The Channel Nine Show
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television comedy |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | Grahame Bond |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Grahame Bond, Rory O'Donoghue, Maurice Murphy, Garry McDonald |
| Products | Television comedy program |
Number of employees | Cast and crew (number not specified) |
The Aunty Jack Show is an acclaimed Australian comedy television series that aired on ABC-TV from 1972 to 1973, earning a Logie Award during its run. The show rapidly developed a devoted fanbase, maintaining its cult appeal well into the present day.
The central figure, Aunty Jack, stood out as a unique comedic persona—characterized by her stout build, prominent moustache, and gravelly voice, combining traits reminiscent of both a truck driver and a pantomime dame. Her approach to resolving disputes involved either knocking opponents unconscious or threatening to "rip yer bloody arms off." Aunty Jack's visual identity was striking: she donned a voluminous blue velvet dress paired with football socks, sturdy work boots, and sported a golden boxing glove on her right hand. She famously rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and addressed everyone affectionately as "me little lovelies," punctuating her speech with a catchphrase that quickly entered everyday language. Grahame Bond created and embodied this character, drawing inspiration from his domineering Uncle Jack, his grandfather Ben Doyle, and Dot Strong, the ABC's final official tea lady.
Background
By the time Grahame Bond earned his architecture degree from the University of Sydney, he had already established himself as a multifaceted artist—working as a writer, producer, comedian, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early career was shaped through his involvement in the university's Architecture Revues (1964–1969), where he collaborated with future industry figures such as scriptwriter Geoffrey Atherden, director Maurice Murphy, and internationally recognized filmmaker Peter Weir. During this period, Bond also formed a lasting creative partnership with musician and actor Rory O'Donoghue, known for his work with Sydney rock bands The Pogs and Oakapple Day.
Following graduation, Bond and his associates expanded their creative pursuits across radio, theatre, television, and film. The success of the Architecture Revues led to the professional stage production Balloon Dubloon (1969) for the PACT Theatre Company, co-developed with Weir. This work caught the attention of festival director Sir Robert Helpmann, who invited them to present Drip Dry Dreams at the Adelaide Festival.
Bond’s entry into television was marked by the 1969 ABC-TV special Man on a Green Bike, which he co-wrote and starred in alongside Weir. The 50-minute film depicted three different city mayors whose lives are disrupted by an enigmatic traveler. This project served as Bond’s initial TV performance while highlighting his writing and acting abilities.
In 1970, Bond continued collaborating with Weir on stage productions such as the revues Filth at the Phillip St Revue and Hamlet on Ice at the Nimrod Theatre. He also composed music for the AFI Award-winning film Three To Go (1970), partly directed by Weir, in which he appeared as an actor. Additionally, Bond contributed both music and a lead role to Weir’s 1971 short feature Homesdale, further cementing their partnership within Australian cinema.
Origin
The character Aunty Jack was initially developed for an intended ABC Radio children’s program titled The Aunty Jack Show, commissioned by Paddy Conroy as a successor to the soon-to-be-discontinued The Argonauts Club. However, ABC management considered both the character and some of Bond’s songs unsuitable for young audiences, resulting in the radio series never being broadcast.
Aunty Jack made her television debut in Aunty Jack's Travelling Show, part of ABC-TV’s The Comedy Game anthology in late 1971. The original title was Aunty Jack's Travelling Abattoirs, but it was changed following objections from executives. The episode featured performances by Bond, O'Donoghue, and Derum, with supporting roles filled by Sharman Mellick and Kate Fitzpatrick.
This project initiated a fruitful collaboration among Bond, O'Donoghue, and ABC writer-producer-director Maurice Murphy, who played a pivotal role in shaping several notable Australian television comedies.
Influences
Although Monty Python's Flying Circus is frequently mentioned due to its similar surreal comedic style, Aunty Jack was developed independently and premiered on Australian television prior to Monty Python’s initial broadcast in the country. While The Goon Show is occasionally referenced as an inspiration, Bond admitted his exposure to it was sporadic. He also acknowledged the impact of Australian radio personalities such as Jack Davey and Bob Dyer, along with shows like the Mickey Mouse Club and The Steve Allen Show. A significant comedic influence was Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.
Early contributions from Peter Weir occurred behind the scenes; having collaborated with the team during university revues, he is credited as a writer for Aunty Jack's Travelling Show and later episodes. Prior to the launch of The Aunty Jack Show, Weir departed from performing to concentrate on filmmaking, recognizing Monty Python’s superior comedic approach.
Maurice Murphy played a crucial role during this period of Australian television comedy by managing Aunty Jack and its related projects while acting as an intermediary between the creative team and ABC executives. Emerging director Ted Robinson began his career working under Murphy on the second series and subsequently produced notable Australian comedy programs such as The Big Gig and The Gillies Report. Robinson commended Murphy for cultivating a creative atmosphere that promoted experimentation and boldness in comedy production.
Following the acclaim of Aunty Jack's Travelling Show, ABC commissioned a weekly series. Debuting on 16 November 1972, The Aunty Jack Show rapidly gained a cult following among younger viewers despite facing critical disapproval. Many found its content challenging; the ABC received numerous complaints after the premiere regarding its violent scenes, language use, and particularly the drag character portrayal by Aunty Jack.
Public reaction and cancellation
The backlash was substantial enough for ABC to contemplate terminating the series, but reportedly, appeals from children of certain ABC officials helped preserve it. Nevertheless, conflicts between the creative team and ABC management continued, culminating in the production of The Off Show in 1977.
Bond concluded the program after its second season by scripting Aunty Jack’s death from a heart attack, expressing his discomfort with the cast’s use of 'coarse' language and themes. The ensemble reunited two years later for a special commemorating Australia’s introduction of colour television on 1 March 1975. This special cleverly began three minutes before midnight at 11:57 pm on 28 February in black and white before switching to colour at midnight, outpacing ABC’s commercial competitors.
Episodes
The Aunty Jack Show consisted of two seasons broadcast in 1972 and 1973, featuring seven episodes in the first season and six in the second. Additionally, two specials were aired—one in June 1973 prior to series two, another in 1975—as well as an unaired pilot. Each episode was built around a distinct theme.
Pilot (1971)
| No. | Episode title | Original broadcast date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aunty Jack's Travelling Show | 30 December 1971 |
Series one (1972)
Main cast:
- Grahame Bond – Aunty Jack
- John Derum – Narrator Neville
- Rory O'Donoghue – Thin Arthur
- Sandra McGregor – Flange Desire
| No. | Episode title | Guest cast | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radio | Terry Camilleri, Kate Fitzpatrick, Sharman Mellick | 16 November 1972 |
| 2 | War | Paul Faranda, Greg Saunders | 23 November 1972 |
| 3 | Kulture | Carla Hoogeveen, Sharman Mellick | 30 November 1972 |
| 4 | Anonymous | Terry Camilleri, Chris Haywood, Carla Hoogeveen, Lex Marinos, Sharman Mellick | 7 December 1972 |
| 5 | Family | Chris Haywood, Carla Hoogeveen, Lex Marinos, Sharman Mellick | 14 December 1972 |
| 6 | Sex | James Bowles | 21 December 1972 |
| 7 | Horror | - | 28 December 1972 |
Special (1973)
| No. | Episode title | Original broadcast date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aunty Jack Rox On | 8 June 1973 |
Series Two (1973)
Principal cast:
- Grahame Bond – Aunty Jack/Kev Kavanagh
- Garry McDonald – Kid Eager/Norman Gunston
- Rory O'Donoghue – Thin Arthur
- Sandra McGregor – Flange Desire
Special (1975)
| No. | Episode title | Original broadcast date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aunty Jack Introduces Colour | 28 February 1975 |
Regular Cast and Characters
Aunty Jack blended standalone sketches with recurring characters such as Aunty Jack herself alongside her companions—Flange Desire (Sandra McGregor), Thin Arthur (Rory O'Donoghue), and in the first season, the Narrator Neville (John Derum). In the second season, Neville was replaced by Kid Eager (Garry McDonald), a character inspired by mischievous figures like Dennis the Menace and Ginger Meggs. Semi-regular appearances included folk duo Errol and Neil (Grahame & Rory) and Kev Kavanagh, a rock'n'roll butcher portrayed by Bond, who had been introduced earlier in Peter Weir's Homesdale.
After the first series, Derum left to pursue other ventures but returned via archival footage in the special Aunty Jack Rox On. Garry McDonald, a recent graduate from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, joined in Series Two as Kid Eager, Aunty Jack’s cheeky new companion. McDonald also created Wendy Skelcher, a viewer-inspired character who later evolved into Wollongong's infamous media 'un-personality' Norman Gunston in the spin-off series Wollongong the Brave. Gunston appeared on the Aunty Jack Sings Wollongong LP and headlined the Logie-winning parody The Norman Gunston Show, which debuted in 1975.
Prominent sketches featured throughout both seasons included:
- Tarzan Superape, described as "an origami rock opera," parodying Jesus Christ Superstar
- Dried Elephant Arrangements for Beginners, where Aunty Jack teaches viewers "elephanto reducioso" at Taronga Zoo with Colin the elephant
- Colonel Passionfruit, a flamboyant military commander leading his gay troops through choreographed battle using The Pride of Erin Mine Avoidance Tactic #III
- The Farrelly Brothers, a country and eastern duo performing a localized take on "I've Been Everywhere" highlighting NSW towns such as Wollongong and Dapto
- Flat 1A 968 George St, a spoof of soap opera Number 96, humorously promising "lots of bottoms and lots of breasts," depicted with actors wearing multiple plastic prosthetics.
Feature Film
An 85-minute compilation titled The Very Best of The Aunty Jack Show, containing colour segments from the initial series, was screened at the 1973 Montreux Film Festival. It was broadcast in Australia on ABC television only once on 26 January 1991.
Legacy
The show's popularity led to a one-off TV special called Aunty Jack Rox On, a concert tour, a chart-topping single "Farewell Aunty Jack"—a version of the closing theme—and the best-selling album Aunty Jack Sings Wollongong released in early 1974. The single held the number one position on Australian charts for three weeks starting December 1973 and was notable as Australia's first picture-disc single to reach No.1 nationally.
By the second series, creator Bond had grown weary of Aunty Jack and decided to end the character's storyline in the final episode titled "The R-Certificate Show." Following this conclusion, Bond developed a new series inspired by his holiday on Norfolk Island and reading Errol Flynn's autobiography My Wicked, Wicked Ways, which resulted in Flash Nick from Jindivick.
Subsequently, the team produced Wollongong the Brave (1974), consisting of four one-hour specials featuring fan-favourite characters and musical performances including 'Country and Mediterranean' act The Farelly Brothers and Kev Kavanagh. The concluding episode acted as a springboard for The Norman Gunston Show (1975–1983), which achieved significant acclaim and earned Garry McDonald a Gold Logie award in 1976.
On 28 February 1975, Aunty Jack and her ensemble introduced colour broadcasts on ABC-TV by starting earlier than rival networks. Their final major collaborative project was the short-lived comedy series The Off Show (1977), which was canceled following controversy over a religious satire sketch that offended an ABC executive.
Bond, O'Donoghue, McDonald, MacGregor, and Derum reunited for Murphy's 1985 production News Free Zone, which included new Aunty Jack sketches. Bond also revived his character Kev Kavanagh during this period.
Despite considerable fan interest, home video releases of The Aunty Jack Show were delayed for over three decades due to rights disputes among Bond, O'Donoghue, and ABC—primarily concerning lost episodes and music licensing. This stalemate prevented any release until 2005.
There were persistent rumors that some episodes were lost or erased during ABC's cost-cutting measures in the late 1970s. Although master tapes of three episodes were wiped, original film elements survived and were restored with assistance from the National Archives. The complete Series One DVD was released in December 2005; Series Two followed in April 2006. These DVDs present main episodes in black-and-white with colour footage included as alternate scenes. The 1973 special 'Aunty Jack Rox On' has yet to be issued on DVD.
In 2019, TV Week ranked The Aunty Jack Show at number 99 among Australia's greatest television programs, emphasizing its memorable characters and catchphrases that have solidified its place in comedy history.
Stage show
In 2006, Aunty Jack made a comeback with a live theatrical production named The Aunty Jack Show and Tell, featuring performances by Grahame Bond and Rory O'Donoghue. This stage presentation included beloved figures such as Aunty Jack, Thin Arthur, the musical duo of tramps Neil and Errol, the Farrelly Brothers who performed Country and Eastern styles, the Ri Fol Tit Men, as well as Kev Kavanagh, known for his bodgie butcher persona and meat artistry.
See also
External links
- Aunty Jack's Official Home – details about both the television series and the stage production
- Aunty Jack tribute page – collections of images and audio clips from Aunty Jack Sings Wollongong
- The Aunty Jack/Grahame Bond Ography
- The Aunty Jack Show at Australian Screen Online
- The Aunty Jack Show
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- Australian television sketch shows
- Television shows set in New South Wales
- 1972 Australian television series debuts
- 1973 Australian television series endings
- 1970s Australian comedy television series
- Cross-dressing in television
- Black-and-white Australian television shows
- Australian satirical television shows
- Wollongong