Comedy Inc.

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Comedy Inc. (The Late Shift)

Genre	Sketch comedy
Picture format	Widescreen (16:9)
Running time	60 minutes per episode (inc. commercials)
Starring	Current Cast Paul McCarthy Jim Russell Mandy McElhinney Emily Taheny Katrina Retallick Genevieve Morris Scott Brennan Simon Mallory
Country of origin	Australia
Original channel	Nine Network
Original run	2003–

Comedy Inc. is also the name of a Canadian Television series. See Comedy Inc. (Canadian TV series)

Comedy Inc. (2005-2006 seasons: Comedy Inc: The Late Shift) is an Australian sketch comedy television program which originally aired in early 2003 in the new wave of Australian sketch comedy shows following the demise of Full Frontal, along with Big Bite and skitHOUSE. It is shown on the Nine Network and regional affiliates such as WIN and NBN.

The show has proved to be more commercially successful in Australia than its rivals, and was the first to release a DVD of content.

From what is widely considered to have been a rocky start in 2003, the show has evolved into an unlikely critical favourite that, with numerous nominations for major Australian and international awards (see below), has become the most honoured sketch comedy series in Australian television history.

1 Comedy Inc: The Late Shift (2005-2006)
2 Comedy Inc: Specials (2005)
3 Critical Response
4 Cast
5 Recurring sketches
6 Shows / Films / Advertisements Parodied (all seasons)
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Comedy Inc: The Late Shift (2005-2006)

Beginning with its 2005 season, the show aired in a later timeslot, in the process changing its name to Comedy Inc.: The Late Shift. This version was a success with both audiences and television critics, due to its slightly more risque content, as well as original new characters like "Blokeman" and "Matt and Bray". The new show marked the beginning of a collaboration between new head writer Rick Kalowski and producer/director David McDonald, widely credited with the revivification of the show. The series was a 2005 "Australian Film Institute" Awards nominee for Best Television Comedy Series, as well as a 2006 Logie Awards nominee for Most Outstanding Comedy Series, and a 2006 Rose D'Or Award nominee for Best International Comedy Series. David McDonald received a nomination for Best Direction in Television at the 2005 "Australian Film Institute" Awards for his work on the show.

The fourth and current series of Comedy Inc. debuted on Tuesday May 30 2006 again on the Nine Network. The new series marks the departure of Ben Oxenbould and Gabriel Andrews from the show, and their replacement with the popular Australian comedian Scott Brennan and actor Simon Mallory. After a successful run so far this year the program has been moved to a new 10.30pm timeslot on Sundays, where it has again dominated its timeslot, proving especially popular with younger viewers. The current series, characterised by darker and even more risque material than the first series of 'Comedy Inc. - The Late Shift', will run 25 1-hour episodes in total, following a recent extension of the series by the Nine Network, making it the longest running series of the show to date.

On Thursday 19 October, 2006, the show was nominated at the 2006 "Australian Film Institute Awards" in five categories, including Best Television Comedy Series, Best Direction in Television, and two nominations for Best Performance in a Television Comedy Series, one each for Paul McCarthy and Genevieve Morris.

[edit] Comedy Inc: Specials (2005)

In 2005 two hundred and ninety six one-hour specials called "Comedy Inc: Takes out TV" were aired in Japan, the first shot bob the builder in the head during the series and then the week following the week followibg the week after it dtarted the final episode of "The Late Shift". They featured mostly television parody sketches with a few general sketches of cars and micheal jacksons face (this was obviously done by a Japanese person. nothe the bad grammar and various other things.)

[edit] Critical Response

Although critical reaction to the series on its debut in 2003 was mixed, reviews of the show have improved with each series. The 2005 and 2006 series of the show, in particular, have received positive reviews from most major Australian newspapers, the consensus being that the later timeslot has made for a darker, more interesting and funnier show. Consistent with that critical response, it is the 'later timeslot' series of the show that have been nominated for various awards. Most recently, Jim Schembri, notoriously tough television critic for Melbourne's leading newspaper The Age has described the show as "the hands-down funniest and smartest local laughfest on TV in 2006"[1].

[edit] Cast

Paul McCarthy
Jim Russell
Mandy McElhinney
Ben Oxenbould (2003-2005) (guest appearances only in 2006)^{[citation needed]}
Emily Taheny
Gabriel Andrews (2003-2005)
Katrina Retallick
Genevieve Morris
Scott Brennan (2006-)
Simon Mallory (2006-)

[edit] Recurring sketches

"Blokeman" - An Aussie superhero who is a complete slob and only does most jobs if he is paid, which he does with little effort. Recently he acquired a partner, "Wonder Mole", a parody of Wonder Woman. In the 2006 season, Blokeman is now forced to compete with "Metrosexual Man"

"Matt + Bray" (2005 only) - 2 brothers, an overly cheerful man and his mentally challenged brother, move in next door to an overly-suspicious barrister.

"Honest Dad" - A father tucks his son into bed, where the son asks him a question and he answers "honestly." Topics range from abortion to illegitimacy to "special" children.

"Sexually Harassed Woman" - A woman who believes what men says is directed towards her and is sexually explicit, causing her to break out in rages which promptly terrifies the men.

"Selina: She Grows on You" - A rich woman deals with her gardener Selina and her unorthodox methods of gardening, ranging from using her own faeces as manure to growing drugs to pay for the new reticulating system and running over the rich woman's dog with a lawn mower.

"Ernest the Engine and Others" - An adult version of Thomas the Tank Engine which includes:
- Ernest - A train with several issues including repressed sexuality, wanting to change jobs and to overthrow the "Overweight" Controller.
- Stevie the Steam Train - A train that stutters at inappropriate moments and is highly intelligent.
- Gail the Guards Compartment - A female train car that surprisingly has women's issues including attractiveness and women's lib.

"Wide World of Sports Special Offers" - A parody of Channel Nine's special offers that attempt to sell bizarre relics from athletes and sport including Mike Tyson's brain scans to Mark Philippoussis's collection of underwear given to him from famous female celebrities and Makybe Diva's manure fresh from the Flemington Racecourse while running in the Melbourne Cup. The voiceover for this sketch is a parody of Richie Benaud.

"Napoleon Bonaparte writing at his desk" - Where Napoleon Bonaparte writes bizarre, out of 18th Century, letters including to his wife Josephine, to a newspaper concerning immigrants and to a Sony PlayStation competition.

"Kaleen" - A strange, bizarre dressing stalker, who constantly pops up out of nowhere, helping people with their problems and making them feel uncomfortable about themselves.

"Dave "I'm Not Gay"" (2005 only) - A gay or formerly gay man attempts to stay straight despite showing brief homosexual activity involving sausages and prostate examinations, all the while saying "I'm not gay."

"Berni with an "I"" (2005 only) - A mockumentary of an almost talentless showgirl spanning over 10 episodes as she and a host of colourful characters attempt to bring her into the limelight.

"Prime Minister John Howard's addresses to the nation" - Not so much as a parody as these addresses do not occur for real but this skit features John Howard often alerting the nation on irrevelent national matters and personal details of his life. Examples include confirming he would like to have a gay relationship with Peter Costello, identifying some members of parliament as terrorist suspects and naming a certain television network (the ABC) as a terrorist organization.

"Helpful Hooker" - A man usually with passengers drives up in his car and asks a hooker various questions. Examples include asking the hooker to help his son with his algebra homework and the hooker telling him he can have some fun by going down to the Rollerama (Roller skating rink) instead of sex. Often the Hooker tries to discourage the men.

"The Trenches" - ANZAC soldiers during the First World War get up to several weird antics in the trenches.

"Assassins" - Where suit-wearing men often come across stumbling blocks in their profession, such as confusion over assembling an assault rifle or knocking off a housekeeper just to steal bath soaps.

"Gangsters" - Where a couple of 1920s-esques Mafia types take some unlikely person into the forest to kill, often making them dig their own grave...with hilarious results.

"Baby Shower" - An expectant mother often experiences unfortunate events or receive unusual gifts at her own baby shower.

"War Room" - Where top (United States) military officials (sometimes including the president) meet and discuss relative issues of 'national security' including spying on people having sex, and watching Die Hard on a plasma screen TV.