The Comedy Game

The Comedy Game is an Australian television comedy anthology series that aired in 1971 and 1973 on ABC. The new comedies screened in the series were seen as possible pilots for a full television series.^[1]

The episodes led to the series Our Man in Canberra in 1971, A Nice Day at the Office in 1972, The Aunty Jack Show in 1972, Flash Nick From Jindivick in 1974 and Scattergood: Friend of All in 1975.

Season 1

A Nice Day at the Office

Aired 2 November 1971 (Sydney), 25 November (Melbourne). By Marcus Cooney and John Brendan. Plot: Harvey and Crisp work in the filing section of a government office.

• John Bell as Sean Crisp
• Neil Fitzpatrick as Ted Harvey
• Fay Kelton as Vicki Short
• Kevin Lesley as Claude Fogarty

Use No Hooks

Aired 9 November 1971 (Sydney), 2 December (Melbourne). The story of newlyweds George and Peggy Trump and their friends Gordon Bates and Leonard Cartaris. Produced by Maurice Murphy.

• Keith Lee
• John Hamblin
• Grahame Bond
• Max Meldrum
• Joan Bruce
• Tessa Malone
• Anthony Wagner
• Redmond Phillips

Our Man in Canberra

Aired 16 November 1971 (Sudneuy), 16 December (Melbourne). By John O'Grady.

• Jeff Ashby as Humphrey Sullivan
• Robyn Nevin as Kate Sullivan
• Walter Sullivan as The Minister
• Cul Cullen as Fred Larkin
• Delore Whiteman as Mrs Wheeler
• John Meillon

Gaudeamus Igitur

Aired 23 December 1971 (Melbourne). By Jenny Wager. A university department has had no professors or students for thirty years.

• Jacki Weaver
• Arna-Maria Winchester
• Joseph Furst
• Stanley Walsh
• Chris Haywood

Scattergood

Aired 9 December 1971 (Melbourne).

• Max Cullen
• Moya O'Sullivan
• Alfred Sandor

Aunty Jack’s Travelling Show

Aired 7 December 1971 (Sydney), 30 December 1971 (Melbourne). Writers include Geoffrey Atherdon Graham Bond, Sherman Merlick, Peter Weir. Music and lyrics by Bond and Rory O'Donoghue.

• Grahame Bond as Aunty Jack

Arthur

Aired 14 December 1971 (Sydney), by Michael Aitkins. Arthur Potter is an out of work young man.

• Michael Aitkens as Arthur
• Sheila Kennelly
• Judy Morris
• Wendy Blacklock
• Hazel Phillips

Season 2

Fat Max

Aired 19 May 1973 (Sydney). By John O'Grady. About a 40 year old bachelor.

• Barry Lovett
• Graham Rouse
• Olivia Hamnett

Catch What I Mean?

Aired 26 May 1973. By John Dingwall. Set in a drivers pool at a city newspaper's office.

• John Meillon
• Moya O'Sullivan
• Graham Rouse

Birth, Death and Marriage

Aired 9 June 1973 (Sydney), 7 November (Melbourne). Three separate stories. By Maurice Wiltshire, Ray Biehler, Arthur Sherman.

• Garry McDonald
• Jacki Weaver
• Peter Sumner
• Willie Fennell
• Ros Spiers

The Engagement Party

Aired 30 June 1973.

• Ron Frazer
• John Krummel
• Sue Walker

Flash Nick from Jindavick

Aired 16 June and 23 June 1973 (Sydney), 14 and 21 Nov (Melbourne). By Grahame Bond.

• Grahame Bond
• John Meillon
• Martin Harris
• Garry McDonald

The Only One Left

Aired 2 June 1973 (Sydney).

• Garry McDonald
• Terry Bader
• Walter Sullivan

Basically Black

Basically Black was the first television program written and created by Indigenous Australians, and starred:^[2][3]

• Aileen Corpus
• Gary Foley
• Zac Martin
• Bob Maza
• Bindi Williams

References

1. "Comedy Game, the (ABC 1971-1973, John Bell, Jacki Weaver)". 15 February 2017.
2. Gary Foley, Gary. "Images from history". The Koori History Website. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
3. "Lively Russian dancers in TCN9 special". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 40, no. 50. 16 May 1973. p. 10. Retrieved 6 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.

External links

• The Comedy Game at IMDb