The Glass House (2001 TV series)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television entertainment |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Defunct | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Comedic talk show |
The Glass House was an Australian comedic talk show with a runtime of 28 minutes, broadcast on the ABC between 2001 and 2006. The program was fronted by stand-up comedian Wil Anderson, alongside co-hosts Corinne Grant and Dave Hughes. Each episode featured two guests from a variety of sectors such as music, politics, and sports. Regular appearances were made by comedians Adam Spencer and Akmal Saleh, netball player Liz Ellis, and music commentator Molly Meldrum. The show gained recognition for its satirical portrayal of public personalities including Shannon Noll and Peter Costello, following a format reminiscent of the BBC's Have I Got News for You.
Produced by GNWTV, episodes were taped live before a studio audience at ABC's Sydney location, with occasional broadcasts from Melbourne's Town Hall during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Initially scheduled on Fridays with varying airtimes, the series settled into a consistent Wednesday 9:35 pm slot starting in 2005.
In 2005, The Glass House earned the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Light Entertainment, outperforming contenders such as Enough Rope. Additionally, it received recognition in the satirical TV Fugly Awards as the Most Under Acknowledged TV Show.
Segments
The show commenced with "Ahead in The Glass House," which previewed upcoming segments using out-of-context political clips. Anderson launched the primary segment with current affairs commentary, followed by monologues from Grant and Hughes. The panel then engaged in discussions around a distinctive boomerang-shaped table.
Prominent segments included:
- Movers and Shakers: conversations focusing on innovators and trendsetters.
- Second Rate Media Watch: comedic critiques of recent media coverage.
- Question on the Glass House: audience vox pop interviews led by Hughes.
- Interview with Hughesy: satirical role-play interviews where Hughes impersonated public figures.
Other recurring features were Rogues' Gallery, which humorously analyzed media photographs, and Contact with the Great Unwashed, wherein Anderson invited topic suggestions from viewers.
The closing segments included:
- The Trophy: presenting a humorous award symbolized by a golden statuette holding an umbrella to notable newsmakers.
- Tomorrow's Headlines: delivering a satirical newspaper headline accompanied by a witty subheading.
Cancellation
On 31 October 2006, ABC declared that the series would be discontinued, culminating in a final one-hour special broadcast on 29 November. Anderson mentioned that Network Ten had shown interest in potentially continuing the program. Despite achieving record ratings—highlighted by Dave Hughes as their peak viewership—the cancellation prompted public controversy amid suspicions of political influence during a period when ABC was under scrutiny for bias and management reforms. Additional controversy involved allegations targeting co-host Corinne Grant linked to her involvement in the ACTU workplace relations campaign.
Multiple petitions emerged aiming to reverse the cancellation decision. Then Prime Minister John Howard denied any role in the outcome. The concluding episode recorded the highest ratings in the show's history, securing tenth place nationally with an audience of 1.15 million viewers.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- 2000s Australian comedy TV series
- Critique of journalism
- Australian variety shows
- Australian television talk programs
- 2001 Australian TV series premieres
- 2006 Australian TV series conclusions
- Television productions set in Sydney
- Television productions set in Melbourne