The
Late
Show
It truly was "Champagne Comedy!"
Launched in 1992, and ending at the end of its second year, "The Late Show" was a show case of Australians finest comedians. The Late show was a step up from the D-Generation for the cast members, as they had done un-numbered hours of comedy on radio, but very little television. The original series was chosen by channel Nine, however Nine dropped the show before it ever made it to air, however a slightly re-vamped show was taken on board by the ABC. With a tooth-pick wardrobe budget and a shelf full of sketches shot for the channel nine pilot, Santo, Tom, Jane, Tony, Mick, Rob and Jason broadcast the live television program on forty different occasions. They also won a gold LOGIE in 1993 for the show, which Pete Smith accepted on behalf of the group. This enraged the awards organisers who could not understand why the group would not accept the award themselves. The group received a letter from the organisers saying that the show would never again be eligible for an award and that they had disrespected what the LOGIES had stood for. The group could not care less and continued on. A few years after The Late Show, the group won another gold Logie for their show "Frontline"
The Show ended at the end of 1993 due to the group running out of comedy ideas. But there will be forever a warm place in our heats for this brilliant show.
I have a few little downloads for you, they are mainly little lines from sketches, so enjoy.
Tony Martin - Not where's Wally!
Rob Sitch - The car with the flag on the bonnet
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID. . .
Tony Mart has kept all the bad reviews that the Late show had received and these are some of the worst ones,
"And finally we come tot he news at the weekend that the D-Generation had quit its top rating radio brekky show to focus on TV. Recalling D-Gen's previous efforts on the small screen brings to mind that old saying of not giving up your day job." Robert Fidgeon - The Herald Sun
"THE LATE SHOW - The only TV comedy series in which the two minute 'toilet break' in the middle is the highlight of the show." Ron Warneke - The Age
"It will be a shame to lose the warm wit of sevens Fast Forward team next year for this somewhat sour ABC humour." Insider - The fearless TV critic - The Sunday Herald Sun
"The late show, at least in its present form lacks vitality, - Hay guys, this isn't radio - and there is no variety, just skit after skit after skit." Ross Warneke - The Age
"The Late show - had about it the feel of a poorly resourced under-grad revue - scripts desperately in need of pruning, cheap shots at predictable targets (Prince Charles and The Pope) and a tendency to confuse irrelevance with offensiveness." Ross Warneke - The Age
"Get the D-Gen to sort out some comedy sketches that more than a studio of friends and family will find funny." Insider - The fearless TV critic - The Sunday Herald Sun
"10:00 The Late show - live Melbourne produced comedy hour that is 55 minutes too long" Ron Warneke - The Age
