Andrew Hansen

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Andrew Hansen
The Chaser's War On Everything (2006–2009)
The Hamster Wheel (2011–12)
The Chaser's Media Circus (2014–15)
Websitewww.chaser.com.au

Andrew John Hansen (born 18 September 1974) is an Australian comedian, musician and author, best known for being a member of satirical team

The Hamster Decides (2013) and The Chaser's Media Circus (2014–2015).[1]

He was a producer and regular panellist on

triple j titled The Blow Parade, which was released on CD and the iTunes Store.[2]

Early life and education

Andrew Hansen was born on 18 September 1974.[3]

He was school captain of

Australian history.[5]

In 1996, he appeared as a subject in Simon Target's documentary Uni, about three students studying at the University of Sydney (Hansen later satirised Target in CNNNN, where he played the network's British correspondent who was also called Simon Target). Soon-to-be fellow Chaser member Charles Firth was one of the other two students featured, with Craig Reucassel and Chas Licciardello also making occasional background appearances.[6] During the documentary it was revealed that Hansen suffered from clinical depression while attending the university.[7]

The Chaser

CNNNN

Hansen starred in The Chaser's satirical American news show CNNNN as the leader of the "newsband". He was also characters Rudi J Blass, director of "Newstainment", and Simon Target, an English reporter. Hansen's performance in the first season of CNNNN earned him the Australian Comedy Award for Outstanding Television Newcomer.[8]

The Chaser's War on Everything

Hansen has been a regular writer and performer on The Chaser's War on Everything since the pilot episode.[citation needed]

Hansen is a pianist and guitarist and in addition to his songwriting, Hansen composed the show's

APRA-AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Television Theme (2006).[9]

For Season 1 of the program, he received the

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Performance in Television Comedy (2006).[citation needed
]

The Eulogy Song

The most controversial song that Hansen has performed was

Donald Bradman, Steve Irwin, John Lennon, Jeff Buckley and Kerry Packer, expressing the view that people with flaws during life are often disproportionately hailed as "top blokes" after death. The song became the target of significant media attention,[10] with several radio and television personalities saying the song was in "bad taste", and both the prime minister of Australia John Howard and then Leader of the Opposition Kevin Rudd expressing negative views.[11]

Hansen performed an updated version of The Eulogy Song in his 2020 tour. From 10 April 2021, performances of the song included a reference to the passing of

Prince Philip, who had died the night prior.[12]

Radio and audio

Hansen composed the music for and starred in The Blow Parade, a scripted radio comedy series he made with Chris Taylor.[13] It premiered on triple j on 28 April 2010. The series was released on CD and through the iTunes Store with bonus tracks.[14] This album won the 2010 ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release.[15]

Hansen co-presented Radio Chaser, a daily comedy show on Triple M, throughout 2017–19. The show spawned an album of 100 sketches, released in 2020.[16]

He currently co-presents the comedy podcast The Chaser Report, produced by

NOVA Entertainment.[17]

Hansen has occasionally hosted programs on ABC Radio Melbourne, including the summer and Easter seasons of its Breakfast show in 2019–20.[18]

Stage shows

Hansen co-wrote and appeared in the live show Cirque du Chaser, which toured Australia in 2005.[citation needed]

Hansen composed and performed the music for the

Marc Antony and Lucius.[19]

In 2008, Hansen toured Australia with The Chaser's second stage show, The Chaser's Age of Terror Variety Hour.[20]

In October 2009, Hansen hosted The Goodies: Before, During and After, a live show by British comedy trio The Goodies at Sydney's Riverside Theatre (Parramatta) and at the World's Funniest Island comedy festival.[21]

In 2011, Hansen joined various combinations of The Chaser team's members for a series of live shows in Sydney entitled The Chaser's Empty Vessel.[22]

In 2014, Hansen and Chris Taylor toured Australia with a revue show of new songs and sketches entitled One Man Show.[23] In 2015, they toured In Conversation with Lionel Corn, a parody of writers festival sessions.[24]

In 2020, Hansen began touring Solo Show, a set of sketches and songs about people going it alone, performed on guitar, piano and iPad. He presented the show in Adelaide and Brisbane before postponing the remaining dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[25]

Hansen has appeared in multiple versions of the live quiz show, Good Game Live at the EB Games Expo.[26]

Other productions

Hansen was the guitarist and one of the vocalists for independent Sydney band

Tom Gleeson, James Fletcher and Hansen. In July 1999 the band released their 6-track EP A Tiny Mark which was distributed through MGM Distribution.[27][28] He was also a member of independent alternative band Mending.[29]

Hansen co-wrote the short film Garbage Man with Charles Firth and British comedian Henry Naylor. It was a Tropfest finalist in 2005 and a prizewinner at Germany's Ohne Kohle festival.[30]

Hansen has had writer/performer contributions to the

Network Ten's Rove and Good News Week.[37] He appeared again on Good News Week in 2010, this time with Chris Taylor, in the guise of characters from their radio show The Blow Parade.[38]

Hansen was the host of Strictly Speaking, a speechmaking competition series, which aired on ABC1 in 2010.[39]

Hansen was a guest star in the Australian science fiction audio drama Night Terrace, playing the role of Horatio Gray in the second season, following a brief cameo appearance in the first season. Originally available only as a digital download, the series was later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra as part of their "7th Dimension" programme.[40]

Hansen has worked with Benjamin Maio Mackay twice, once on stage in 2016's

audio drama adaptation of The Phoenix Files.[41]

Bibliography

As author

Discography

Albums

List of albums
Title Album details
The Blow Parade (with Chris Taylor and Craig Shuftan)
  • Released: April 2010
  • Label: Triple J, ABC (2740476)
  • Formats: 2xCD, download

Awards and notification

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2010 The Blow Parade (with Chris Taylor and Craig Shuftan) Best Comedy Release Nominated [46]

References

  1. ^ Knox, D. "Airdate: The Chaser's Media Circus". TV Tonight. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  2. ^ "The Blow Parade for Triple J". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Andrew Hansen Information, Photos, and Trivia at MovieTome". Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Andrew Hansen – The Fantastic Leslie Official Site". Archived from the original on 15 April 2001.
  5. ^ "Uni". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  6. ^ "Radio, TV, and Online Sales – Uni". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 January 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  7. ^ "University life in the '90s". Green Left.org.au. Archived from the original on 20 September 2006.
  8. ^ "The Australian Comedy Awards". Archived from the original on 16 June 2006.
  9. ^ "APRA-AGSC Screen Music Award Winners 2006" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2008.
  10. NineMSN
    .
  11. ^ "Howard, Rudd lash out at Chaser song". Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  12. ^ @andrewjhansen (9 April 2021). "I'm desperately drafting a verse for..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "The Blow Parade – Andrew Hansen interview". Archived from the original on 6 January 2010.
  14. ^ "The Blow Parade". Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  15. ^ "ARIA Awards 2010".[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "The Chaser release debut comedy album with 100 audio sketches". 25 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Apple Podcasts Preview The Chaser Report".
  18. ^ "ABC Radio Andrew Hansen". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 June 2019.
  19. ^ "Sydney Theatre Company – Dead Caesar". Archived from the original on 11 May 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2007.
  20. ^ "The Chaser – Live in Sydney 4–6 July". The Chaser. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
  21. ^ "The Goodies with Andrew Hansen, live at Cockatoo Island". Archived from the original on 5 November 2009.
  22. ^ "Introducing The Chaser's Empty Vessel". The Chaser. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011.
  23. ^ "One Man Show".
  24. ^ "In Conversation with Lionel Corn". Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  25. ^ "One Man Show".
  26. ^ "- YouTube". YouTube.
  27. ^ "Message: The Fantastic Leslie CD Launch: 1 July 1999, Hopetoun Hotel". Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
  28. ^ "The Fantastic Leslie". mp3.com.au.
  29. ^ "Mending". mp3.com.au.
  30. ^ "Sie kamen, wussten und gewannen" (in German). Poolbar festival. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  31. ^ "First Tuesday Book Club, narrated by Andrew Hansen". 2 August 2006.
  32. ^ CBS Interactive Inc (2010). "Andrew Hansen TV.com". Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  33. ^ "Andrew Hansen's IMDB entry". IMDb.
  34. ^ "Good Game Roffle Cup with Andrew Hansen". YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
  35. ^ "Good Game 21st June 2010". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  36. ^ "The Good Game 10th Birthday Special! | Ep 32 | 2016". YouTube.
  37. ^ "The Fantastic Leslie – Short People". YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
  38. ^ "Good News Week – The Fatcocks". YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
  39. ^ "Andrew Hansen to host Strictly Speaking".
  40. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Night Terrace, Series 2, The Retirement of Horatio Gray". BBC Radio 4 Extra. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  41. ^ "The Phoenix Files". Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  42. ^ Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Weird Beard. Booktopia. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  43. ^ Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Giant Moth Mummy. Booktopia.
  44. ^ Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Spongy Void. Booktopia.
  45. ^ Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Prickly Battle. Booktopia.
  46. ^ "ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 17 April 2022.

External links