The Big Gig
The Big Gig | |
---|---|
Also known as | Tuesday Night Live: The Big Gig |
Starring | ABC TV |
Release | 28 February 1989 14 July 1992 | –
Related | |
DAAS Kapital |
The Big Gig was a popular
Program Synopsis
Largely based around performers sourced from the thriving
Starting in 1989 and running until 1992 and originally named Tuesday Night Live, The Big Gig showcased both comedy and music and offered opportunities not available to the performers otherwise.
The show typically started with a monologue from host Wendy Harmer (or, from mid-1989 to mid-1990, Glynn Nicholas)[2] before launching into a musical act. Regulars on the show included the house band The Swinging Sidewalks (which included singer Rebecca Barnard), the Bachelors from Prague or Zydeko Jump; the same band would also close the show while the credits played over them.
A regular feature of The Big Gig was the character 'Veronica Glenhuntly' (played by comedian Jean Kittson), an acid-tongued newsreader.[3] Many storylines would run through her, including her on-air wooing, marriage and birth of twins (named Veronica, after herself, and Wayne, after her husband, golf-star Wayne "Lightning" Truscott). She was later joined by weather reporter Clinton Funt, played by musician and comedian Phillip Scott. The character partly parodied contemporary ABC (Victoria) newsreader Mary Delahunty, but her surname was also a reference to the elite Melbourne suburb of Glenhuntly. Kittson also played several other characters, including ditzy gym nut Candida Royale and sinister flight attendant Rose McCloud.[3]
The Big Gig became known for showcasing many new comedy acts, including Judith Lucy, Anthony Morgan, Jimeoin, Greg Fleet, Lano and Woodley (at the time members of a trio called The Found Objects, with Scott Casley), Scared Weird Little Guys and The Umbilical Brothers,[4]
Nevertheless, major drawcards for both the studio audience and viewers at home was the regular cast. Some played characters—for example, Glynn Nicholas portrayed saccharine children's TV performer
After successful guest appearances on the first series Sydney comedian Anthony Ackroyd became a regular cast member. He provided stand up spots as well as the characters Addam (a parody of a coked up advertising guru), the Bard (a Shakespearean style poet) and Constable Constable (partner of Glynn Nicholas's Sergeant Smith). Angela Moore, later a cast member of the children's programme Play School, played another popular semi-regular character, the batty, screechy-voiced housewife Shirley Purvis, with fellow Play School alumnus Glenn Butcher playing her hopeless son Darren. Shirley and Darren were characters they had originated while members of popular comedy troupe The Castanet Club. Other regular cast members included Denise Scott, Tracy Harvey, Lynda Gibson, Phillip Scott and Paul Livingston (as Flacco).
The most popular featured act was the irreverent
Broadcast details
- Series 1: 28 February 1989 to 6 June 1989 (15 episodes)
- Series 2: 29 August 1989 to 21 November 1989 (13 episodes)
- Series 3: 6 March 1990 to 22 May 1990 (12 episodes)
- Series 4: 28 August 1990 to 13 November 1990 (12 episodes)
- Series 5: 30 April 1991 to 16 July 1991 (not 2 July) (11 episodes)
- Specials: 31 March 1992, 19 May 1992 and 14 July 1992
Repeats of The Big Gig are occasionally still shown on The Comedy Channel.
See also
- Recovery
- The 10:30 Slot
- The Sideshow, a similarly formatted show also hosted by Paul McDermott, of the Doug Anthony All Stars
References
- ^ a b c Matthews, Kate. "Curator's notes The Big Gig – Series 1 Episode 1 (1989)". ASO – Australia's audio and visual heritage online. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ Clack, Peter (12 March 1990). "The Big Gig is (thankfully) filthier than ever". The Age. p. 30. Retrieved 12 September 2018 – via Trove.
- ^ a b Clack, Peter (5 July 1990). "GOOD TIMES THE COVER'S OFF JEAN KITTSON". Canberra Times. p. 21. Retrieved 28 August 2018 – via Trove.
- ^ Badham, Van (29 January 2014). "Australian comedy A-Z: B is for The Big Gig and Birmo". the Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ GlynnNicholasGroup (19 March 2009), Pate Biscuit vs Patsy Biscoe The Big Gig, 1990, archived from the original on 22 December 2021, retrieved 28 August 2018
External links
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
- Tuesday Night Live: The Big Gig at IMDb
- The Big Gig at the National Film and Sound Archive
- The Big Gig – Episode 1 at Australian Screen Online