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The Late Show (1992 TV series)

From Alfawiki
The Late Show
Company typeTelevision program
IndustryEntertainment, Television
Founded18 July 1992
Defunct30 October 1993
Headquarters
Australia
Area served
Australia
ProductsSketch comedy, satire television show

The Late Show was an Australian sketch comedy and satire program broadcast over two seasons on the ABC from 18 July 1992 until 30 October 1993. Although it occupied a Saturday night slot, the series rapidly attracted a devoted audience and emerged as one of ABC's top-rated offerings by its second season.

The program’s popularity derived from its uniquely Australian brand of self-mocking humour combined with the cast’s active participation in all aspects of production, which delivered genuine and insightful parodies of television and cinema. Distinct from conventional sketch shows, The Late Show frequently employed meta-comedy, experimenting with television conventions and subverting viewers’ expectations tied to the performers’ on-screen identities.

Cast

The Late Show evolved from the 1980s comedy troupe The D-Generation, mainly formed by students from Melbourne University who had gained a loyal fanbase through radio and television appearances. After The D-Generation dissolved, several members moved on to the commercial TV series Fast Forward, while others produced pilots for The Late Late Show at Channel Nine, which were ultimately not commissioned. Subsequently, ABC provided a one-hour slot on Saturday nights, leading to the launch of The Late Show. Principal cast members included:

Segments

Several recurring segments became audience favourites on The Late Show.

Introduction: Stand-up

Episodes commonly began with stand-up performances by Martin and/or Molloy, who tackled current topics or shared personal stories—such as Santo describing his family’s distinctively designed residence—often accompanied by illustrative video footage.

The Late Show News Headlines

Hosted by Gleisner, this segment blended authentic news headlines with satirical commentary and video clips—for example, using footage from Asian bodybuilding contests to lampoon political events. It also featured interviews with impersonated public figures, primarily portrayed by Sitch using costumes and prosthetics, including characters like H. Ross Perot, Jeff Kennett, Paul Keating, and Desmond Tutu.

Mick's Serve

Running alongside the News Headlines, Molloy joined Gleisner at the News Desk to provide commentary on current affairs. The segment typically escalated from measured discussion to Molloy delivering comedic tirades, concluding with Gleisner calling in "Men in White Coats" who used fire extinguishers to douse both Molloy and the desk.

Street Talk

In this segment, Martin and Molloy conducted interviews with Melbourne pedestrians concerning topical issues. These vox-pop style interactions often functioned as opportunities for the duo to satirise their interviewees, particularly focusing on their clothing choices.

The Oz Brothers

Featuring Cilauro and Sitch as brothers fixated on Australian cricketer David Boon, this segment included catchphrases such as 'I've had a gut full', 'This country's stuffed', and 'I can't burrleevet'. Their fanaticism involved rituals like praying to a golden statue of Boon, playing Scrabble restricted to the word "Boon," adorning their home with Boon posters, and engaging with a Boon-themed video game that allowed customization of his moustache and belly. David Boon himself made a guest appearance in one episode to read the brothers a bedtime story.

Celebrity interviews

Martin utilized prosthetic makeup to impersonate personalities such as Paul Keating, Prince Charles, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Michael Jackson in comedic interview sketches.

  • During the "Schwarzenegger" interview, hosted by Molloy, the discussion revolves around "Arnie"'s movies. Although there is a caution against mentioning the commercial failure Last Action Hero, an audience member brings it up, leading "Schwarzenegger" to fatally shoot him with the remark "Opinion noted." He then presents a trailer for a modern remake of Citizen Kane, directed by Ivan Reitman, known for Twins, whom he repeatedly praises as a "genius."
  • The Prince Charles segment takes the form of a personal tour of his residence, interspersed with sarcastic comments about his dissatisfaction with certain aspects of his marriage to Diana.
  • The Paul Keating interview lampoons political journalism and the political climate during Keating’s tenure as prime minister, featuring exchanges with Opposition Leader Dr. John Hewson, also portrayed by Sitch.

The Toilet Break

The Toilet Break was a brief two-minute interlude positioned mid-episode to allow viewers a pause during the uninterrupted ABC broadcast. It displayed vintage music clips alongside an on-screen countdown timer. Season one showcased footage from The Natural 7’s performances on The Saturday Show, while season two incorporated clips from Pot Luck, which was judged by Bernard King.

Shitscared

In Shitscared, Rob Sitch played a stuntman who combined characteristics reminiscent of Evel Knievel and Ed Wood, oblivious to his own lack of skill. Mick Molloy portrayed his clumsy assistant, with Tom Gleisner acting as the interviewer. Sitch’s character was an overconfident professional fixated on "the stunt game," meticulously crafting plans that emphasized safety. Despite his grandiose claims about his significance, he neglected the poorly maintained 'Stunt HQ'. Mick’s repeated mistakes invariably sabotaged the stunts, resulting in injuries and slapstick comedy. The initial two sketches were recorded at Channel Nine as pilots for the unaired The Late, Late Show.

Pissweak World

This collection of parody commercials advertised substandard theme parks under the 'Pissweak' label, including:

  • Pissweak World
  • Ye Olde Pissweeke Worlde (a Renaissance Fair spoof)
  • Pissweak Movie World (a send-up of WB Movie World)
  • Pissweak Aero World
  • Pissweak Marine World
  • Pissweak World Fun Park

Starring The Pissweak Kids and Tom Gleisner as the Park Guide, with narration by Tony Martin, each advertisement highlighted laughably poor attractions such as a child riding a golden retriever or a bush functioning as a printing press. These skits satirized mediocre amusement venues through exaggeratedly low-quality features.

Graham and the Colonel

Inspired by Roy and HG, Graham and the Colonel featured Sitch and Cilauro as parody sports commentators dressed in green ABC blazers. Known for corny humor and forgotten punchlines, this segment gained popularity and typically aired near the conclusion of episodes. Its theme music was "Light and Tuneful" by Keith Mansfield, famously recognized as the BBC's Wimbledon theme.

The Olden Days

The Olden Days featured overdubbed clips from the 1970s ABC black-and-white drama Rush, where humorous voiceovers were added to historical footage. Tony Martin provided voices for Governor Frontbottom and Judge Muttonchops, while Mick Molloy voiced Sergeant Olden, originally played by John Waters. This segment was part of the first series.

ABC later issued The Olden Days on VHS and included it in a 2007 DVD set alongside Bargearse. Following the segment’s conclusion, actors Brendon Lunney and John Waters made surprise guest appearances on The Late Show.

Bargearse

Taking over from The Olden Days in the second series, Bargearse was a comedic redub of the 1970s Melbourne police drama Bluey. Initially, the plan was to overdub the soap opera The Young Doctors under the title "Medical Hospital," but rights complications required a last-minute change. The ABC series Truckies was also considered before deciding on Bluey. Consequently, the number of episodes was reduced from twenty to ten, which aired during the latter part of series two.

The segment’s title derived from its main character, Detective Sergeant Bargearse, an overweight cop with a moustache, whose size was frequently the subject of jokes and sound effects. Tony Martin voiced Bargearse, while Rob Sitch and Mick Molloy lent their voices to sidekicks Ann Bourke and Detective Glen Twenty (named after an Australian disinfectant). Santo Cilauro, Molloy, and Kennedy voiced other supporting roles.

Lucky Grills, who originally portrayed Bluey, appeared twice on The Late Show—once in a spoof press conference and again in a musical sketch.

On 15 August 2007, a combined DVD featuring both Bargearse and The Olden Days was released. The ten episodes of Bargearse are also included on the last two discs of the complete Bluey DVD collection.

The theme for Bargearse is taken from Keith Mansfield’s 1970 jazz piece "Brass in Action."

Shirty: The Slightly Aggressive Bear

Shirty: The Slightly Aggressive Bear spoofed children’s television by centering on a character who reacted aggressively to minor provocations. Episodes frequently concluded with scenes of destruction or injury. The final installment revealed that Shirty was portrayed by the "Hando" character from Romper Stomper, played by Russell Crowe, although earlier episodes implied Mick Molloy performed the role. According to DVD commentary by Jane (Miss Tammy), Rob Sitch wore the Shirty costume, which originally belonged to Percy Panda from ABC's Adventure Island.

Charlie the Wonderdog

Created after cuts reduced Bargearse's intended twenty episodes to ten, Charlie the Wonderdog consisted of seven brief episodes aired during the second series of The Late Show. Featuring Charles 'Bud' Tingwell and a group called the "Pissweak Kids," it parodied animal-centric programs such as Lassie and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, focusing on a Golden Retriever owned by Gleisner. The sketches intentionally employed poor acting and simplistic storylines; Charlie was often visibly dragged by a rope while his barks were overdubbed. The plots grew increasingly exaggerated over time, culminating in Charlie’s assassination and eventual return in a Christmas special.

Geoff and Terry

Geoff and Terry (played by Sitch and Cilauro) portrayed slick conmen promoting dubious products or schemes, primarily used to irritate interviewer Kennedy, who admitted being intoxicated during one live sketch. After delivering a notably weak performance, they retired "Geoff and Terry" and later appeared as "The Oz Brothers."

Music video parodies

The program featured accurate recreations of music videos with satirical twists on popular songs, including:

Other segments

  • Muckraking: celebrity gossip hosted by Molloy and Stephens that often devolved into rants.
  • Commercial Crimestoppers: satirical takes on amateur commercials originating from regional Australia.
  • Countdown Classics: archival footage from Australian TV show Countdown, presented by Gleisner and Kennedy dressed in 1970s attire; included live performances such as William Shakespeare's "My Little Angel."
  • Masterpieces of Modern Cinema: Martin offered critiques of poorly received films like Jaws: The Revenge, Armour of God, and Houseboat Horror.
  • Sink the Slipper: Martin and Molloy targeted public figures for recent outrageous behavior by symbolically kicking fake buttocks representing them.
  • Original musical numbers included:
    • Martin and Molloy performing the original track "What's All That About?", which Molloy later reused.
    • A humorous dissection of R.E.M.'s "Stand" followed by Martin’s live parody substituting lyrics with nonsense phrases.

Numerous prominent Australian television personalities appeared as guests on The Late Show. Charles "Bud" Tingwell featured as Charlie’s grandfather; voice-over artist Pete Smith was a frequent contributor. Cameos from stars such as John Farnham added brief but memorable comedic moments—like Farnham offering wine only to present water instead.

Musical finale

Every episode in series two ended with a musical act. Martin would announce a major celebrity supposedly booked by Molloy; however, Molloy would then confess he had mistakenly secured another individual with a similar name—often non-musical Australian figures or politicians. This recurring joke drew humor from these unexpected performers.

Memorable performances included:

Although most finales featured comedic impersonators, the 1993 finale included genuine guest singer Don Lane, despite his concurrent appearance on a rival network during that time slot.

Notably absent performers mentioned humorously but not appearing included Robert Gottliebsen and actor Tony Bonner.

Specials

  • Backchat Highlights Special (26 September 1992)
  • The Late Show by Request (28 November 1992)
  • The Best Bits of The Late Show (1 May 1993)
  • The Olden Days Special (14 August 1993)
  • The Best of the D-Generation (21 August 1993)
  • The Devil at Your Heels Special (16 October 1993)

Video/DVD releases

  • Three volumes titled The Best Bits of the Late Show were released on VHS, along with separate compilations for Bargearse and The Olden Days.
  • In 2001, ABC issued a double-disc DVD set called The Best Bits of the Late Show: Champagne Edition, combining all three "Best Bits" volumes with an extra hour of content plus several hidden easter eggs. It featured commentary hosted by Tony Martin alongside full cast members and special guests.
  • On 15 August 2007, a double-feature DVD containing both The Olden Days and Bargearse was released. This edition included excerpts and sketches from throughout The Late Show, commentary tracks by Tony Martin & Santo Cilauro, plus seventeen hidden easter egg clips.

After The Late Show

Due to intense production demands and an interest in pursuing new creative directions, the cast decided that their second season would be their final one. Most members continued their careers within Australian comedy and media industries.

Kennedy, Gleisner, Cilauro, and Sitch established Working Dog Productions, which produced television series such as Frontline (1994–1997), Funky Squad (1995), A River Somewhere (1997–1998), The Panel (1998–2004), All Aussie Adventures (2001–2004), Thank God You're Here (2006–2009, 2023–present), The Hollowmen (2008), and Utopia (2014–2023). Their film productions include titles such as The Castle (1997), The Dish (2000), and Any Questions for Ben? (2012).

Martin and Molloy moved into radio with their successful program Martin/Molloy (1995–1998), frequently featuring Pete Smith before transitioning into filmmaking with projects like Tackle Happy (2000), Crackerjack (2002), Bad Eggs (2003), and BoyTown (2006). Later ventures saw Martin hosting Triple M's national radio show Get This (2006–2007), authoring two humor books—Lolly Scramble’’ (2005) and ‘’A Nest of Occasionals’'’’(2009)—directing episodes of ABC's comedy ‘’The Librarians,’’ and co-hosting ‘’The Joy of Sets’'’’ on Nine Network starting in 2011. Molloy hosted radio’s ‘’Tough Love’’ between 2004 and 2006.

Lucy appeared in both ‘’Crackerjack’’ and ‘’Bad Eggs,’’ continued touring solo comedy shows, and starred in ABC’s 2011 series ‘’Judith Lucy's Spiritual Journey.’’

Stephens became Fremantlemedia Australia’s Director of Development, creating works including ‘’The Choir of Hard Knocks.’’ He produced the 2007 film ‘’The King,’’ based on Graham Kennedy’s life story, and developed comedy series such as ‘’Newstopia.’’ Molloy teamed up again with Kennedy to co-host Triple M’s drive-time radio show ‘’Kennedy/Molloy.’’

20th Anniversary

On 18 July 2012, ‘’The Late Show’’ celebrated its twentieth anniversary. Tony Martin acknowledged this milestone via Twitter: “Thanks to all for Late Show anniv wishes. 20 years ago tonight I was preparing to tell the nation I'd just removed a hatstand from my arse.”

See also

External links

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