David M. Green: Purveyor of fine humour

  • RIP David “Daisy” Day

    I’ve just spent 9 hours driving from Adelaide to Melbourne and I’ve arrived safely only to hear the news that Adelaide radio legend David Day has passed away.

    I would not have a career in radio if it were not for this man.

    In 2006, I was 18 and in second year uni when I decided I wanted to get involved with Flinders University Student Radio. Not having the courage to just jump on air and do it, I saw an ad for David Day’s “Intro to Radio Course” at his Australian Radio School, and figured it was worth a shot. Me and a bunch of other guys and gals of various ages and backgrounds met with Daisy one night a week for 12 weeks in his little studio on South Terrace to learn how to make radio. It was great. I remember one night he gave us a tour of the Triple M studios and he showed us this digital audio editing machine called Vox-Pro. I’d never seen anything like that before and I remember watching in awe as he recorded a sentence and chopped it up, rearranged it and put music under it in about 10 seconds. I had this huge epiphany: “So THAT’S how they do it!” I always wanted to make comedy sketches and I saw Daisy do that and my imagination just ran away, thinking of all the possibilities.

    I had a meeting with him in 2007 to get some career guidance. By this stage, I’d done a few comedy shows on community radio but I was prepared to go out and work at a country station to get some more experience. He said he reckoned I’d be bored if I went out to the country, so he passed my demo directly to then Today Network Content Director Craig Bruce. That lead to my first gig in radio as a panel operator at SAFM. That lead to my next one at MTR. And that lead to my current one at Crocmedia.

    That was my relationship with Daisy. He was a great guy. Always had time to listen. He lived hard and fast and had some incredible stories from the golden years of FM radio. The last time I saw him was December 2009 at one of his SA Music Hall of Fame lunches. I went up to him at the end to say goodbye and thanks for everything because I was moving to Melbourne to pursue show biz. He shook my hand and said: “Good. I expect big things from you”.

    I’m thinking of his friends and family at this difficult time.

    Cheers Daisy. RIP.

    David M. Green

  • Mad as Hell wraps for Series 5

    It’s a wrap on another season of Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell. What more can I say? I love the show. I love the team. I love the man.

    By the way, that’s the ACTUAL Godzilla toy (centre) as featured in that sketch from “The Micallef Pogram”. You know the one I mean.

    All 10 episodes from series/season 5 are up on ABC iView. You’ve got until April 29 until they take them down. I had quite a bit of food-related material in this season. Look out for a bit about a pretzel and an edible coffee cup 😉

    Also, see if you can spot me in the final episode. Here’s a hint:

    Something else unexpected I’ve enjoyed since moving to Melbourne is randomly seeing something I saw on TV years earlier. Sometimes it’s the most obscure thing. Here’s one of them. This is the corner of Selwyn Street and Sinclair Street in Elsternwick, just outside the ABC production offices, looking east:

    I thought there was something familiar about that corner. Now take a look at the opening titles to “The Micallef Pogram” (correct spelling), that aired on ABC TV in early 2001… about 91 seconds in:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGWcnlneS-U

    Aha!

    How about that? As you can see, those water restrictions had some impact.

    Or maybe it’s the budget cuts?

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green

  • RIP Joe Murray

    Very sad this week to hear veteran ABC director Joe Murray passed away Wednesday morning.

    Joe directed some of Australia’s most memorable TV comedies, including The Late Show and DAAS Kapital. He was vision mixer on Countdown and The Gillies Report. Backberner, Recovery, The D Generation – the list goes on.

    I had the pleasure of working with Joe last year when he came out of retirement to direct the third season of 31 Questions. He was very generous with his time and taught us all so much about how to make television. He was always cool, calm and collected. When there was chaos in the studio, I’d hear Joe speak with that softly-spoken voice of his and I knew it was all under control. And I loved hearing his stories about the old days at the ABC.

    He shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with a new generation of television-makers. It was a rare opportunity and an honour to work with a legend. We will always cherish the brief time we had with Joe, and he will be sorely missed among the cast and crew.

    My thoughts are with Joe’s family and close friends at this difficult time. RIP.

    Yours sincerely,
    David M. Green

  • Mad As Hell Series 5

    Hey you! I’m back on the writing team of Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell for another season. The 5th in fact. So it’s like The Beatles’ “Help” album of television seasons.

    You can enjoy the topical news-based comedy at the slightly different time of Wednesdays 8.30pm on ABC TV. Or there’s ABC iView and a selection of clips on the Mad As Hell YouTube Channel, like this one:

    By the way, there’s a subtle reference to my webseries “Too Easy” in that clip. But I didn’t write it. It’s just a bizarre coincidence 😀

    Also, here’s a nice article about how the show is made. Spot the writers!

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green

  • VHS Revue

    Merry New Year!

    When I was in Adelaide the other week, I got together with my good friend Nick Godfrey to make a new direct-to-YouTube video recorded on the futuristic medium of VHS…

    And after tedious conversion through about 4 other formats. it’s now online for your enjoyment. Presenting “VHS Revue”. A nostalgic look back on the 4:3 gems taped and abandoned on video cassette decades ago. In this edition, I look at a tape of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics:

    Highlights include commercials for National, Ansett, South Australian potatoes & Peter Russell-Clarke endorsing cheese, as well as some John Newcombe presenting clips and an Eyewitness News update with a young Tim Webster.

    You may have noticed that’s actually episode 2. I did make a similar video back in 2008 where I dissected some ads on a tape of the 1985 Australian Grand Prix, originally titled “Witty 80s TV Commercial Nerd”. I’ve re-branded that Star Wars-style as “VHS Revue 1”. Here’s that one, if you’re interested:

    These are really fun to make. And there’s something quite relaxing about putting a tape into the VCR and hearing those reels wind around, not knowing what you’re going to find. I find my eyes that are so used to crystal clear HD reception adjust to the warm, fuzzy image on the screen after a while. I brought a box of old tapes back with me to Melbourne, so if I find anything good, I’ll be back for another VHS Revue.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    How about that blue shirt? Still fits!