Comedy Company, The

1 9 8 8 – 1 9 9 0 (Australia)

From 16 February 1988, this one-hour-a-week comedy programme ruled the Australian ratings for two years and became the most successful Aussie comedy programme of the decade.

Originally airing on Tuesday nights, it was moved two months later to Sunday nights, where it went head-to-head with current affairs heavyweight 60 Minutes.

The series scooped every major award and produced a flood of spin-off books, records, merchandising and, naturally, imitators.

The heart of the programme was the line-up of regular characters including Con the Fruiterer (pictured at left) – “A cuppla days” – and his wife Marika and their never-seen six daughters Roula, Toula, Soula, Voula, Foula and Agape.

Other regulars included David Rabbitborough, Uncle Arthur (an old age pensioner, Freemason, Rotarian, keen gardener and deaf as a post), and Colin Carpenter – permanently unemployed, forever on the dole, and constantly bewildered by the complexities of everyday life – who appeared each week in their own segments, amongst topical sketches and TV parodies.

Perhaps the most controversial and most popular character was the surly schoolgirl-with-attitude, Kylie Mole (pictured below).

The gum-chewing, school-hating teenager with the in-your-face attitude became a cult figure to millions of teenagers and her catchcry “She goes… she goes… she just goes” rapidly became a household phrase. So excellent!

The show starred comedy legends such as Mark Mitchell, Mary-Anne Fahey and Glenn Robbins.

Mark Mitchell
Mary-Anne Fahey
Glenn Robbins
Kim Gyngell
Ian McFadyen
Sioban Tuke
Tim Smith
Chris Keogh
Russell Gilbert
Paula Gardner
Peter Rowsthorn
Melanie Salomon

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