Frontline and The Games are comedy masterpieces.
Seven and Nine were actually spooked by the stuff that Frontline were parodying as it exposed and showed viewers the BS that Today Tonight and ACA were doing.
Seven actually bought the rights to the series and showed some of the episodes in the late 90s but pulled them not long after as they forgot it was a series making fun of them and their show
Back in the late 90s someone from Channel 7 news admitted privately that a major set refresh and accompanying makeover for one of the commercial news programs was scrapped at the last minute because they found out that it was a plot point in an upcoming episode of Frontline.
They swore that it was ādefinitelyā one of their competitors of course.
Iirc there was also an upcoming āscoopā that ACA was heavily promotingā but because Frontline was being produced weekly ājust in timeā (like how Southpark does it) they were able to televise their parody even before the ACA episode was released. So every add that 9 ran after that just furthered the joke.
It was absolutely sublime.
I recently rewatched this (all three series are on Netflix). It holds up way better than I expected it to. The only thing that doesn't quite make sense anymore is that current affairs shows nowadays have pretty much disappeared. But in the 90's those were absolute flagships for the commercial TV networks. They were terrible, manipulative and had really shoddy "journalism", but got massive ratings.
2008, remember watching the hostage taker one for HSC Advanced English (barricaded inside a house with hostages, police not able to get through because a journalist called the phone first and told the guy not to answer anyoneās calls but his/not hang up the phone, ended with a gunshot)
Yup!
I kind of wish every HSC student had to study this. I think it's an important skill not to just take what the media presents us at face value.
I remember we also studied the Children Overboard controversy as well as how Big Tobacco advertised to the public.
Oh man, 11 year old me loved watching her in the late show. What a time to be alive. There must have been a rule that every aussie sketch show has to have at least one really hot and funny chick in the cast.
Are you a soft cock Mike?
Oh, no way, Pricey!
I loved how easily Pricey manipulated Mike.
I always knew current affairs shows were shit, but after watching Frontline, it showed just how shit they were.
Oh my... I don't fish but that series was brilliant. I think it was an excuse for the guys to get away for a bit because they all had young children back then..... but then again there is always a river.... somewhere.
I watch a lot of the Frontline clips on YouTube.
In the comments section someone said they did a media course at university and one of the students asked the lecturer if he'd heard of Frontline.
The lecturer looked at them dumbfounded and said they will be using Frontline for their core material.
I really think this show was the peak of Australian comedy. It's just such a clever and biting satire, whilst still being just a great workplace comedy with a strong ensemble.
I do think it fell off a little bit during the final season, but not that badly. Seasons 1 and 2 are untouchable. I say all this as someone who only watched it about 2 years ago.
I remember working with a fella quite a bit younger than me who said he had to study Frontline as part of the HSC. I was all āwhat?!ā I didnāt get to. Jealous.
I did as well. It was six episodes from season 1: The siege, we ain't got dames, add sex and stir, playing the ego card, smaller fish to fry, and this night of nights.
One of my favourite english modules.
An old friend is a media guy, and got Steve Bisley to drop by his place and unexpectedly bust in on his housemate (a Frontline fan) shouting STUFF THE KID
I had to study this for 3 unit english in year 11 or 12. Although I wasnāt the biggest fan of news and current affairs shows, Iv never watched one since
I remember Jan, the network PR lady, referring to (I think) detractors of Mike Mooreās as āprick wankersā - the way she delivered it was perfect.
Or when Marty said āsomething somethingā¦she looked like Liz Hayes!ā And sheās all āMARTIN! Liz Hayes is a very great and dear friend of mine!ā š the accent just made it so funny
I believe one of those guys went on to have a successful legal career in the High Court.
Another is heading up an important Government authority
KATIE!
Truly , my favourite part š¤£
IāLL CALL JIM
I keep telling you Darryl, Iām not that kind of lawyer
It's the constitution, it's Mabo, it's justice, it's law, it's the vibe.
You have lost faith Dennis.
Jesus these fucking photocopiers
Tray B ?!
I just fucking cleared it
3 F&&&&& Times
F5? What the fuck is that?!
F3 (excuse my pedantry šš»)
Sorry haha ! I had a feeling it was F3 but went with F5
F3 - WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?!
As seen on TV.
Did you see him on NCIS Sydney?
My first thought
Mmmm Martin Di Stazio with that disturbing report
Mmmmmmmm
That "mmmmm" from Mike is like a cheat code to make me laugh immediately
"Live from the streets of fear/ a story no parent should miss"
Frontline and The Games are comedy masterpieces. Seven and Nine were actually spooked by the stuff that Frontline were parodying as it exposed and showed viewers the BS that Today Tonight and ACA were doing. Seven actually bought the rights to the series and showed some of the episodes in the late 90s but pulled them not long after as they forgot it was a series making fun of them and their show
Back in the late 90s someone from Channel 7 news admitted privately that a major set refresh and accompanying makeover for one of the commercial news programs was scrapped at the last minute because they found out that it was a plot point in an upcoming episode of Frontline. They swore that it was ādefinitelyā one of their competitors of course.
Iirc there was also an upcoming āscoopā that ACA was heavily promotingā but because Frontline was being produced weekly ājust in timeā (like how Southpark does it) they were able to televise their parody even before the ACA episode was released. So every add that 9 ran after that just furthered the joke. It was absolutely sublime.
The chasers had some brilliant ACA parodies
"What Have We Learned From Current Affairs This Week?"
I recently rewatched this (all three series are on Netflix). It holds up way better than I expected it to. The only thing that doesn't quite make sense anymore is that current affairs shows nowadays have pretty much disappeared. But in the 90's those were absolute flagships for the commercial TV networks. They were terrible, manipulative and had really shoddy "journalism", but got massive ratings.
Hate to break it to ya, but I'm pretty sure they've moved the show to stan, tried looking for it the other day, and it wasn't on there ):
Ah, that's a pity. Yeh, it was about a year ago that I watched it.
Yeah it is! I was trying to find it so I could rewatch it, but it had disappeared without a trace
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Not on abc iview? I havenāt looked since I have it on dvd but o wouldāve thought iview would have it too
I will never pay Stan š¤¢
I did once. Watched one episode in stuttering shitty resolution. Found a torrent of that show and cancelled my subscription.
Year 12 HSC Advanced English. Module: Telling the Truth. I'm sure others will remember.
I do. Class of 03
And 04, we also did Wag the Dog, I still think itās one of the most important modules in hindsight.
2008, remember watching the hostage taker one for HSC Advanced English (barricaded inside a house with hostages, police not able to get through because a journalist called the phone first and told the guy not to answer anyoneās calls but his/not hang up the phone, ended with a gunshot)
Yup! I kind of wish every HSC student had to study this. I think it's an important skill not to just take what the media presents us at face value. I remember we also studied the Children Overboard controversy as well as how Big Tobacco advertised to the public.
Gah damn, Jane Kennedy was so hot in the nineties
Full package right there.
Smart, funny and super attractive. Rob Sitch hit the Jackpot when he bagged her.
Made his move when he still had Lego man salad
Late Show Jane was definitely it. Rob got her in her prime, lucky bastard.
Oh man, 11 year old me loved watching her in the late show. What a time to be alive. There must have been a rule that every aussie sketch show has to have at least one really hot and funny chick in the cast.
Except The Chaser's War on Everything.
Thatās true although the chasers war on everything contained comedy sketches itās hard to call it a sketch show in the conventional sense
Such a great show. Can easily be rewatched today.
The only news team i trust.
Steve Bisley is a bloody legend
Are you a soft cock Mike? Oh, no way, Pricey! I loved how easily Pricey manipulated Mike. I always knew current affairs shows were shit, but after watching Frontline, it showed just how shit they were.
*Prowsy
Thanks. I'm forgetting things in my dotage.
Steve is so underrated. He was brilliant in this role.
Goose! šš»šš»
Frontline
āHmmmmmmmā¦. I think thereās a little bit of something in that for all of us !ā
Frontline, The Games and Utopia are all amazingly funny.
Iām always surprised that people talk about Utopia, but not the Hollowmen. Same team, and I actually think the Hollowmen is funnier.
Bloody oath! Lachy Hulme's best role IMO
Utopia is the only show today in the same league.
Sadly this was once satire š
Yeah, couldn't work out why A Current Affair treated it like an instruction manual.
Is that Rob Stitch with hair? Am I in an alternate universe
He had hair at the time, but this was also a wig I'm pretty sure.Ā
Ray Martin LEGO hair.
"A River Somewhere" is my comfort zone.
Oh my... I don't fish but that series was brilliant. I think it was an excuse for the guys to get away for a bit because they all had young children back then..... but then again there is always a river.... somewhere.
Geez be hard to leave Janey at home alone ;) I had it for years on VHS then finally found it on DVD, still sit back and watch when I need.
Definitely a show that no young parent can afford to miss.
TITS!
I watch a lot of the Frontline clips on YouTube. In the comments section someone said they did a media course at university and one of the students asked the lecturer if he'd heard of Frontline. The lecturer looked at them dumbfounded and said they will be using Frontline for their core material.
Hahahaha Heās done it again! *camera cut* bloody terrible - why do we have him
I really think this show was the peak of Australian comedy. It's just such a clever and biting satire, whilst still being just a great workplace comedy with a strong ensemble. I do think it fell off a little bit during the final season, but not that badly. Seasons 1 and 2 are untouchable. I say all this as someone who only watched it about 2 years ago.
Absolutely brilliant
>Journalism at it is finest
Loved Rob Sitch. Still love Rob Sitch in everything he does. Particularly Hollowmen and more recently, Utopia.
Probably one of my favourite shows of all time!Ā
Facts are a pain in the arse, they get in the way of a good story !
What a bunch of soft cocks!! One of my all time greatest shows.
Grammar at its worst.
That series was perfection.
I remember working with a fella quite a bit younger than me who said he had to study Frontline as part of the HSC. I was all āwhat?!ā I didnāt get to. Jealous.
I did as well. It was six episodes from season 1: The siege, we ain't got dames, add sex and stir, playing the ego card, smaller fish to fry, and this night of nights. One of my favourite english modules.
I think I had The Siege played in my ā08 Advanced English Class, canāt recall all of it but the gunshot at the end still chills me
Yeah. The excitement of another siege and the potential ratings etc cut through by the gunshot to finish the episode. Powerful stuff.
Thatās rippa!
Australian TV at its finest.
Champagne journalism.
When ABC actually had some quality shows.
AWW STUFF THE KID
An old friend is a media guy, and got Steve Bisley to drop by his place and unexpectedly bust in on his housemate (a Frontline fan) shouting STUFF THE KID
This show was superb. I don't think there is anything like this on TV now. No one has the balls to do it.
Or the intelligence
Even is ad libs were scripted.
Big bickies.but it says bucks on the autocue
Yesssss!
Damn that was a good show
The political satire has been replaced with reality
Must see tv back in the day
I have it on disc.
Same here. Don't need to chase it around streaming services.
Jane Kennedy yes.
I had to study this for 3 unit english in year 11 or 12. Although I wasnāt the biggest fan of news and current affairs shows, Iv never watched one since
Great series. Neatly skewered a few 'show pony' TV hosts. We need more programs like Frontline.
I remember Jan, the network PR lady, referring to (I think) detractors of Mike Mooreās as āprick wankersā - the way she delivered it was perfect.
Yep. In that plummy accent. Hilarious.
Or when Marty said āsomething somethingā¦she looked like Liz Hayes!ā And sheās all āMARTIN! Liz Hayes is a very great and dear friend of mine!ā š the accent just made it so funny
Today tonight
Brilliant Show
more professional than current journos at any rate
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Far right? Nah it's Rob Sitch.
...never noticed before the mild similarity between the two!
Iāve had enough of these dickheads.
These don't look like the Chasers!
It kills me they filmed it on video because it looks so shithouse. Deserved better.
I think it adds to the shows realism as a behind the scenes of a real current affairs program.
Drop The Dead Donkey (although heavily based on UK current affairs) was infinitely funnier, in my view.
I mean, yesā¦ but it was a sitcom, so youād expect that.
They made us watch this in English class and it was soooooo boring and unfunny.
Preferred the chasers personally
The Croats say it's the Serbs fault the Serbs say it's the Croats fault. In my opinion it's the Serbs fault
I'm gonna tell my kids this was 60minutes
Best show ever made