THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE
For the Canberra Times, Tuesday 5 September 2006


Parents looking for "family viewing" without having to explain why the shark is eating the baby seal or be prompted to mutter naughty words in response to the brain-needling, helium-affected voices of those revolting teddies on Bananas in Pajamas will be pleased that a second series of Thank God You're Here returns tomorrow night (10 Network, Wednesdays at 7.30 pm).

The show's "judge"and co-writer Tom Gleisner says the show was never intended to be a huge hit with kids, but the early timeslot did the show a huge favour. "7.30 was the key. It so worked for us. It is broad, whole-family-can-watch TV. We'd never do Thank God you're here at the brothel." The only real problem parents have with the program is having to constantly explain the concept to the smaller tykes.

"Well, you see, the person coming through the door at the start of each scene doesn't know what the story will be. They have to pretend, or "improvise", based on what the other actors say, and whatever costume they're dressed in." Some of the under 10s find this a bit difficult to grasp, seeing every unlikely scenario as somehow "real". (I feel the same way about the 7.30 Report.)

The first series of Thank God You're Here was wildly successful (the finale peaked at more than two and a half million viewers), another coup for the Working Dog team best known for the films The Castle and The Dish, the brilliant Lonely-Planet style travel guide spoofs about the little visited countries of Molvania (eastern Europe) and Phaic Tan (South-East Asia), and made-for-TV shows Frontline and The Panel.

Working Dog is now selling the 'Thank God' rights throughout the world; Gleisner sees it as redressing an imbalance, because so many shows on Australian TV are imported ideas (ice-skatin' karaoke, anybody?). So far the show format has been sold to several European countries, Israel, and the US. Although, surely, the southern US states won't stand for a show with blaspheming in the title. And perhaps the German version might be called An Unarguably Improbable Situation You Suddenly Have Found Yourself In? No, apparently it's 'Celebrity Ludo'.

Here in Australia, the franchise founders want to avoid the celebrity label on guests. They aim to have a mix of seasoned stand-up comics, accomplished actors, and a dash of the stage-stranger, an "every person" for us all to relate to, without professional acting or comedic experience, who seems totally out of their depth. Viewers of the first series will recall a radio presenter ring-in, the admirable Fifi Box's valiant yet entirely puzzling attempts at a French accent, or a witty retort.

Favourites from the first series who'll be back include the host, the perennially affable Shane Bourne; and guests Frank Woodley (Lano and Woodley); Pete Rowsthorn (Brett from Kath and Kim); Robyn Butler (the Tough Love radio show); Bob Franklin (Bad Eggs); Julia Zemiro (Rock Wiz) and, I'm pleased to say, actor Matthew Newton (the mini series Changi), who last time around excelled AND smashed a banana into his face.

New faces include tomorrow night's guests Cal Wilson (stand-up comedian); Tony Martin (Triple M network; his radio partner Ed Kavalee is one of the ensemble players) and Anh Do (star of the new film Footy Legends); blue Wiggle Anthony Field will turn up in a later episode.

Gleisner says he's rarely seen cable comedy channel staple 'Who's Line is It Anyway?' and wasn't aware that one of its intermittent scenarios has the traditional greeting "Thank God You're Here, (insert made-up superhero name here)". Like many who have seen it, he suspects the performers weren't as in the dark as the show implies. "It often seems so polished. They get asked, come up with an opera about immigration, with a banana in it, and they do it (immediately)".

Tom Gleisner believes the improv has to be real, and to this end the shows are shot "as live" about 3 weeks in advance, to allow costume and scene changes and some scrutiny of alcohol references by the Network 10 sponsor. "We never set it up to be about excruciating embarrassment, " he says, but "the audience loves peril and to see fear in the eyes... the audience must genuinely believe you're on the spot."

The genesis for "Thank God", he explains, came out of the tedium of writing the seventh or so draft of the top secret next film project of Working Dog. Rob Sitch was musing about what it would be like to come through a door in costume and not know what was going to happen. The scenarios for the show are written by the very 'Panel' panel of Sitch, Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Glenn Robbins (Kel from Kath and Kim; Russell Coight's All Aussie Adventures).

Thank God You're Here's ensemble acting cast has a myriad of scripted, possible lines depending on how the "guest" responds to questions. They have to stay in character, keep the guest on track and not fall over laughing, or panic. "It's harder than it looks - in fact we argue it's doubly written because they have to have possible answers, and remember all the permutations," says Gleisner. Thank God they're there.