In Melbourne Tonight

In Melbourne Tonight

Company type	Television program
Industry	Entertainment, Television
Founded	1957 (1957)
Defunct	1970 (1970) (original run)
Fate	Ended original run; revived 1996–1998
Headquarters	Melbourne , Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Graham Kennedy (host), Bert Newton (co-host), Frankie J. Holden (host, revival)
Products	Variety television show

Overview

In Melbourne Tonight (IMT) was primarily anchored by Graham Kennedy, who served as its leading host and main attraction throughout its 13-year tenure. Inspired by the American program The Tonight Show, the show's popularity was largely fueled by Kennedy's magnetic presence.

Initially, the program featured a theme composed by band leader Lee Gallagher, but it later switched to a lively rendition of the 1936 swing classic Gee, But You're Swell, written by Abel Baer and Charles Tobias.

Geoff Corke co-hosted alongside Kennedy until 1959, after which Bert Newton joined from HSV-7, initiating a longstanding professional collaboration and friendship. The series also regularly showcased talents such as Joff Ellen, Val Ruff, Panda Lisner, Anne Marie Fabry, Evie Hayes, Mary Hardy, Rosie Sturgess, Patti McGrath (later known as Patti Newton), Toni Lamond, and Philip Brady, among others.

The Royal Dancers, a ballet ensemble led by Valmai Ennor, included performers like Denise Drysdale and Roma Egan.

Starting in 1960, a national Friday-night version aired under the title The Graham Kennedy Show (later renamed The Graham Kennedy Channel Nine Show), with selected segments repackaged as The Best of IMT and The Best of Kennedy. On 7 July 1965, the program broke new ground by executing an interstate live split-screen broadcast with Sydney’s The Tonight Show, facilitated by newly installed co-axial cable technology.

Kennedy concluded his role on 23 December 1969 after a 12-year run, earning the symbolic title of Australian television’s "king." The show persisted into 1970 with four different hosts—Jimmy Hannan, Ugly Dave Gray, Bert Newton, and Stuart Wagstaff—before reducing its schedule and ultimately ending in March 1971.

One of the final episodes on 20 October 1970 featured British actor Patrick Wymark as a guest; his sudden passing during the broadcast marked a significant moment in the show’s history.

In Melbourne Tonight left a lasting impact on live variety programming at GTV-9. Unfortunately, due to routine tape wiping practices of the era, fewer than 100 episodes remain from the thousands originally produced.

Kennedy returned to GTV-9 in the early 1970s with a weekly variety series for the Nine Network titled The Graham Kennedy Show. However, it did not replicate the original's acclaim and was eventually replaced by The Ernie Sigley Show and later The Don Lane Show.

Advertisements

Leveraging his radio background with Nicky Whitta, Kennedy revolutionized live advertising by turning commercials into spontaneous comedic performances rather than mere obligations. For instance, an aspirin advertisement scheduled for just 20 seconds was famously extended into an improvised routine lasting over half an hour.

Newton remarked:

The executives at Pelaco would initially turn pale until they realized this lean jokester was generating valuable publicity. Eventually, they welcomed his comedic approach.

A joint commercial featuring Graham and Raoul Merton ('of comfort you're certain when you wear Raoul Merton') influenced consumer choices in men's footwear significantly.

Sam Chisholm

According to Gerald Stone, a confident young salesman named Sam Chisholm once approached the IMT production seeking product exposure. Chisholm later rose to prominent executive roles within the media empires of both the Packer and Murdoch families. In a 2005 interview, Chisholm recounted:

Sam Chisholm: I was employed by Johnson's wax and proposed demonstrating its effectiveness by personally polishing floors.

Graham Davis: At Kennedy’s residence?

Sam Chisholm: Exactly. I started out as his housekeeper and eventually became his superior.

Rover

Kennedy acquired a Labrador Retriever named "Rover" from the Jack Davey Memorial Guide Dog Centre, specifically requesting a dog that had been "rejected."

Rover appeared in commercials promoting Pal dog food, though on one occasion he showed little enthusiasm for the product, leading Kennedy to jokingly consume it live on air. The dog also became memorable for urinating directly on a studio camera during a broadcast, which amused the audience. Nevertheless, biographer Blundell cites Ernie Carroll explaining that these moments were frequently orchestrated:

Before filming commercials, Rover was either well-fed to avoid eating the Pal food or given water so he would urinate on set—these incidents were deliberately arranged despite seeming spontaneous.

When asked about Rover’s ultimate fate, Kennedy often deflected the question, famously responding in 1989, "... he was a dog. What do you think happened?"

In June 2005, Patti (McGrath) Newton disclosed on 3AW's Nightline that her father took care of Rover during his appearances on GTV-9. As Kennedy grew weary of repeatedly rescuing Rover from the pound, the dog found a permanent home with the McGrath family following the loss of their own pet.

Late-1990s version

The show was revived in 1996 under the title IMT, a variety program aired Monday nights and hosted by Frankie J. Holden. The cast included comedians such as Steven Jacobs, Denise Drysdale, Ann-Maree Biggar, and Julia Morris, who delivered a satirical news segment called "The Morris Report." This iteration continued until its final episode on 27 November 1998.

See also

• List of Australian television series
• Enjoy Yourself Tonight
• In Melbourne Today

External links

• In Melbourne Tonight at the National Film and Sound Archive