How great was Australian sketch comedy back in the (INSERT DEBATABLE DECADE HERE)?
While everything that gives you a laugh is very subjective, there was a moment – or should I say, character – that was such a simple concept, it still holds up well to this very day.
In 1988, the sketch comedy show The Comedy Company was screened on Channel 10 and ran for a period of two years, making household names of the performers like Ian McFadyen, Russell Gilbert, Peter Rowsthorn, Mark Mitchell, Mary-Anne Fahey, Tim Smith, Kim Gyngell, Siobhan Tuke, Chris Keogh, Paula Gardner and Glenn Robbins.
While there were many characters like Con The Fruiterer, Col’n Carpenter, Josephine and others that became memorable in the schoolyard, one character that stood out was Robbins’ “Uncle Arthur” – a daggy, old-fashioned uncle who unintentionally causes embarrassment and creating fun at the same time, all with the usage of the old fashioned Super 8 recorder and live commentary to show you his home movies.
While The Comedy Company episodes have never been re-broadcast on TV, ‘best of’ specials were released on VHS and DVD (and long out of print), which contained small snippets of Uncle Arthur. Thanks to the glory of the internet, YouTube user Tristan Forrest created a collection of Uncle Arthur moments on VHS and eventually got around to releasing it into the wild.
The video includes some rarites, such as making an appearance on Channel 10’s kids show The Early Bird Show, having fun with Marty Monster’s Lucky Drop segment.
So grab a juice box, take a biccy that Aunty Dawn put together for you, and enjoy some laughs.
