EDDIE: And now, at last, we take a look at the positive side of the past year in Australian comedy. A place where innovation and new ideas blossomed, and there was happiness and laughter for all to enjoy. Jeez, people will start to question my sexuality after that introduction. Good thing the winner has got something to do with sport.
As a way of encouraging a nation of soccer sceptics to embrace the "world game", or simply as a way of celebrating it, Santo, Sam & Ed's Cup Fever! more than did the job. Even if you knew nothing about soccer there were plenty of reasons to tune in, one of the main ones being the welcome return of a style of comedy we've only seen glimpses of since the end of The Late Show. Whether a version of this show will be back next time there's a major sporting event (the London 2012 Olympics, perhaps?), or whether its success will see the Working Dog team back writing and performing sketch comedy remains to be seen, but judging by this result there are a few crossed fingers out there. The Chaser team have always had the potential to produce something like The Blow Parade, and it was nice to see that finally proven. Scripted radio comedy's something we make precious little of in this country, yet it's obvious when you look to Britain that radio is the ideal place for new and experienced comedians alike to hone their writing skills and experiment with new ideas. The Blow Parade shows what can be achieved when comedians have a great idea and broadcasters back it. More of this sort of thing, please! If the Sir Robert Franklin videos (which were essentially a bunch of DVD extras put on to YouTube to promote The Librarians series 3) seem an odd choice here, then that's probably because Bob Franklin's a person who, due to some very poor decisions by the people who run television in this country, has never been given a proper go. And yet, like all Franklin's other sketch comedy work, these videos bristle with laughs, surprises and invention. Now that that other long-overlooked comedy legend Judith Lucy has got her own TV series, isn't it time someone gave one to Bob Franklin as well?
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