| >> Articles
Downloads Episode Guide Links Merchandise Photos Pictures |
That show is Good News Week, the satirical panel program which won a stay of execution last year after a public outcry. That loyalty is evident the night TV NOW attends a live recording of the show at the ABC's Gore Hill headquarters. The studio is packed with about 200 people from students to the more traditional grey-haired ABC viewers, all of whom seem to be enjoying the show in equal measures.
Host Paul McDermott, in a sharp suit to match his razor wit, abuses them good-naturedly and they abuse him back. Team leader Mikey Robins is less cutting in his approach, using his generously proportioned body to great effect as a sight gag. The other team leader, Julie McCrossin, greets the audience like old friends, blowing kisses and waving to regulars.
This was not always the way, according to McDermott, formerly of comedy trio The Doug Anthony All Stars, now working both ends of the day on GNW and Triple J's breakfast program with Robins.
GNW 's troubles started because viewers simply didn't get the format, comprising two panels trying to outwit each other in their analysis of the week's events.
"A lot of people asked, 'How do you have a game show with no prizes? What's the point?'" McDermott says, sitting in Triple J's garishly decorated conference room, having just finished his radio show.
"Viewers were grappling with that because we've been spoon-fed these afternoon programs where if you get a question right, you get a prize. So it's like Pavlov's dog situation. You salivate as soon as you see the kitchenware. We don't have that, it's a bit different."
Once viewers were familiar with the show, fans came out in force. So devoted is the audience, members snap up tickets as soon as they become available as well as sending in contributions for Magazine Mastermind (where players read an obscure magazine and are tested on how much they have absorbed) and Strange But True (where players use props to guess a story from that week's newspapers).
The GNW of 1997 is quite different from the Damocles' Sword version of 1996. For a start, there is a real set, as opposed to what McDermott describes as "three bits of plywood stapled together".
"There is a sense of permanence about it," the 34-year-old says.
And, like many employees of the budget-stricken ABC, McDermott is trying to cement that permanence. Using Bananas In Pyjamas as his economic model, he and his colleagues are planning a merchandising-driven campaign to stay on air.
"The socks, the slippers, the soft toys, the pyjama holders are all coming out this year," he promises.
The next stage of this two-pronged attack is to get Federal Communications Minister Richard Alston on as a guest to convince him of the program's worth.
"There is an open invitation to Richard," McDermott reveals. "He hasn't actually responded in a positive way, as far as I'm aware. Hopefully, he'll be coming on. Richard's a good speaker, great raconteur, has a great sense of humour too."
Strange, yes. But true? Maybe not.
The later time allows his GNW to deliver sharp-edge satire and deliver it pretty much uncut.
As anyone who attended a taping of GNW in Sydney would know, the studio performance is a night of non-stop laughs. Gags, language and laughter flow in a free-wheeling, free-for-all hoot of a night.
Sadly, much of its wildly funnier moments had to be edited out because of the Sunday family timeslot. No more.
"The slot is much better and I think the show is working at its optimum," McDermott says.
"Everyone who comes on now knows what's required. The rules are fairly set in concrete now."
Set in concrete also, it seemed, was the difficulty in wooing enough viewers at 7.30pm Sunday. Sixty Minutes and SeaChange were making life difficult.
Since moving to Monday, the show's ratings have doubled. While no one at Ten was outwardly expressing dissatisfaction at the Sunday figures, the smiles are a lot broader now.
Though he understands that commercial TV is about ratings and revenue, McDermott insists that he is driven by other, personal goals.
"If the show's good I'm happy with it," he says. "I couldn't care if only two people were watching it. It's just the way I feel about things, but there's no doubt the show is working as well as ever."
There remain a few ABC diehard who believe McDermott and the team sold out by heading to Tem.
McDermott shrugs and shakes his head.
"If we'd stayed at the ABC, we'd have become comfy and cosy and not tried as hard, which would have been the death of a program like ours," he says.
"Also, at the ABC you're a contained voice, to a certain extent. You're preaching to the converted. the real adventure now is seeing who wants it, who rejects it, who finds it offensive, who disagree, so you can form some dialogue with a wider community. Some of the stuff we're doing now is more aggressive and more confrontationist than it's ever been. It's a different market now. That, to me, is more enjoyable."
He has also been gratified at the support Ten has given the show.
"Even when we felt we may have stepped over the mark, Ten have often encouraged us," he says.
With Monday's GNW McDermott hosts the Thursday 90-minute GNWNL, with Flacco and Sandman joining the team. Tomorrow night Angus Kennett, son of Premier Jeff, is a guest star.
McDermott admits putting 2 1/2 hours of TV together a week can be gruelling, but he's not about to complain.
"I always feel a bit shallow if I complain about what I'm doing, because it's enjoyable and I want to do it," he says. "It's also been about doing a major assault on the commercial networks. That's what we've done. I was uncertain about the Thursday show running 90 minutes. That's a long time on TV, especially when you're already doing a one-hour show as well."
But he's big on praise for Thursday night regulars Flacco and Sandman. McDermott believes they have been 'marginalised' by other works who felt the public wouldn't appreciate their humor. McDermott recalls travelling to Britain with Flacco about 10 years ago, when he was with the Dough Anthony Allstars. Flacco wowed audiences and was a huge hit.
"Britain's leading threatre critic thought he was the most extraordinary thing to ever happen on stage," McDermott recalls.
"Flacco would have been a millionaire many times over if he'd stayed there. They loved him as a writer and performer. But Flacco didn't want to stay in Britain. He came back here to very small prospects. He is an extraordinary and gifted performer. Having worked around the world, I know there's no one like Flacco and Sandman anywhere. It's staggering when you consider that the ABC rejected Sandman last year for his own series. That was absolute madness."
But the host of the show, Paul McDermott, is sure he could think of a few gags about it.
As regular viewers of Good News Week know, not many subjects are "joke-free" on the satirical news-based show.
In fact, McDermott cannot think of a subject that would be considered inappropriate.
Last year, audiences laughed about one-liners about everything - even the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa.
"The attitude us finding a way into a topic rather than just dropping it," McDermott says.
"Something like the Di and Dodi car-in-the-tunnel mishap," he says, "well a tragedy for some... it had to be from an angle that no one else was doing.
"You can't really avoid a story like that. We weren't making jokes about it. We were making observations."
Is anything sacred?
"Um, no."
The scenario of Robins' death, under any circumstances, is put to McDermott.
"It could be a little too close to the truth," he says.
"If Mikey carked it, and did a big belly up, the least we could do is some jokes at his expense.
"You've got to have your own sense of humor about it. You can't do the things we do and not expect someone to do something similar to you."
The same should occur in the event of his own death, McDermott says.
"I would think that if I had head-on and there was some humor to be drawn from it, it would be remiss of my collegues not to take advantage.
"Look, you live by the world, you die by the world."
McDermott is content with Good News Week, with reason.
It has a very strong, loyal following and McDermott believes it is the best it has been in it's three-year run. McDermott is set to build on it's success as host of a new 10-week Saturday night show, Good News Weekend, on Two from June 13.
While many would be thrilled at an offer to sit behind the Good News Week desk as a guest, others are keen to avoid it.
"Our dear friend Jeff Kennett has kept us hanging on," McDermott says.
"It was promises, promises, but it didn't come through. He was meant to be at the first show we did at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. He was like 'Yes, Jeff's very keen, ooh, he's very interested.'" His voice drops, "'Oh, unfortunately, no, he's gone cold'.
"We heard from Felicity when they were still together, that they both watched the show. It was probably one of the happier moments in their household. We'd asked Jeff a couple of times, but it's always been a pull-out at the last minute."
Kennett isn't our only leader to say no to McDermott - Prime Minister John Howard has also declined.
"I'm sure he knows we'd love him to be on. It's a standing offer. We'd make room," McDermott says.
Why would the PM dare decline such a prestigious offer?
"He could believe he'd be open to ridicule," McDermott suggests laughing.
The show has been a mainstay of the ABC's schedule all year but faces a tough time next year with the addition of commercial breaks.
Ten would not officially confirm the purchase.
Producer Ted Robinson, whose company FBN Enterprises produced the show for the ABC under the banner Good News Week Productions, was understood to have fielded offers from all three commercial broadcasters.
Aunty was slow to resign the show leaving it open to offers from the other networks.
Despite some changes to the format the show will retain its host, Paul McDermott, and team leaders Mikey Robins and Julie McCrossin.
Robins did not renew his contract with Triple J earlier this year, citing TV commitments next year as the reason.
A Good News Week spokeswoman said producer Ted Robinson, whose company FBN Enterprises produced the program for the ABC, had not yet made a decision as to the show's fate.
She also vehemently denied weekend reports that Network Ten had successfully poached the much sought-after show.
"There's more meetings this week," she said. "Ted's still talking to people... including the ABC. The offers are still on the table and he is considering everything."
She said no offer had been accepted but an announcement was "imminent".
Good News Week, hosted by Paul McDermott and featuring team leaders Mikey Robins and Julie McCrossin, was the third-most popular program on the ABC this year following Australian dramas SeaChange and Wildside.
Reports that the edgy comedy and current affairs show will be leaving the ABC to take up residence at Network Ten are premature.
No deal has been done between Ten and Ted Robinson, who produces the show for the ABC.
While Ten wants the show and has been negotiating with Mr Robinson for three months, no contracts have been signed.
Sources indicate there are a couple of hiccups to be resolved before Mr Robinson, host Paul McDermott and panel leaders Mikey Robins and Julie McCrossin, decide on the show's future home.
Mr Robinson is still talking with Ten and yesterday met with ABC executives who have made a counter offer to keep the show on the national broadcaster.
"As far as I'm concerned we haven't left the ABC yet," he said.
The deal, believed to be worth more than $6 million and which involves host Paul McDermott, panellists Mikey Robins and Julie McCrossin, executive producer Ted Robinson and the show's writers, is a coup for Ten.
Good News Week was one of Two's biggest national drawcards.
McDermott said he was sad to leave Channel Two after 10 years "but I think it's probably time."
"Also, a number of people are trying to get shows up at the ABC and if we stay we basically take the entire budget," he said.
"The ABC should be a place for putting up new ideas and getting creative things happening. As we have somewhere to go it leaves an avenue for other performers and writers to get shows up."
Channel Nine was also interested in grabbing Good News Week.
It was assumed Ten had won the battle until Channel Two came up with a last-minute counter-offer. While unable to match the Ten offer, Two was looking at other program for McDermott, Robins and McCrossin as well as Good News Week.
Ten is believed to have clinched the deal with an agreement to commission from Good News Week Productions, a second, weekly 90-minute variety show featuring McDermott, Robins, McCrossin, comedians Flacco and the Sandman.
ABC-TV general manager Ron Saunders expressed disappointment the network had lost Good News Week to Ten. "It will be interesting to watch how the program works in a commercial environment," he said..
Then, seemingly overnight, Good News Week became TV's hottest property. Everybody wanted it.
By mid October, the ABC found itself battling the three commercial networks to retain the services of Paul McDermott, Mikey Robins, Julie McCrossin and the Good News Week behind-the-scenes team.
Ten was always the front-runner to win GNW, having first approached producer Ted Robinson last September.
Robinson is a former head of ABC comedy whose production company, GNW Productions, has produced GNW for three years.
The cash-strapped ABC made a counter offer, based on finding other vehicles for McDermott, Robbins and McCrossin.
Seven was keen to get GNW and almost pulled it off, but for the reluctance of several GNW regulars.
Nine's interest was a surprise, given that midway through last year the network's head of program development, David Lyle, said McDermott was "too abrasive" to appeal in big enough numbers to a commercial audience.
Finally last Friday, after a four-month battle, the ABC announced it had lost the fight. GNW was going to Network Ten.
"The ABC is disappointed GNW will not be part of the 1999 line-up," ABC TV general manager Ron Saunders said, admitting the network had negotiated vigorously to retain the show.
And in a gesture that would never be returned by the ABC's commercial opposition if the roles were reversed, Saunders added: "Although the ABC has exclusive rights to the program format for a further six months, we decided not to enforce the clause."
Ironically, the ABC's announcement of its loss arrived before Ten's official release confirming its coup.
When first phoned for his reaction about the switch to Ten, Paul McDermott said: "I don't know what you're talking about. I've got no comment. I'm not cluey with all those things. I'm just a puppet, mate."
When told of the ABC's announcement, a surprised Ten swung hurriedly into affirmative action.
"It's a significant coup - the team is made up of some of the hottest talent in Australia," said delighted Network Ten programming chief David Mott.
But victory came at a hefty price, with a deal believed to be worth more than $6 million.
The surprise in the deal however, was that the contract is for Ted Robinson not only to produce a one-hour version of GNW but also a 90-minute variety show with McDermott, Robins and McCrossin scheduled for later in the year. They will be joined by comedians Flacco (Paul Livingston) and The Sandman (Steve Abbott).
There is talk that the Ten deal may also involve some one-off specials.
Mott wouln't discuss timeslots, but there is speculation GNW will move from its ABC slot of Friday night to Tuesday at 9:30pm after the new series Dawson's Creek.
McDermott even looked to put a positive aspect on the ABC's loss. "I know a number of people who are trying to get shows up at the ABC and if we stay there we basically take the entire budget," he said, providing an interesting insight into the ABC's cash restraints.
"With us leaving, it leaves an avenue for other performers and writers to get shows up and I think that's a good thing.
McDermott pointed out that until recently the commercial networks hadn't been interested in doing the GNW-type fringe-orientated shows.
Certainly there's no doubt the success of The Panel last year went a long way to persuading Ten to pursue GNW.
The ABC's Ron Saunders sounded a note of caution however. "It will be interesting to watch how the program works in a commercial television environment," he said.
But he stressed the ABC wished the GNW team every success.
Robinson said one of the attractions in moving was Ten's younger demographics and the freedom it had extended to creative groups, particularly The Panel.
Interestingly, it was that creative freedom that saw The Panel opt to sign with Ten rather than Seven.
"Ten has been very brave and clever in taking a group of people and not trying to mould them into something else but letting them do what they do best," Robinson said.
Mikey Robins was even more forthcoming: "We had a great time at the ABC, but at some stage you've got to bite the bullet and go for it."
"Out of all the commercial networks, Ten have shown, with their backing of The Panel, that they'll give you artistic freedom. They've done that for us, otherwise we wouldn't go."
After the first meeting with Mott in September, Robinson also met with Nine Network executives who were keen to develop other projects with the GNW team and with the Seven Network which came close to securing the show.
According to Seven sources, a stumbling block was that Robins was reluctant to revisit Seven, which in 1995 canned the series The Comedy Sale, in which he appeared.
Flacco too, was reluctant to move to Seven after being involved in the Denton show.