Since we last cast our eye over the range of comedy programs screening on Melbourne’s community television broadcaster C31 there have been a number of changes. As the latest season of some programs came to an end, new and returning shows have been scheduled to replace the vacancies. Here are a number of new offerings.
A brand new show that has recently started is Barnarby Flowers , A Time To Talk. This is a parody of a talk show that covers a specific topic each week. It features Jon Bennett as the interviewer and Simon Godfrey as a number of eccentric guests. Through plenty of costuming, Simon plays the part of “experts” who more often than not turn out to be not quite as knowledgeable as Jon expects. There is brilliant deconstruction of the talk show format from Jon along with a surrealist bent to the material in general. The sudden and pointless appearance of bizzare people doing inappropriate things on the set only adds to the lunacy of the program. Jon and Simon deliver their performances completely straight faced. While expertly executed, this seems to feel quite strange with the inclusion of a live studio audience who are constantly laughing and are obviously having a grand time. A Time To Talk screens on Thursday at 9pm.
After an absence of many years, Richmond 3121 Oh! has returned to our screens. Just like series of the past, Bernie Carpet, Urmist Humst and Dave Camerabastard roam the streets of Richmond in their mobile studio (ie. An early model car) conducting Vox Pops with people on the street. There are however some changes to the classic format. Each show explores one of the “Seven Dreadful Sins” (ignorance and patriotism have been some of the topics covered) with the help of resident “expert” Dr. Howard I. Know. The interview subjects consist of a huge number of bizzare characters played by the cast (I could have sworn that they used to interview real people back in the day!). In addition to the Vox Pops are amusingly wanky round table discussions of the subject and an often useful information free segment that profiles a neighbouring suburb. Richmond 3121 Oh! Screens at 9:30 pm on Thursday and 11pm on Saturday.
The Shambles is currently airing repeats of it’s second series. As the name suggests it is a hodge podge of segments featuring Sos, Valvo and Lynchy. There is inane blokey couch chat, amusing sketches, oddball characters and Vox Pops. The final episode of this series “End of The Road” is particularly clever with it’s warping of the road trip movie format that features many celebrity cameos and a constant stream of their bizzare characters. The Shambles can be seen at 12:30 am on Friday and 7pm on Tuesday.
While not strictly a comedy show The Breakfast Show does feature a number of Melbourne’s comic talent in it’s cast. Emma Race is joined by Justin Kennedy and Declan Fey to host this Friday morning alternative to Mel and Kochie. It has the standard morning show format of News bulletins, weather reports and interviews. They cover many different cultural events and social issues around Melbourne. A number of comedians pop up in some of the interviews and Dan Whalmsley has a segment as their resident geek guy. Bringing back memories from the commercial breaks during David Letterman’s Late Show several years ago, short sketches by gert nurple and the trumple bycee are shown. The Breakfast Show can be seen every Friday from 7am to 9am.
With these and many other changes to the C31 programing grid, you are sure to find something to tickle your funny bone.