Late deadline for satire

Press, 12 April 1982, Page 11

Late deadline for satire

The proven, successful formula of topical and occa : sional political satire that made “A Week of It!” so popular is being used again for the current series of “McPhail and Gadsby.” which begins tonight on TVI at 8 p.m. Whereas early series of “McPhail and Gadsby" were recorded weeks in advance, making topical material impossible, this series is being recorded the week before it goes to air.

Last week, the programme that screens tonight was recorded mainly on Wednesday. For the next six weeks, the series will be recorded between Wednesday and Friday, ready for screening the next Monday night. Jon Gadsby said he hoped that the topical jokes would work better. They should give the show an extra edge, he said.

Some of the gags would include the deteriorating situation in the Falkland .Islands, the recent “vote of confidence” passed in the Aqua Avia Society, the State Opening of Parliament, and the fracas after the Justice Mahon Royal Commission findings were announced. The script writers are still David McPhail, Jon Gadsby and Alan Grant, with occasional help from Peter Hawes.

A few problems had been encountered last week when actors had to be found for the first programme in the series, because there seemed to be so many local theatre productions on at the time, Jon Gadsby said. In the end, they had been lucky to get Stuart Devenie, who' plays the title role in “Macbeth," and David Copeland, who plays the porter and various other roles in the same production at the Court Theatre.

Asked if the present series would extend beyond the present limit of six weeks, Jon Gadsby said that it depended entirely on what happened about their Australian programme. David McPhail and Jon Gadsby spent five weeks in Australia at the beginning of the year as guests of Channel Seven, and they recorded an hour-long television special, which is due to be screened in August or September. They had used much of the material from the New Zealand shows, revamped a little for Australian tastes. But none of the material had been topical, since they were not familiar with the Australian political or social scene. Channel Seven had indicated that it might be interested in making the show into a monthly series, in which case the pair would

have to return to Australia soon to make more shows. They would probably go back in June or July, if this were the case, Jon Gadsby said. And what can we expect to see in the new, six-week series of “McPhail and Gadsby" that begins tonight? A regular feature will be “Royal Nursery.” which will include a blow-by-blow description of the Royal pregnancy, as well as the “ancient ceremony of choosing a Royal nanny.” The unfortunate applicants have to go .through an obstacle race to find the eventual winner.

Another regular item will be a contribution from a Parliamentary gossip columnist who sidles round the corridors of power in Wellington picking up the juicy bits. Also each week, McPhail and Gadsby introduce a new, up-and-coming pop group to an unsuspecting public — such as Merv Wellington and the Illiterates, and Justice Mahon and the McMurdo Sound. Other sketches to look forward to are the “Red Squad" displaying an unusual talent, and the revelation of a new sporting game.