1 9 7 9 (Australia)
13 x 25 minute episodes
This Australian comedy series was produced by Channel 7 as part of its “Whacky Wednesday” lineup.
Each episode was a mixture of short, racy sketches and gags (the first 25-minute show contained 42 items) giving it a fast, light touch. The jokes were concise but often predictable, with the usual digs at religion, famous personalities and, of course, Queensland.
There was a flavour of The Naked Vicar Show and a nod to Laugh-In which included a relay race between policemen and robbers and the Ku Klux Klan performing a song and dance routine to find a black spy in its midst. Some of the material was sent in by members of the public who were paid $60 for each item used.
Two shows a day were filmed in front of a studio audience which no doubt added momentum to the cast’s performance. Two weeks were also spent filming on location.
The cast included a mix of old and new faces, such as Brian Hannan, Julie McGregor, Liddy Clark and David Whitford (who was renowned for driving taxis between acting jobs).
Liddy Clark
Brian Hannan
Helen Hough
Julie McGregor
Doug Scroope
David Whitford