David M. Green: Purveyor of fine humour

Tag: Anthony McCormack

  • 31 QUESTIONS SEASON 2 PREMIER TONIGHT!

    It’s here! It’s on! It’s tonight!

    See what the 11 months of hard work was all about as 31 Questions Season 2 has its exclusive world premier 8.30PM tonight on C31 Melbourne & Geelong!

    Most TVs in the Melbourne and Geelong area should be able to pick it up on digital channel 44. But if you live in a valley or you’re some other place, keep checking YouTube because we’ll stick it up there soon after it airs in Melbourne.

    To quote Richard Ayoade: This will be the most significant televisual event since Quantum Leap. And I do not say that lightly.

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    11 months. Jesus.

  • The Good Show(s)

    It’s taken 16 months but FINALLY, we have a new episode of The Good Show, my sketch comedy podcast with TV’s Anthony McCormack.

    They say  9 out of 10 podcasts fail within their first 5 episodes. Don’t ask me who said that. I don’t know. Actually, I suppose I said that. Yeah, you can just quote me.

    Although, I’d like to see the stats on how many podcasts are put on hold due to no access to a studio AND because the hosts are too busy making TWO seasons of a TV show… Though I suspect the answer is The Good Show.

    Episode 3 can be acquired via this direct link, or on the iTune, or through this handy player thing:

    [display_podcast]

    Among sketches about cheeseburgers, tractors and expensive hookers, Anthony and I also discuss our upcoming second season of 31 Questions – the TV game show of that name.

    In fact, the Season 2 PREMIER EPISODE is on Channel 31 Melbourne & Geelong this Saturday 27 July 8.30PM! That’s a convenient 90 minutes earlier than last year’s time slot.

    At this time I can also tell you 31 Questions will air in Perth on WTV at the dangerously family-friendly time of Sundays 11.30AM from August 4, with a repeat Mondays 3.30PM from August 5. We’re apparently going for the early crowd over in WA.

    Across the Tasman Sea, catch 31 Questions in New Zealand on Face Television Wednesdays 9.30PM from August 14. And if you hop a plane to Sydney, you can watch it again on TVS Thursdays 9.30PM from August 15.

    Still waiting to get our time slots from 44 Adelaide and 31 Digital Brisbane. There may also be some extra repeat time slots, but I can assure you once I get them, I’ll keep them secret and refuse to give them to you.

    And did I mention we were on the TV Tonight website?

    Just ignore the bit where he lapses back into the press release.

    😀

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    (TV’s)

  • 31 Questions – The Recording of Season 2, Episode 7

    After the dizzying highs of Episode 6, we were back in the studio on Monday April 29 for our 7th shoot of Season 2. And I was dog tired.

    This year I’m back panelling “AFL Live” for Crocmedia on regional radio around Australia. I’d worked a 10 hour shift on ANZAC Day, which included 9 straight hours at the panel, panelling two full AFL games. It’s the longest I’ve ever spent panelling live radio. It was great fun, but I was pretty damn mentally exhausted by the end of it. That Thursday shift was followed by my usual weekend shifts. So I panelled for 29 hours in 4 days.

    Then it was straight on to 31 Questions Day.

    I was running late as I hadn’t had a chance to do all my little last minute preparations until, well, the last minute; Cutting out the questions and sticking them to my cue cards, ironing my only white shirt, practicing the movie quotes, organising props and sending out endless emails.

    As always seems to be the case with days like this, for the first time ever, I left my autocue script at home and I set a new record for finding the farthest ever parking space from the RMIT studios. When I finally hauled myself and my box of tricks in (well, Antonio carried the box), it was straight into shooting a sketch and then straight from that into Episode 7. In hindsight, I should have had a coffee. Or at least a can of Diet Coke.

    If for no other reason than to control my explosive flatulence.

    But aside from my slight irritability, it was another successful shoot. We’re continuing the string of great crowds and people seem to be “getting it”. Either that or they’re laughing at us. Either way.

    There was a guy named Henry with an English accent, sitting in the front row. For a moment there I thought he was that Marcus Taylor guy, making good on his threat to turn up to one of my gigs. Fortunately it wasn’t the same guy.

    Back in 2011 he asked me to do a funny review of his help self book. He didn’t much like my review. It’s a long and ridiculous story. Read it here.

    Kudos also to producer and production manager Riyana Kasmawan. Not only has she been making the fabulous prizes and props every week, she’s also been cooking dinner for the cast and crew. And though I personally haven’t eaten any of it because I’m never in the mood to eat before a taping, I’m told it’s been adequate and more importantly, within budget.

    A+

    Simon Owens from Melbourne radio station 3AW joined regular person Ashlee behind the contestant podium this week. It’s always great when our contestants have a go, even if they don’t get every question right. Points for effort count.

    Actually, points for absolutely no reason also count. That’s Moderator Anthony’s department.

    And so we reach the END of Season 2. Tonight we’re taping Episode 8, the glorious season finale.

    If you want to be a part of it, come join the studio audience!

    Pop in 8.30PM:

    Studio A, Level 2, Building 12
    RMIT University
    on Melbourne’s fabulous Swanston Street
    (near the corner of Franklin Street)

    Or RSVP to the event on Facebook.

    Of course there is still ONE MORE opportunity to see 31 Questions live in 2013. Next week on Monday 16 May, we’re re-shooting Episode 2, which we lost to a tape malfunction. And that really will be the last one. To my knowledge.

    See you tonight!

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    To my knowledge (wink wink).

  • John Blackman on 31 Questions!?!?! It happened… Season 2, Ep 6 Taping

    A wise man once told me breakfast time last Friday that the 6th episode is usually when a TV show hits its stride. He was proved right once again with OUR 6th episode, which was laid down on tape Monday, 22 April 2013.

    We were honoured to have veteran TV and radio performer JOHN BLACKMAN in the studio, who I fondly remember from a childhood spent watching “Hey, Hey It’s Saturday!” and my teenage years listening to the breakfast show on Adelaide’s Triple M (on the rare occasion I woke up before 9am).

    DMG Fun Fact! I did actually have my clock radio defaulted to Triple M circa 2002 (when chart music started not doing it for me any more) until 2007 when “Get This” was taken off the air. Except for that period in 2003/04 during that weird format switch with SAFM. But that’s another rant.

    John popped up several times throughout the episode. He also brought Dicky Knee and I got to do some schtick with him! It’s quite bizarre being on the OTHER SIDE of Dicky Knee. I have a whole new level of respect and sympathy for Daryl Somers, who really was just at the mercy of John Blackman.

    We also had a huge studio audience turnout this week. Maybe 30 people (including my sister Hannah all the way from Adelaide!). And a couple of dozen people in that little RMITV studio makes for a great atmosphere.

    John Blackman, what a pro. And what an absolute pleasure to work with. We had his segments roughly scripted, but there was room to ad lib and go with the flow. He added a bunch of extra gags on the fly. Just wonderful. The way television should be.

    Have I thanked Antonio for setting this one up? I haven’t? Does the question count as a thank you? Urgh… Big thanks to our fabulous director and media industry player Antonio Cafasso for arranging for Mr Blackman’s 31Q cameo!

    And, unbelievably, John Blackman had such a great time on 31 Questions he actually called 3AW on his drive home and gave us a plug! He even called me a “honey”.

    At least I think that’s what he said…

    Hear for yourself, audio courtesy of 3AW:

    [display_podcast]

    Bruce Mansfield on 31 Questions next… what do you think?

    Aside from Mr Blackman, the rest of the show went splendidly. Two more upstanding contestants. Great crowd. Great crew. Gags aplenty. Flushing things down the toilet (literally). You know, the usual.

    That’s most of the team down there. Best in community television.

    Reminder, you can join us in the studio this Monday 29 April for our next taping!

    Join the event on Facebook, or materialise 8.30PM:

    Studio A, Level 2, Building 12
    RMIT University
    on Melbourne’s fabulous Swanston Street
    (near the corner of Franklin Street)

    See you there, then and who!

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    Honey to work with.

  • 31 Questions Season 2 Ep 4: Best Show Yet

    For the first time since Season 2 began, I finally felt like we really nailed an episode.

    On Monday April 8, we were back in the studio to tape Episode 4. It was one of those magical nights where everything just came together. Great crowd. Scripted gags landed. Spontaneous laughs. Insightful contestants. We ran to schedule. And most importantly of all, we got it all on tape!

    Special guest Alex Williamson also popped in to record a cameo, providing a considerable amount of censoring work for the editor. Amazing how time flies. Back in 2008, Alex was a guest on my show “Pow-Wow” on Radio Adelaide. 5 years and 800km later, he’s a guest on my TV show. I still have trouble believing all this is actually happening.

    Shooting during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is tough. There’s strong competition for audiences. It’s rough out there, I tell ya!

    I think people just get desensitised to the constant Facebook and Twitter updates from comedians saying: “Come to my show! Come to my show!” Not to mention those invasive ads. Whoops. I just mentioned them.

    The 31 Questions experience is completely free – as are most TV studio audience experiences. We’re competing against comedy festival shows that charge $20-30 a ticket. It’s true that having a price of admission adds a sense of legitimacy to a show, and maybe the very fact we don’t charge is actually discouraging show-goers. But ultimately, we’re making a community TV show. We’d never charge people to see 31 Questions. I just want as many people as possible to see it, whether that be in studio or on TV or YouTube and damn the fact that as I’m writing this, I have $38.41 in the bank.

    Personally, I love free things. In fact, I try to avoid paying for things. At all costs.

    Doesn’t always work out, financially speaking.

    Once again, hats, jackets and pants off to our great crew.

    They just get better and better every week.

    It was such a great feeling walking out of that studio at the end of the night knowing the show is finally where I want it to be. When it’s good, it’s so, so good.

    Best feeling in the world.

    The next opportunity for you to be a part of it is this Monday 22 April for the taping of EPISODE SIX.

    8.30PM
    Studio A, Level 2, Building 12
    RMIT University
    on Melbourne’s fabulous Swanston Street
    (near the corner of Franklin Street).

    Join the event on Facebook.

    And a big thanks to the king of Australian TV audience warm up Michael Pope for sharing the event on Facebook. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of being warmed up by him, as I was when I saw “Mad As Hell” the other week, you’ll know he’s one of the best in the business.

    I must let you know though he won’t be at our taping. But it looks like we’ll be continuing our recent trend of special guest appearances with another popular character…

    I’ll see you on Monday. And until then (or until I get the photos from Ep 5 and blog about that), here’s some recently uploaded outtake footage from last year.

    Enjoy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnQt03x2E7U

    Kind regards,
    David M. Green
    Leave you legless. That really is a horrible joke when you think about it.