The Paul Hogan Show
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Television |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Defunct | 1984 |
Area served | Australia, United Kingdom |
| Products | Comedy television series |
The Paul Hogan Show was a well-known Australian comedy program broadcast from 1973 through 1984, encompassing 12 seasons and a total of 60 episodes. This series was instrumental in launching the career of Paul Hogan, who later gained international fame with Crocodile Dundee. John Cornell, a close associate of Hogan and producer of Crocodile Dundee, appeared regularly on the show portraying Hogan's roommate, Strop.
Premise
Each episode generally began with Hogan performing stand-up comedy as 'Hoges', dressed in his signature bridge rigger outfit. The show then transitioned into various comedic sketches featuring Hogan in leading roles and a cast of recurring characters, including:
- Leo Wanker: a stuntman known for his incompetence;
- George Fungus: a satirical take on journalist George Negus;
- Super Dag: an ocker superhero famed for inventive uses of his esky;
- Perce the Wino: a silent, Benny Hill-inspired vagrant figure;
- Donger: encompassing Sgt Donger, a hard-edged policeman with a mechanical beer belly, and Arthur Dunger, a suburban man fond of beer;
- Nigel Lovelace: an almost twelve-year-old skateboard enthusiast;
- The Phantom: a parody of a comic book hero;
- Luigi: an Italian-accented magician whose illusions consistently fail.
Recurring segments also depicted Hoges managing life as a bachelor alongside Strop in their cluttered apartment. Episodes frequently concluded with Hoges attempting to flick cigarettes into his mouth while clad in his bridge painter attire.
The program regularly featured attractive female models and actresses dressed in revealing outfits. Among them, television presenter Delvene Delaney, who later wed Cornell, was the most prominent. Other regular female performers included Sue McIntosh, Karen Pini, Anya Saleky, Karen West, and Abigail.
Numerous sketches offered parodies of popular contemporary television shows such as "Thick 'Ead" (a spoof of Mastermind), "Pot o'Brass" (based on Pot o'Gold), "A Casual Affair" (a take on A Current Affair), "Sale of the Week" (mirroring Sale of the Century), and "Benny Five'O" (a Benny Hill-style parody of Hawaii Five-O).
Theme music
The series’ theme was drawn from the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. This composition was also featured in contemporary commercials for Winfield cigarettes starring Hogan.
Reception
The show achieved considerable acclaim within Australia, often being likened to both Saturday Night Live and The Benny Hill Show. It also enjoyed popularity in the United Kingdom, where it aired during prime time on the inaugural night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982.
Networks
Following appearances on A Current Affair and specials broadcast by the Nine Network, Hogan and Cornell encountered disagreements with network owner Clyde Packer. Initially, the first three seasons (1973–1975) were shown on the Seven Network until Kerry Packer assumed control of Channel 9 and invited them back.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Original programming by Seven Network
- Original programming by Nine Network
- Australian television series debuts in 1973
- Australian television series conclusions in 1984
- Australian comedy TV series from the 1970s
- Australian comedy TV series from the 1980s
- Australian black-and-white television shows
- Nine Network original programming