Sketch comedy and political satire series making fun of New Zealand Political figures and issues, starring David McPhail and Jon Gadsby with Peter Rowley and Russell Smith
An updated version appeared in 1998 co-starring Peter Rowley and Pinky Agnew.
Flexibility, teamwork and a hectic pace
Making a series of “McPhail and Gadsby” involves moving heaven and earth every Thursday and Friday for six weeks, says the producer, John Lye. IRENE GARDINER, from TVNZs publicity department, looks at the making of one programme.
Wednesday morning, October 2, 1985 — there are three days until the first programme of the tenth series of “McPhail and Gadsby” screens and all is reasonably calm in the production office on the sixth floor of the Manchester Unity building in Christchurch.
David McPhail, Jon Gadsby and their co-writer, A. K. Grant, are ensconced in Gadsby’s nearby flat, busily writing scripts. John Lye, the “McPhail and Gadsby” producer and director, is on hand in the office to take their progress report calls and relay information about developing sketches to design, graphics, wardrobe and make-up departments. And there is casting to organise — quickly. Lye’s assistant, Christine Pollard, is busy with paperwork at her desk.
The floor manager, Tony Wahren, pops in to suggest that costumes for a sketch involving two sheep for live export could be borrowed from the Court Theatre.
By early afternoon things are hotting up a little. Early pieces of script are coming through to be typed up. At 3 p.m., it is production meeting time. Lye, Pollard and Wahren, plus the designed, Mark White, the lighting director, Graham Johnson, Graham Ritchie from props, Robyn Martin from wardrove and Lenore Stewart from makeup gather in the production office and Lye starts making his requests.
He needs a nondescript looking office, some homosexual law reform petition boxes, a sign saying “dump your petitions here.” For another sketch, a live sheel export crate is needed, and wharf background effects. For another, a copy of a German weekly magazine is the necessary prop — try the university languages section.
For make-up, there is a request for false noses as long as they can possibly be made — apparently it is difficult, they tend to flop. The designer, Mark White, offers his assistance. And, make-up, how are we off for bald caps? Okay. Says John Lye: “It’s a case of moving heaven and earth every Thursday and Friday for six weeks.
The whole station has to get behind the programme. It wouldn’t get done otherwise. It’s like making a weekly current affairs programme with the complexities of drama and the necessity to be entertaining and funny.”
Thursday morning at Jon Gadsby’s flat The last two or three hours of writing are about to begin. A. K. Grant arrives. “Did you have any flashed of inspiration during the night?” asks Gadsby. “No,” replies Grant “But I’ve brought a paper around.”
He opens the morning’s “Press” and sits down at Gadsby’s dining-room table, bare apart from ashtrays, a typewriter and some paper. Gadsby makes coffee. McPhail arrives. Coffee, cigarettes, chat, laughter, ideas are kicked around. “Well, what should we have a crack at first?” Gadsby begins to type an introduction to a John Kirk song, reads it, times it.
The work process is casual, but professional. Meanwhile, at the TVNZ workshops in Madras Street, Mark White is busy moving heaven and earth. He has worked on the programme since it evolved from “A Week Ot It” He knows that to get things done he has to break all his department’s usual rules — compromise and flexibility are the key words.
Back at the production office, Lye quickly prepares his camera scripts for typing. At 3 p.m. it is rehearsal time. For three hours, McPhail, Gadsby and the support actors, Willie de Witt and Campbell McKay, read through their sketches. Tomorrow is the day.
9 am. Friday. Christchurch TVNZ studio block, Gloucester Street David McPhail is being turned into the Minister of Labour, Mr Rodger. McPhail practices setting his face the way of someone else. He runs through his lines. “OK, we’ve got some time to pick up here. Let’s go,” says Lye.
First up is a sketch requiring a series of increasingly large false noses, so there is lots of waiting for make-up to do their stuff. Lye estimates that about 2% hours of a record day is spent waiting for changes of sets, costume of make-up.
A few problems with the false noses, a couple of fluffed lines and a cleared frog in the throat later, the sketch is done and it is morning tea break time.
Next is a Norman Jones scene, and then the sheep. The pub scene is done and it is lunch break. There is a bit of informal rehearsing in the green room. A. K. Grant throws in a few ideas.
Afternoon. McPhail and Gadsby run through their lines in make-up. The “Mastermind” sketch goes well. There are a few fluffed lines, but everyone is human. The 6pm finishing time is rapidly approaching. It looks like things might run a bit late. They do, but John Lye stays remarkably calm.
Finally, at 6:30 p.m., it is all over for the studio team. But at 7 p.m. Lye and Pollard start work on final editing and compilation work. They don’t finish till the early hours of Saturday morning.
Later in the morning Lye returns to work on the soundtrack. At 2.30 p.m. in the studio block cafeteria it is replay time. People involved with the show and their invited guests view the programme, and their reaction is recorded for the soundtrack.
Later in the afternoon, Lye remixes the soundtrack with audience laughter. Finished at 6 pm. The show sits on the shelf for just 2 hours until screening time. Sunday, as they say, is a day of rest
On Mondays and Tuesdays, there is always paperwork to do — artists’ contracts, requisitions, letters to answer, internal memos to respond to, requests for the stars to perform at functions and for signed photographs to deal with. There is also some filming and videotaping to do. Outdoor, longer or more complicated sketches and songs that will not date are made in advance and inserted later.
For John Lye and the rest of the “McPhail .and Gadsby” team the six weeks that the show is in production are frantic. The pressure to get a programme that is both topical and complex in its requirements successfully in the can is great
A lot of the usual TVNZ production methods have to go by the by to get things done on time. Says Lye: “Our process is unique to “McPhail and Gadsby.’ We’d come unstuck if we were normal”
“McPhail and Gadsby” screens on Saturdays, on One, at 8.30 p.m.
Up the Poll: The Perplexed Person's Guide to Elections
1981 - Whitcoulls Publishers
By Bruce Ansley, Ken Ellis, Jon Gadsby, A.K. Grant, David McPhail, Chris McVeigh. Illustrated Simon Darby.
THE AUTHORS
Bruce Andey is a columnist who writes extremely well and sometimes other words too. A campaigning writer, he believes that he has found his ideal milieu in this book-it has no spine either. Ken Ellis, broadcaster and television personality, is very good at forewords and may even know more than that. He doesn't write them for any old rubbish, neither-just for this old rubbish. Jon Gadsby, a writer and author who quickly made a name for himself. However, his mother made him keep the one he had. Still widely known as the poor man's Barry Crump. Has his roots deep in Southland, but won't tell anyone where. Alan Grant lawyer, columnist, script editor, author, playwright-what more can we say? However, he insists-satirist, critic, bon viveur, father of two ... has nice droopy eyelids and matching body, and was once voted man most likely to exceed. David McPhail, television producer, actor, writer. Currently working on a series about a roving meat inspector ('CHoPs) and a moving, story of New Zealand night-life ('Scars on Sunday'). Immensely talented, they didn't make him Entertainer of the Year for nothing-it cost him plenty. Chris McVeigh, lawyer/actor/writer. Swarthily good-looking, he has turned many a woman's head-luckily, without lasting injury. Began his stage career in Swan Lake-he played the lake. A retiring sort of bloke, unfortunately not for some time yet.
While not an official TV Tie-in product to the show, this book includes the work of many of the writing team behind A Week of it/McPhail and Gadsby shows so captures some of it's tone.
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