Safran from the Archives

John Safran: The Lost Pilot was aired last night on ABC1.

After more than a decade in the ABC vaults, the dust was blown off the old reel to reel (alright, maybe it's not that old) and was shown to the masses - except that it was aired at 10:05pm - which isn't exactly prime-time. I don't know what the programmers were thinking putting it on that late, let alone keeping this little treasure under wraps for so long. It is grade-A Safran in all his biting-sarcasm-glory.

It also has the now infamous "Paxton V's Martin" scene where Safran and Shane Paxton confront Ray Martin outside his home in a current-affairs-style ambush. When Ray Martin released his autobiography earlier this year he was still banging on about the incident (and still showed some decided ill-will toward Safran), but to be honest I don't know why he's holding a grudge - the only thing that made him look like an arse was him acting like an arse.

Not to mention the fact that the segment with Martin is probably the least interesting on the pilot. The show is altogether hilarious - particularly John's maniacal monologue berating documentary film makers and his Dalai Llama short-film dancing.

Safran (and co-writer Michelle Bennett) did a brilliant job of the pilot, it's hard to believe it didn't get to air. As Jules Morrow (The Chaser) pointed out on Twitter last night, the ABC's 1998 Annual Report states that comedy for that year was "stretching the boundaries" - Jules thinks, and I agree; not enough. 

You can still catch it on ABC's iView - it's well worth a watch. The DVD will be on sale from January 7 next year.

Hey Hey, Welcome Back to the Future

Well, well, well. Hey Hey it's Saturday has been green-lighted for 20 "special" episodes (otherwise known as a series) on channel 9 next year. Besides the fact that it's to air on a Wednesday, making the title a little beyond a joke, it looks like Molly Meldrum won't be involved due to his contractual obligations to channel 7 and Foxtel. Molly was the clear, and almost only, highlight of the two specials aired this year. Otherwise it was a series of awkward 'dad jokes' and ditzy girls in too-short-skirts giggling maniacally at Darryl's idiotic jests.

Seriously though, why are we moving backward when there is so much young talent fighting for a head-shot on Australian tv? Rove hung up his gloves recently (in some circles to much applause) but at least Rove Live gave a leg-up to talented people like Ryan Shelton and, love them or hate them, Hamish and Andy.

The Hamish and Andy current affairs spoof "Real Stories" (aired on channel 10 in 2006) was really very funny and didn't get nearly as much kudos as it should have.  Meanwhile we have dinosaurs like Darryl Somers making fart-jokes and vomit-in-your-mouth sexual innuendos rating through the roof.

I don't want to see Somers and Co (who, for the record, were rarely funny the first time round) return with more of the same old crap. The specials were an interesting lesson in nostalgia - with the realisation that (a) you can't go back and (b) what you thought was funny when you were twelve is really, really not very funny.

Want mature people on tv? How about people like Brian Nankervis, Andrew Denton, George Negus, Shaun Micallef? I want to see more of them (- yes, I want to see more of Shaun Micallef and yes, I understand that he currently hosts a show on channel 10 and yes, I have seen him recently feature in every other variety/game-show program on channel 10, and yes, I did spend most of Saturday watching The Micallef P(r)ogramme on DVD). And for a fresh young spin on entertainment, we have plenty of talent in John Safran, Julia Zemiro, the Chaser Boys, Ryan Shelton and Lawrence Leung - creating quality entertainment and fresh ideas.

Hungry Beast on the ABC might have been hit and miss but at least it was something a bit different. The Chaser's War on Everything was controversial - but isn't that a good thing? - don't we want our television to challenge us? To force us to take sides and think about things of importance - rather than to sit drooling with a packet of CC's in front of the plasma laughing at yet another dick-joke from a head on a stick?

I'm dissapointed that after the "black-face incident" channel 9 were still willing to give Hey Hey another go, yet new projects with actual potential don't get a second look. Good luck to Australia circa 2020 as Somers and the gang continue their misogynist, racist, archaic crap and assist in teaching another generation of kids that 'different' is bad and that women are decorative fashion accessories. Maybe they'll have Tony Abbott as a special guest.

Not so Punchy

The Punch website vowed to "live blog" through tonight's first episode of John Safran's Race Relations on ABC1.

Well, what a heart-stopping, informative and poignant live blog it was - for example, there were gems like this;

And of course, there was this biting commentary from Punch blogger Tory Maguire;

Meanwhile, over on the ABC Mr Safran was reminding me why I hold him in such high esteem as a naughty, intelligent, witty documentary-maker.

Oh how I missed his work.

Like a true addict, I'm off to watch my box set of John Safran Versus God.

* Oh, and Racebook? Pure brilliance.

Safran Takes a Punch

ABC's head of television has advised conservative viewers to steer clear of John Safran's Race Relations tonight on ABC1.

Whilst warning those sensitive folk away, Kim Dalton did defend the show and its ideas;

"Innovation necessarily involves a willingness to take risks, to be inventive and open to fresh ideas ... It also means pushing boundaries - boundaries that some, often many, would prefer not to be pushed."

The Punch website not only published the commentary but will be blogging throughout the show tonight.

Moral Panic Outrage

Hungry Beast did a great little piece on public outrage in this week's episode on ABC1. It outlined the process of moral panic amongst the general public.

I thought it was particularly interesting seeing all the fuss today about John Safran's new show Race Relations, set to start next week on ABC1. The Herald Sun had a poll asking if Safran's new show "breached boundaries of decency" - never mind that the show hasn't actually gone to air yet - the Australian public should be able to formulate a well-founded opinion based on ... well ... the Herald Sun article containing the poll, I assume.

On channel 10's The 7pm Project tonight they ran the story of the public's outrage over Race Relations. Dave Hughes pointed out that the Herald Sun poll earlier that day was 70% against the show and Safran's style of humour.

The poll at 8:11pm looked something like this;

So the cycle goes on and the moral panic continues tomorrow when those reacting to Dave Hughes' statement punch their fists proudly in the air and shout "Yeah! Me too!"

*** *** ***

Is it just me or is the moral panic becoming somewhat absurd? The fact that every little public event, performance, letter-opening or sneeze is being picked apart by Ma and Pa kettle is making it very difficult to make pleasant conversation at the water-cooler.

Example 1 - Today at work;

Me: "Hi, how are you?"
Pa Kettle: "Yeah good. Did you see that crap about hitting your kids with a wooden spoon? A bit of discipline never hurt anyone I say."
Me: (stupidly) "Could using a weapon to discipline them be a bit harsh though?"
Pa Kettle: "What?! A wooden spoon's not a weapon! Use whatever you need I say. Kids these days." (shakes head)

Example 2 - Later in the afternoon;

Ma kettle: "Can you believe that John Safran?"
Me: (stupidly) "What's going on?"
Ma kettle: "He's doing a blackface sketch on his new show!"
Me: "Hang on. But I thought the majority of Australia was for blackface humour?" (Could I have possibly misconstrued the 350 comments on The Daily Telegraph article last week?)
Ma kettle: "He's a disgrace that's what he is! They should take him off tv!"
Me: "But are you just saying that because you hate Jews?"
Ma kettle: "What?! he's Jewish too?"

Is all this outrage - directed at pretty much anything - making the issues that are actually worthy of discussion seem a bit, well, stupid? How can I be legitimately offended by the blackface skit if I don't really care whether dwarves dress up as jockeys and ride some crowd members at a racing carnival? If I have a penchant for skinny Jewish boys making fun of organised religion does that mean I should be all for hitting my child with random kitchen utensils?

... hang on, or should that be the other way around?

It seems like Australia is choosing sides and the battle lines aren't very well drawn out. Beware Australia; the water-cooler is no longer a safe place.

* One more thing; are all those people that joined the "I'm a fan of spooning" group on Facebook feeling awkward?

Welcome back John

Look, to be honest, I don't care who he's offending or what he's doing, there is something so darn attractive about a skinny Jewish boy with self-esteem problems poking fun at organised religion.

For the record, I'm down with that.

So here's a look at John Safran's next project for ABC:

It starts on Wednesday, October 21st.