The Sideshow (TV series)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Television |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Ted Robinson |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Comedy and variety TV show |
| Parent | ABC TV |
The Sideshow was an Australian comedy and variety program lasting one hour, broadcast on ABC TV in 2007. Hosted by Paul McDermott, the series blended stand-up comedy, sketches, live musical performances, circus acts, cabaret, and burlesque. Regular contributors included Claire Hooper, Flacco, The Umbilical Brothers, and Tripod.
Developed by seasoned director-producer Ted Robinson and produced through his GNW company for ABC, the show carried forward the creative approach of Robinson’s previous projects such as The Big Gig and The 10:30 Slot. It featured "live-to-tape" segments performed before a studio audience, alongside pre-recorded pieces and multiple stage setups, utilizing sets repurposed from the earlier GNW production The Glass House.
Initially scheduled for a family-friendly Saturday timeslot at , the program shifted to a later evening slot after its first ten episodes in August 2007. This scheduling change facilitated a content rating adjustment from PG to M, allowing for more mature themes. The show maintained a dedicated cult following, consistently drawing between 300,000 and 400,000 viewers.
Episodes were taped in front of a live audience at Studio 22 within ABC’s Ultimo studios in Sydney. The filming style was informal and reminiscent of The Big Gig, with cameras and crew occasionally visible on screen. Floor cameras and Jimmy Jibs were adorned with oversized Christmas lights, which became an integral part of the show's visual design.
The final episode of the season aired on 1 December 2007; no subsequent seasons were commissioned.
Regular segments
Each episode began with a "cold open" featuring The Threatening Bears—hand puppets performed by The Umbilical Brothers. These sketches typically portrayed one bear causing harm or reacting with disgust toward the other. This led into the opening credits sequence, during which musical director Cameron Bruce (formerly of GUD) and the house band "The Bearded Ladies" played the theme tune. For part of 2007, Clayton Doley took over as musical director, renaming the band "The Sideshow Misfits". Beyond the theme song, the band provided walk-on music, interstitial riffs between segments, and occasionally accompanied guest artists.
Host Paul McDermott opened with a monologue delivering topical jokes about recent news events, in a style comparable to that of Good News Week. This was followed by musical performances featuring guest artists such as Evermore (in the pilot), Thirsty Merc, Sneaky Sound System, Sarah Blasko, Kisschasy, The Cat Empire, Kate Miller-Heidke, Dappled Cities Fly, Expatriate, Kid Confucious, Something for Kate, Dog Trumpet, Tim Rogers, Clare Bowditch, Watussi, Colin Hay, Operator Please, The Hands, Butterfingers, and Jimmy Barnes. Regular performers like Tripod frequently appeared during this segment.
Following the musical acts, McDermott presented humorous faux apologies purportedly from notable figures absent that evening. He then introduced the stand-up comedian guest spot featuring performers such as Denise Scott, Tom Gleeson, Dave Hughes, Wil Anderson, Tommy Dean, Eddie Ifft, Josh Thomas, Frank Woodley, Ed Byrne, Kitty Flanagan, Danny Bhoy, Tom Rhodes, Arj Barker, Justin Hamilton, Gary Eck, Fiona O'Loughlin, Charlie Pickering and Greg Fleet.
Next came the introduction of the weekly special guest. While some were musical—such as interviews with Colin Hay from Australian band Men at Work or performances by Dein Perry and the Tap Dogs—most guests hailed from circus arts, burlesque, magic, or cabaret disciplines. Featured artists included Mr. Fish, Shep Huntly, Imogen Kelly, Matt Hollywood, Space Cowboy, Bobbi, Azaria Universe, Legs on the Wall, Paul Capsis and The Wau Wau Sisters. McDermott frequently took part in their performances as a 'guinea pig'.
Comedian Flacco contributed a recurring segment parodying film noir and pulp fiction under the persona "Private Dick," sometimes accompanied by Steve Abbott ("The Sandman").
Comedian Claire Hooper joined McDermott at the bar for lighthearted conversations. Initially formatted as a "20 questions" interview segment, it evolved into storytelling and comedic routines often centered on awkward personal anecdotes. Hooper's segment was usually followed by performances from The Umbilical Brothers featuring vocal sound effects and mime sketches.
McDermott concluded each episode with predictions for the upcoming week in a manner reminiscent of his closing monologues on Good News Week. Episodes typically ended with a musical performance—often featuring McDermott singing with occasional backing by Tripod. Other featured musicians included Tim Minchin, Eddie Perfect, The Kransky Sisters and Colin Hay. Afterwards, McDermott, Tripod and the house band led a collective rendition of the theme song during closing credits while regulars and guests sang and danced on the balcony.
Following the credits was a final skit featuring The Threatening Bears that referenced earlier segments from the episode.
Bumpers / Video Insert Segments
The program frequently included brief pre-recorded video clips that served as transitions between the live-to-tape studio portions:
New Moods in Intelligent Design This segment featured McDermott narrating over on-screen text that humorously explained "Why God Didn't Design" imaginary creatures such as the Pyjamadillo. An accompanying animation demonstrated the reasons these fictional animals would not exist, ending with phrases like "ERGO: God is smart" or, for more outlandish examples, "God Is Smashed" or "God Is Stoned." The sketch parodied intelligent design arguments by jokingly proposing that these animals are absent because God chose not to create them, reflecting McDermott's openly atheist perspective.
The Company of Strangers Presents Created by Flacco’s alter ego Paul Livingston, this brief animated piece featured a pun-based subtitle and typically portrayed a solitary character engaged in a mundane activity.
The Threatening Bears In addition to their standard appearances at the show’s start and finish, the Threatening Bears and the Koala made recurring appearances throughout episodes, reenacting stunts or segments from the program. Several episodes highlighted the bears’ various efforts at different activities rather than simply being inactive.
The Umbilical Brothers Complementing their live performances, this pair produced short pre-recorded visual comedy sketches set against a plain white backdrop, usually lasting 20 to 30 seconds, evoking the anarchic blackout style seen in The Big Gig.