandise.

Initial Cancellation

Toward the close of 1999, executives at Nine Network opted to discontinue Hey Hey It's Saturday, citing factors such as diminishing audience numbers, an aging viewer demographic, and the necessity for budget reductions, despite the program still drawing approximately 1.2 million viewers. Somers intended to refresh the show after Carroll's exit; however, the expense of redevelopment was considered prohibitive. The final broadcast extended to 240 minutes, surpassing its allotted duration. Subsequently, Somers transitioned to hosting Dancing with the Stars on Seven Network in 2004.

Nine Network rebroadcast Hey Hey By Request specials in 2005 and 2006. In May 2006, Wilbur Wilde and John Blackman represented Hey Hey on Nine's quiz show Temptation during a Logies Superchallenge, with Dickie Knee making a cameo appearance. Later that year, in October 2006, Seven Network aired classic Red Faces segments through The Best and Worst of Red Faces, a show originally produced by Nine in the 1990s.

In June 2007, Seven Network provided funding to Somers for developing a pilot featuring a new Saturday night format. At the 2008 Logies awards, Somers presented an accolade and performed a comedic sketch alongside Dickie Knee and Plucka Duck.

Reunions and revival

Following its conclusion in 1999, there remained persistent enthusiasm for bringing back Hey Hey It's Saturday. In 2008, Corrine Lawrence from Broken Hill initiated a Facebook group advocating for the show's return. By July 2009, membership had surged from 10,000 to over 32,000 after receiving media attention, eventually surpassing 488,000 by mid-2010. ABC Radio Broken Hill conducted interviews with both Lawrence and Somers regarding this growing support.

On 24 July 2009, reports emerged that Somers and Nine had reached an agreement to produce two reunion specials slated for late 2009, with the possibility of a full series revival contingent upon ratings performance. Graeme Trippett joined as co-executive producer alongside Somers. The initial special aired on 30 September 2009, attracting a peak audience of 2.64 million and averaging 2.169 million viewers—surpassing Celebrity MasterChef Australia and securing a 40% share of the day's ratings for Nine. The subsequent special on 7 October drew even higher viewership (2.3 million average) and achieved Nine’s highest ratings share in 2009 at 43.3%. Nevertheless, it generated international criticism due to the Red Faces segment "The Jackson Jive", which included blackface performances.

Building on this success, Nine commissioned at least twenty new episodes for a midweek return in 2010 under the original program title with Somers as host. Ian "Molly" Meldrum was absent due to contractual obligations with Channel Seven; Red Symons joined the cast following his departure from Australia's Got Talent. The series relaunched on 14 April 2010, drawing over 1.5 million viewers across key metropolitan areas.

Second cancellation

Although initial ratings were solid, viewership declined after the premiere of the new season. On 7 July 2010, Somers announced live on air that production of current episodes would cease on 21 July 2010; however, Hey Hey It's Saturday would return for a seven-episode run starting in October 2010, reverting to its traditional Saturday night slot. This second batch aired from 16 October to 27 November 2010. While still maintaining popularity in Melbourne, overall national ratings failed to meet Nine’s expectations to continue production costs, resulting in a second cancellation.

In early 2012, Somers disclosed that Somers Carroll Productions had approached other commercial broadcasters about reviving Hey Hey, but these negotiations did not succeed. The company also considered creating a live stage adaptation of the show at ticketed venues across the country.

Beginning in 2014, Somers Carroll Productions launched full episodes and highlight reels on their official website at http://heyhey.tv. Access to complete episodes spanning from 1977 through to 2010—including a four-part holiday special from 1974—is available via a monthly subscription priced at $6.95. Much of the early content was not archived by GTV-9 and thus is unavailable either on the site or DVD collections; nonetheless, some home-recorded footage has been incorporated into retrospective features.

In December 2015, Somers hinted at ongoing discussions regarding another potential Hey Hey comeback through a Christmas video message. Prior to his return as host of You're Back in the Room in early 2016, he revealed that Nine Network had contacted Somers Carroll Productions about possibly reviving Hey Hey.

50th anniversary specials

In August 2021, Somers reached out to social media users to gather suggestions for segments to include in a special commemorating the show's 50th anniversary, with several segments already recorded featuring prominent cast members. After Channel Nine declined Somers' proposal, the Seven Network confirmed it would broadcast the special, entitled Hey Hey It's 50 Years. This 90-minute program aired on 10 October 2021, precisely 50 years and one day following the original premiere, drawing an audience of 1.2 million viewers.

Building on this achievement, Seven commissioned a follow-up special called Hey Hey It's 100 Years, which was first shown in Melbourne and Adelaide on 17 April 2022 and subsequently broadcast nationwide on 24 April 2022. Furthermore, Seven produced two editions focusing on Red Faces—The Best of The Best and Worst of Red Faces and The Very Best of the Best and Worst of Red Faces—which were aired in July 2022.

Host

Presenter	Role	Duration
Daryl Somers	Host	1971–99, 2009–10

Co-hosts

Presenter	Role	Duration
Peter McKenna	Co-host	1971–72
Ernie Carroll	Ossie Ostrich (Co-host)	1971–94, 2009–10
Jacki MacDonald	Co-host	1979–89, 2009, 2010
Denise Drysdale	Co-host	1989–90, 2009
Jo Beth Taylor	Co-host	1996–97, 1999, 2009, 2010
Livinia Nixon	Co-host	1997–99, 2009–10

Other regulars

Presenter	Role	Duration
John Blackman	Voice-overs	1971–99, 2009–10
Red Symons	Red Faces host & guitarist	1980–99, 2009–10
Andrew Fyfe	Cartoonist	1982–99, 2009–10
Wilbur Wilde	Saxophonist	1984–99, 2009–10
Molly Meldrum	Molly's Melodrama host	1987–99, 2009
Plucka Duck	Pluck-a-duck host	1990–99, 2009–10
Russell Gilbert	Comedian & audience warm up	1990–99, 2009–10
Trevor Marmalade	Live reporter	1991–99, 2009–10
Daryl McKenzie	Musical Director	1992–99, 2009
Penne Dennison	Entertainment reporter	1998–99, 2009–10
Danny Clayton	Music	2010

Notes:

Denise made a guest hosting appearance in 1994.
Molly was featured in a 2010 episode through archival footage.

Segments

The program showcased a variety of comedy and musical features through distinct segments:

Red Faces

The "Red Faces" segment presented three or four amateur performers who showcased acts such as singing, dancing, comedy sketches, or unusual performances before a panel of judges. This segment was a parody of talent shows like New Faces and incorporated a gong element inspired by The Gong Show. The judging panel typically included resident guitarist Red Symons alongside two guest judges each week.

Performers were frequently gonged by Symons prior to completing their act. Judges rated each performance on a scale from zero to ten; Red was known for his signature score of two accompanied by witty remarks but occasionally gave high marks for either outstanding or notably poor acts. Prize money awarded to winners initially consisted of $500 for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third place. In later years, these amounts doubled due to sponsorship from McDonald's. When revived in 2010, prizes increased to $2000 for first place, $1000 for second place, and $500 for third place; initial sponsorship came from Hungry Jack's, later replaced by MyFun.

Several participants went on to gain wider recognition following their appearances. The group The Music Men capitalized on their performance to secure a role in a beer advertisement. Comedian Jason Stephens began his career impersonating a penguin on "Red Faces". The Melbourne-based musical comedy trio Tripod performed some of their early satirical medleys on the show. Actress Cate Blanchett notably appeared as a contestant in the late ’80s at age seventeen. The segment also featured its oldest participant Dorothy Hayter at age ninety-six and its youngest contestant Kaitlin Elizabeth Millgate at just four months old in 1994.

Chook Lotto

"Chook Lotto" was a parody segment of Australia's Tattslotto, featuring numbered frozen chickens ("chooks") drawn from a barrel. It originally aired in 1984, took a hiatus in 1985, and resumed from 1986 through 1988. Four chickens numbered between 10 and 19 were drawn by Daryl and Jackie McDonald, while viewers submitted entries marking a "Super 69" number. These numbers were input into a computer—first an Atari 800XL, then an Olivetti model—to select winners. Prizes ranged from a vehicle provided by Ken Morgan Toyota to, if stars appeared on prize cards, all items hidden within ten paper eggs.

After its run, Chook Lotto was replaced by Plucka Duck but made a comeback during the 2010 revival with online number selection. Due to Australian gambling regulations during the 2009 revival, it was renamed "Fake Chook Lotto," offering no prizes until legal matters were settled in 2010. Chickens were supplied by Inghams Enterprises, and all 210 finalists received complimentary chicken vouchers.

Plucka Duck

Following Chook Lotto's conclusion, "Plucka Duck" introduced the show's beloved duck mascot. Contestants spun a prize-linked numbered wheel and could choose to keep their prize or "pluck a duck" for another opportunity. Wilbur Wilde performed the theme song for Plucka Duck, which evolved over time with various musical arrangements and lyrics.

When plucking a duck, contestants pulled a feather from Plucka Duck’s tail revealing a prize number. Later iterations involved selecting soft-toy ducks from a spinning mechanical wheel powered by Plucka himself riding a bicycle. Each duck concealed a prize number.

A notable moment occurred when Nine Network executive Kerry Packer intervened to award the car prize after a contestant's spin landed between the grand prize and a lesser reward.

Plucka Duck frequently appeared alongside female co-hosts such as early 1990s TV personality Melissa Hannan and later Suze Raymond, host of Channel Nine’s Eclipse Music TV.

Molly's Melodrama

Ian "Molly" Meldrum, formerly talent coordinator and interviewer for Australian Television’s Countdown, hosted this segment featuring reviews of local and international music alongside interviews with prominent musicians. Consistent with Hey Hey’s style, Molly's segment was often interrupted by cast members like Dickie Knee, who frequently played pranks on Meldrum.

Prior to Meldrum’s tenure, Gavin Wood—Countdown’s voice-over announcer—hosted the music review portion that also incorporated practical jokes.

Ad Nauseam

This quiz involved studio audience members or guests answering questions related to television commercials.

Beat It

Named after Michael Jackson’s hit song "Beat It," this music quiz featured the house band performing the song at the start of each episode.

Lost for Words

Celebrities competed in naming words beginning with the last letter of the previous word in a game show format.

Magic Word

An audience participant attempted to identify the correct meaning of an unusual word from several humorous definitions provided by crew members to win a prize.

Masterslime

A parody of Mastermind where contestants answered up to six questions while strapped into a chair; accumulating three incorrect answers resulted in being "slimed."

Media Watch

This segment highlighted amusing mistakes from television and newspapers, often submitted by viewers. It eventually split into "Media Watch Press" and "Media Watch TV." The concept inspired similar segments on shows like Rove Live and the U.S.’ Late Show with David Letterman.

The Great Aussie Joke

Hosted by Shane Bourne and Maurie Fields, this segment returned for the first reunion show with Maurie digitally superimposed posthumously alongside his son Marty.

The Nixon Tapes

Showcased viewer-submitted movie or TV bloopers where audience members guessed the production errors.

Celebrity Head

Three contestants had a celebrity name placed on their foreheads and attempted to guess it through yes/no questions. This was one of the show’s most popular games and was later adapted into a board game.

Spoofs

In its early years, the show featured satirical voice-overs mocking TV programs before evolving into sketches such as Division Saturday, The Sillivans, and The Shove Boat. Satire extended to rural radio stations and fictional locales like 'Biddleonia' to avoid offending minority groups.

Ian Buckland appeared in sketches including "The World's Worst Magician," which led to related merchandise. Reunion specials included "DisasterChef," spoofing MasterChef Australia. In 2010, commercial parodies starred Trevor Marmalade and Russell Gilbert.

Cultural impact

The program was parodied by shows like The Comedy Company and referenced in the 1997 film The Castle. Terminology originating from the show sparked controversy during a 2005 cricket match involving Shane Warne and Makhaya Ntini due to cultural misunderstandings. Musical guests such as Ricky May composed tribute songs inspired by the show.

Criticism

By the late 1990s, critics considered the show outdated and corny. Its revival in the 21st century faced backlash for cultural insensitivity; some content was deemed racist, sexist, or homophobic by modern standards. The international controversy over the "Jackson Jive" sketch on Red Faces highlighted its dated nature. In 2021, Somers acknowledged that certain past material would be unacceptable today due to political correctness and cancel culture; his comments attracted further criticism.

Singer Kamahl recounted experiencing humiliation from ethnic jokes on the program. John Blackman’s dismissive reaction provoked social media outrage. Somers issued a public apology in April 2021, which Kamahl accepted.

The Jackson Jive

During the 2009 reunion special's Red Faces segment, "the Jackson Jive" act featured performers in blackface as the Jackson Five and whiteface as Michael Jackson. The sketch included a caricature of Kamahl and was gonged off by Red Symons. This act had previously aired without incident during the original run in 1989.

Other blackface performances occurred on the show, including by Somers himself. American guest judge Harry Connick Jr. strongly disapproved of this skit, awarding zero points and expressing discomfort. Somers apologized on-air referring to it as “a bit retro.” The incident attracted significant negative international attention and underscored cultural differences regarding blackface between Australia and other countries.

Programming history

Programming History
Name	Dates	Day	Timeslot
Hey Hey It's Saturday	9 October 1971 – 29 September 1973	Saturday	8:30am–11:30am
Hey Hey It's Saturday	6 October 1973 – 26 November 1977	Saturday	8:00am–11:00am
Hey Hey It's Saturday	17 February 1979 – 3 December 1983	Saturday	8:00am–11:00am
Hey Hey It's Saturday Night	11 February 1984 – 25 May 1985	Saturday	9:30pm–12:00am
Hey Hey It's Saturday	8 June 1985 – 13 November 1999	Saturday	6:30pm–8:30pm
Hey Hey It's Saturday: Final	20 November 1999	Saturday	6:30pm–10:30pm
Hey Hey It's Saturday: The Reunion	30 September – 7 October 2009	Wednesday	7:30pm–10:30pm (30 September) 7:30pm–11:00pm (7 October)
Hey Hey It's Saturday	14 April 2010 – 28 July 2010	Wednesday	7:30pm–9:30pm
Hey Hey It's Saturday	16 October 2010 – 27 November 2010	Saturday	7:30pm–9:30pm

Movie

In Queensland’s Warner Brothers Movie World during a visit in 1992, the Hey Hey team produced a feature film titled Silence of the Hams within seven days lasting approximately forty-five minutes. Daryl Somers starred as private investigator Rick Shaw in this homage celebrating Casablanca’s fiftieth anniversary with a storyline focused on safeguarding the film industry. It aired once on Nine Network on June 15, 1992; although never officially released on home media formats, it is accessible via YouTube on the official channel.

Awards

Hey Hey It's Saturday received nineteen Logie Awards throughout its twenty-nine-year tenure, including:

Award	Recipient	Year(s) won
Most Popular Personality (Gold Logie)	Daryl Somers	1983,1986,1989
Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality	Daryl Somers	1993,1995–1997
Most Popular Light Entertainment / Comedy Personality	Daryl Somers	1990
Most Popular Light Entertainment Program	The program itself	1987–1988,1993–1995,1997–2000
Most Popular Comedy Program	The program itself	1985,1999

The series and its cast garnered numerous Logie nominations including:

Award	Nominee	Year(s) nominated
Most Popular Personality (Gold Logie)	Daryl Somers	1984–1988,1990–1998
Most Popular Light Entertainment Personality	Daryl Somers	1994
Most Popular Light Entertainment Program	The program itself	1986,1996,2010 (Reunion),2011
Most Popular Light Entertainment / Comedy Program	The program itself	1991–1992
Most Popular Light Entertainment / Comedy Personality	Daryl Somers	1990–1991
Most Popular Comedy Program	The program itself	1997–1998
Most Popular Program	The program itself	1998
Most Popular Comedy Personality	Russell Gilbert	1995–1996
Most Popular Comedy Personality	Daryl Somers	1996–1997
Most Popular Comedy Personality	Plucka Duck	1997

External links