| Joining the Club |
|
Instructions for joining the club & getting our newsletter can be found in the our FAQ. |
| Requesting Goodies Repeats |
|
Suggestions can be found in our FAQ. |
|
| "The Unbelievable Truth" article from Yahoo News Australia |
more from same (British Comedy) |
 Here's another article about the Australian TV version of "The Unbelievable Truth", which starts on Channel 7 this Thursday night at 9:30pm (and then will be available online for Australian viewers at http://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/the-unbelievable-truth/).
This article is from http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/television/15083211/thank-goodies-for-the-truth/
Thank Goodies for the truth
SUE YEAP, The West Australian
October 10, 2012, 10:26 am
Sometimes truth is far stranger than fiction. Seven's new comedy panel game show The Unbelievable Truth relies on this statement to smuggle through strange facts hidden in an often hilarious web of lies.
Produced by Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel and Andrew Hansen from The Chaser's War on Everything and The Hamster Wheel, the show entails comedians delivering entertaining presentations.
Each is full of lies, with only a few truths. The aim of the game is to sneak these facts through and for the panel to attempt to detect them.
The show had its genesis on BBC Radio. The popular radio version of The Unbelievable Truth was created by comedy mastermind Graeme Garden, of The Goodies fame, alongside radio comedian Jon Naismith, who form Random Productions. The hit show has been running since 2006.
Garden also co-produced the show's transmission on to Australian TV screens with the three Chaser stars and was present for the recording. Morrow says the Scottish comedy king's involvement was a huge drawcard.
"All of us have idolised The Goodies from day one so it was a great opportunity," Morrow says over the phone between filming The Hamster Wheel.
"It certainly made it easy to get guests on the show. I would ring people up and say 'There are two ways to ask this question. One would be to say, would you like to come on our new comedy panel game show on Channel 7? The other is, would you like to meet Graeme Garden?' And they were like 'yes'."
Like so many Australians growing up in the 1970s and early 80s, Morrow and co watched cult British TV series The Goodies. The lawyer-turned- comedian/producer says Hansen in particular is a massive fan. Hansen managed to score the gig of emceeing The Goodies' live talking tour a couple of years ago, casually suggesting to Garden The Unbelievable Truth would make a great Aussie TV show.
The idea was pursued, then realised and ready to roll out 18 months later.
The fun game show marks a lighthearted change from the trio's usual political satire. Morrow says this was mainly because it was filmed so early they had to steer away from it being too topical.
Comedian guests include Stephen K Amos, Kitty Flanagan, Shane Jacobson, Akmal Saleh and Sam Simmons, not to mention Garden. The series is also dotted with random cameos by singer Kamahl.
Morrow says adding the visual element to the mix helped to heighten the humour. The sketches, graphics and props brought proceedings to a new level.
"TV is a great opportunity to do silly things that you would never otherwise be able to do," he says.
"We took a horse down to a shoot, Andrew had a koala on set and Sam had a dog on set.
"That's the kind of dress-ups and silliness that we love."
The Unbelievable Truth premieres tomorrow, October 11 at 9.30pm on Seven/GWN7.
|
Posted by lisa at 10/10/2012 02:57 GMT |
|
|
|
| News.com.au review of Channel 7's "The Unbelievable Truth" |
more from same (British Comedy) |
This article appears online at http://www.news.com.au/news/chasing-the-truth-in-comic-lies/story-fnejnj7h-1226491990978
Chasing the truth in comic lies
THEY'RE the naughty boys of Australian comedy. Just please don't expect their new series for Channel 7 to be wall-to-wall laughs. Or so they joke.
The Unbelievable Truth - a UK radio format adapted for television and championed by their comic idol, Graeme Garden of The Goodies fame - has provided a rare mainstream platform for some of the biggest names (and a few new ones) from the local comedy circuit.
Recorded earlier this year to a rapturous reception from the audiences in the Sydney studios, anticipation for this series has long been understandably high.
On the eve of the show's premiere, Craig Reucassel, Julian Morrow and Andrew Hansen are trying their best to hose down expectations.
"We're going to make a promo which says, 'There's only one funny thing in this entire half hour, see if you can spot it?" Reucassel, the show's host, says.
"Yes, the 'unbelievable' joke," adds Hansen, chuckling.
The rules of the game are a little complicated, but the pay-off is some of the best comic performances we've seen on commercial TV in years.
The truth is this: four panellists are each invited to deliver a short lecture on a given subject, which must be almost completely made up.
Points are awarded to panel members who can correctly spot the real "truths" secreted in between all the lies.
Think Thank God You're Here meets QI, with the same laugh-and-learn approach.
Those who accepted the challenge to hilarious effect include Shane Jacobson, Merrick Watts, Tom Gleeson, Kitty Flanagan and Jimeoin.
Morrow and Hansen also join the panels, with Garden flying in from London to oversee the production and to also make an appearance.
Then there are the funny new "finds" including Sam Simmons, Claudia O'Doherty and Toby Truslove.
Simmons in particular delivers a side-splitting speech on dogs, with sidekick pooch Ziggy, who almost steals the show.
Look out too for some chickens, a koala and a guinea pig appearing with Stephen K Amos.
But they saved the hamster for The Hamster Wheel, which returned to the ABC for its second "open season" on the media last month.
With Reucassel and Morrow signed to write and record a "factual" series for the ABC, Chaser teammate Chas Licciardello off filming a special on the US presidential race and radio commitments for both Morrow and Dominic Knight, it's been a flat-chat year for them all.
The move to Seven from Aunty has also gone more smoothly than they imagined, given the network gained an injunction over a skit in 2007 where the team infiltrated the offices of Today Tonight.
|
Posted by lisa at 09/10/2012 14:49 GMT |
|
|
|
| message from Graeme Garden about "The Unbelievable Truth" |
more from same (The Goodies) |
 Graeme Garden sent the following information earlier today:
"I'm sure our Australian chums know that The Unbelievable Truth goes out on Channel 7 TV on Thursday 11th. This is just to let you know that I should be appearing on Breakfast Radio (not sure which channel) the following Thursday 18th, as that's the day the show I am in airs.
There seems to be a good buzz about the show in the press, so let's hope it's well received by the viewers.
all the best,
Graeme
|
Posted by lisa at 09/10/2012 02:22 GMT |
|
|
|
| TV Tonight interview with Graeme Garden about TUT |
more from same (The Goodies) |
The following article appears online at
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/10/the-unbelievable-graeme-garden.html The
online article includes a photo of Graeme:
The Unbelievable Graeme Garden
By David Knox on October 9, 2012
For nine seasons and 76 episodes Graeme Garden was one third of The Goodies, and to many Australians he always will be.
Together with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie, he produced classic British comedy from 1970 - 1982, replayed relentlessly on Australian television.
The replays have made The Goodies trio revered by generations and Garden (pictured, second from left) remains grateful.
"You get the impression it's part of the culture because everyone saw it every night over here, for years and years," he says.
"We have a big fan base and footprint in Australia. Much bigger than the UK. They never repeated it. So after 1982 or whenever it was we were never seen again."
In Australia he is still recognised despite the intervening decades.
"I do look a bit different but they still seem to recognise me now and again. I don't know how!" he laughs.
"In the UK they recognise my voice more because I'm on the radio."
Three die-hard fans, Craig Reucassel, Julian Morrow and Andrew Hansen were so determined to work with Garden on a TV adaptation of his long-running radio show The Unbelievable Truth they were were willing to work with Seven for their first commercial TV project.
"It started when Tim Brooke-Taylor and I were on Cockatoo Island (comedy festival) and Andrew interviewed us. We'd been talking about developing the radio show over in the UK and I suggested possibly getting it going in
Australia. But of course there's no kind of radio outlet for it," Garden explains.
"I spoke to The Chaser guys and they said 'We could give it a go on television.' So the upshot is here we are."
The series sees three celebrity panelists asked to lie on a given subject, whilst also trying to include several truths without being detected.
"I thought it was much funnier to have a lecture which is entirely untrue and then try and some facts in that. So bizarre facts are hidden amongst bizarre lies, which means that you can do so many more gags. With any luck
the bizarre truths are as funny as the lies."
Whilst Reucassel acts as host, Morrow and Hansen alternately appear with more fake lectures.
The radio version has been running on the BBC since 1985 but the Seven series is the first television adaptation
"There's an amazing team of graphics, artists, photographers, editors, who are producing lots of images that we can drop in to illustrate as we go along. I'm amazed by the amount of stuff they've produced in a very short time and how well they cue them in at exactly the right moment.
"That gives the show a whole flavour and a big lift and really makes it television."
In the UK the host is Peep Show's David Mitchell.
"Unfortunately he's already involved in two shows on television that are to do with truth and lies. So we thought rather than offer it up and get knocked back for that reason, we'd bide our time until the other shows grind
to a halt, and then maybe push for it then!
"In the UK we have a long history of panel shows going right back to early radio days and a lot were developed on radio before moving to television.
"I think audiences in the UK are used to a diet of panel games and they respond very well to them. Here I don't know if audiences respond to them as well. With this one I would have thought you'd have as many laughs as you
would in a good sitcom."
Garden is no stranger to the art of deception, having also been host of the UK series of Tell the Truth.
"It was a team show about truth and lies with somebody claiming to be somebody interesting and two of them being liars and the panel had to question them," he says.
"This one is only similar in that it's about truth and lies. The panel don't get to question the speaker, they just have to interrupt and say 'That's a truth!' whenever they think they've spotted one.
"It's not a team show it's every man for himself."
Comedians appearing in the Australian series include Toby Truslove, Scott Dooley, Sam Simmons, Merrick Watts, The Umbilical Brothers, Kitty Flanagan, Sarah Kendall, Virginia Gay, Cal Wilson and Tom Gleeson.
Garden says Australia's "go-for-it culture" sees The Chaser team bringing energy to the TV version, although shooting has required some explanation to studio audiences.
"Because they don't really know how the game works we play a round with the audience before the show starts. We get them out to show them how the game
works and once they know how it works they can appreciate it from the start," he says.
"They've been very much up for it, whooping and cheering when people score points, so it's very exciting."
Lastly for Goodies fans, there is good news on the horizon with the three veteran comedians still close friends.
"I work with Tim all the time on our other radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and I see Bill now and again. The three of us came out in 2005 and did a stage tour and Tim and I have been back again. Tim and I are certainly hoping to come back and do some things," he says.
"So watch this space."
The Unbelievable Truth premieres 9:30pm Thursday on Seven.
|
Posted by lisa at 09/10/2012 01:10 GMT |
|
|
|
| articles about Australian TV version of "The Unbelievable Truth" |
more from same (British Comedy) |
Here are a couple of articles about next week's premier of "The Unbelievable Truth" on Australia's Channel 7
1. From The Age listing of shows for Thurs, Oct 11th (posted 4 October 2012): http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-guide/thursday-october-11-20121003-26y45.html
The Unbelievable Truth: series premiere, Channel Seven, 9.30pm
HOSTED by Craig Reucassel (The Hamster Wheel), this promising first episode features a panel of comedians and special guests including Kitty Flanagan, Toby Truslove (former BMX champion), Simon Simmons and Julian Morrow (The Chaser's War on Everything), each presenting on a range of topics - beards, Apple, childbirth, the origins of OMG - while the panel try to spot the truth in ''a barrage of lies''. The dynamic between the players is close to perfect, with cracking one-liners zinging from the get-go. It's fast, amusing and unearths some truly remarkable facts. Reucassel makes for a relaxed host, deftly orchestrating his guests without being overbearing. A very pregnant and reliably funny Flanagan is a standout, while Truslove's spiel on beards is a close second. I'm looking forward to future guests Sarah Kendall and Celia Pacquola.
2. From The Age posted 8 October 2012: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/down-the-garden-path-20121005-272x7.html. This page includes two critics giving their opinion of the show, including a few brief clips from the series.
Down the Garden path
Date October 8, 2012
Sacha Molitorisz
Comedian Virginia Gay is standing beside a life-size replica of Ned Kelly. ''Spoons,'' she says, sizing up Australia's infamous bushranger. ''His helmet was made of spoons.''
''You know how he died?'' comedian Akmal Saleh interjects. ''He was forked.''
''Such is knife,'' Andrew Hansen says, incisively.
What do you get when you pack a stage full of comedians? Punchlines. Lots of them. And now you get The Unbelievable Truth, the bastard love-child of Graeme ''Goodie'' Garden and the Chaser's Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel and Hansen.
''It's a show about truth and lies,'' says Garden, still best known for his work with comic trio the Goodies. ''There are four players and each of them gives a talk and the whole talk has to be untrue, so they can make up the silliest, funniest lies about any topic that people can talk about. But within that they've got to smuggle five truths past the other people, so of course you want to find the truths that sound the least believable. So the most bizarre truths are stitched into all this pack of lies.
''The other players have to buzz in when they think they've spotted a truth. If it is a truth, they get a point. If they get it wrong, they lose a point. And at the end of it, the person who is talking counts up how many truths they managed to smuggle past the others, so it's a scoring game - played very, very seriously.
''Also, when people buzz in there's usually some debate and discussion and argument about how true things are, so there's a lot of fun to be had from the banter. Because the easiest thing in the world is to put in an inadvertent truth.''
In the spirit of the game, then, here is a series of untrue statements about Graeme Garden, into which one truth has been smuggled. One: the Scottish quipper met fellow Goodies Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor in the 1960s when all three were students at Cambridge University. Two: he studied medicine, following in the footsteps of his dad, an orthopaedic surgeon who invented the ''Garden screw'', which fixes hip fractures. Three: Garden completed his studies but chose to pursue a career in comedy instead of saving lives. Four: his son plays keyboards for the camp pop band Scissor Sisters. Five: The Unbelievable Truth is based on a hit BBC radio show of the same name.
So, which one of those statements is true? Actually, they all are.
''We've done nine radio series now, 51 programs, and are still going strong. So we know the format is robust,'' Garden says. ''And we obviously have different people on the show and it works well with any style of comic. They write their own material and they bring their own style to the show. We've never had a problem - although, after they've written them, we tend to script edit.''
This is the first time the show has been adapted for television, a process that carries with it both possibilities and challenges. ''On the radio, there's just one researcher,'' Garden says. ''Here there's a big team of editors, graphic designers, illustrators and researchers working on the show.''
The collaboration between Garden and the Chaser stems from 2009, when Andrew Hansen was MC during a series of gigs with Garden and Brooke-Taylor. ''The whole thing grew out of Andrew's dream come true of hosting that tour,'' says the show's executive producer, Julian Morrow.
''We got talking after those shows,'' says Hansen, who appears as a regular panellist. ''Graeme said, 'We've got this radio show, I was thinking maybe we could make one in Australia'. So I said, 'We don't make comedy radio shows in Australia, there's no such thing, you'd have to make it as a TV show.'
''He said, 'Maybe we could do that. Do you know of any production companies in Australia that might be interested in something like that?' I had a long think about how to respond and then very cheekily said, 'Well, we've got a little production company …'''
Morrow laughs. ''That's the thing I find most amazing,'' he says. ''Andrew is the least entrepreneurial, least business-savvy person on the planet. When Andrew rang and said, 'I think I might have just teed up a little deal with Graeme from the Goodies', I said, 'Are you serious?' I thought it wasn't true, that Andrew had misinterpreted a conversation.''
But true it turned out to be, as Morrow, Hansen and Reucassel were lured from the ABC to Channel Seven to make the project.
During the taping that The Guide attends, host Reucassel is joined by Hansen, Gay, Saleh and the Umbilical Brothers's David Collins. At one point, there is a dispute about a claim. Is it true? Or is it a lie? Confusion reigns.
''The Chasers,'' Collins says. ''Where near enough is always good enough.''
''You're making us sound better than we are,'' Hansen replies.
Shooting the show in front of a live studio audience creates an unpredictable energy. The crowd is in stitches when Saleh's monologue descends into anarchic improvisation. Much of the comedy is surreal. Especially the comedy from the audience.
''Anyone got any questions for Craig?'' the floor manager asks the audience during a break. ''Yeah, can I have a sandwich?'' someone asks. ''I was told there would be sandwiches.''
The game resumes. After another surreal monologue, Reucassel chastises Saleh. ''You lose a point,'' he says. ''What do you win on this show anyway?'' Saleh shoots back. ''Nothing.''
Not true. You earn the coveted title of Australia's funniest liar. And that takes a lot of work. Dishonesty is anything but effortless.
''Oh yes,'' Garden says. ''You couldn't ad lib this.''
The Unbelievable Truth
Seven, Thursdays, 9.30pm
|
Posted by lisa at 05/10/2012 15:48 GMT |
|
|
|
| Newsletter from I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (2 Oct 2012) |
more from same (British Comedy) |
Here is the 2 October 2012 edition of the official I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue newsletter:
-------------------------------------
From: newsletter@randomentertainment.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012
ISIHAC NEWSLETTER
Dear I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue Mailing List Member
Here are details of the second and third recording in the Autumn 2012 series of “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue”:
The recordings will take place as follows:
1. Wednesday 31st October at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. It will be a double recording of the show (e.g. 2 programmes will be recorded) for broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Tickets will cost £9, £7 and £5 respectively, and are obtainable from 10.00am on Tuesday 16th October via the Birmingham Symphony Hall’s Box Office, telephone: 0121 780 3333, or online via the theatre’s website at http://www.thsh.co.uk/
For those wishing to purchase tickets in person, the address is the Symphony Hall, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA.The Box Office opening times are 10am till 8pm (normal opening times are 10am till 6pm Mon - Sat and 12pm - 4pm Sundays time extended on concert nights).
The recording starts at 7.30pm and will be finished around 10.30pm. Tickets will be limited to a strict maximum of 4 per applicant – by whatever booking system. Demand for tickets is very great, so you are advised to purchase early to avoid disappointment, and you should allow for queue waiting times for the Box Office, either by ‘phone or in person, to be longer than usual.
2. Thursday 22nd November at the Charter Theatre in Preston. Again, it will be a double recording of the show for broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Tickets will cost £9, £7 and £5 respectively, and are obtainable from 10.00am on Monday 15th October via the Charter Theatre’s Box Office, telephone: 0844 844 7714, or online via the theatre’s website at www.prestonguildhall.com
For those wishing to purchase tickets in person, the address is the Charter Theatre, Lancaster Road, Preston PR1 1HT. The Box Office opening times are 10am-8pm (Mon-Sat).
Again, the recording starts at 7.30pm and will be finished around 10.30pm. Tickets will be limited to a strict maximum of 4 per applicant – by whatever booking system. Demand for tickets is very great, so you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.
I will be writing again in a due course to announce details of a special 40th Anniversary Christmas show we’ll be recording in December.
Also, our brand you new “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue” book, released to celebrate this year’s Anniversary, will be published in two days time on Thursday 4th October. Entitled “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue – The Best of 40 Years”, it’s a substantial 288 tome, packed with highlights from the show as well as full colour photos and illustrations. We think it’s our best yet. It features a foreword by Stephen Fry and retails at £20 – or £14.46 on Amazon. Here’s a link to it via our website (where you can order a copy on Amazon): www.isihac.net
If you’re planning ahead for Christmas, I’m sure the team would be pleased to sign a copy after one of the recordings.
With best wishes
Jon Naismith
Producer, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue
|
Posted by lisa at 02/10/2012 17:49 GMT |
|
|
|
|
|
0 Comments
Here's a video of Bill Oddie at the London Zoo, talking about bird calls and posting them on Twitter. 
