HISTORY
1996
- 1998
Based on the English
television program, Have I Got News For You, Good News Week
was first screened in 1996... minus Julie McCrossin. Mikey's
opposing team captain for the first season was comedian Anthony
Aykroyd, who had previously worked with Paul and DAAS on The Big
Gig.
The original series was quite
substantially different to the Good News Week
we now see every Friday. For instance, no-one watching a 1996
episode for the first time could fail to notice the difference
between the '98 Good News Week set and the
colourful "cardboard" that passed as one back in '96.
The games were also different, but what is more noticable is the
number of games per show. There was originally a much greater
emphasis on the games and on Paul's comments in between with
little time for ad-libbing and the on the spot comedy which many
now love more than the planned satire. Paul's monologue didn't
have quite the same "spark"... perhaps too much genial
host and not enough bitter and twisted Allstar!
Good News Week
didn't achieve the greatest ratings in its debut season. The ABC
(perhaps not realising that NONE of its shows achieve great
ratings!) decided its services were no longer needed. But while Good
News Week's fans did not have the quantity
to satisfy the ABC, they did have a certain persuasive quality.
Good News Week survived for the programme
planners to tell the story => minus, of course, their role in
the near axing.
These days Good
News Week is in danger of becoming a "hit",
rather than just a "cult hit", a fact that even made
its way into the hallowed pages of the Age Green Guide. Some
weeks it even beats l.c.d. favourite Burke's Backyard
in the ratings war.
1999
- ????
After many long
months of negotiations and rumours, GNW finally decided to make
the move to Channel Ten for 1999. The new series begins on Sunday
the twenty-first of March at 7:30pm - the big-time ratings time
slot.
Many fans of the show have greatly criticised the move. However,
it's foolish to condemn the decision before so much as seeing the
new format.... and, if nothing else, at least we'll be getting
more GNW per week with the new arrangements.
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Anthony Allstars Page
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