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A Week Of It
''A Week of It'' is a New Zealand television series screened from 1977 to 1979. A comedy sketch show, the series relied heavily on political satire, and as such was often written very shortly before it screened. Although it only ran for three years, the show was very popular, and launched the careers of many New Zealand entertainers, most notably David McPhail and Jon Gadsby. The show was screened on South Pacific Television (later to become TV2) and produced in Christchurch, with the first episode airing on 4 July 1977, and was groundbreaking for New Zealand television. Despite satirical series lampooning current politics having run overseas for many years (notably the United Kingdom's ''That Was The Week That Was''), they were a novelty in New Zealand, with only John Clarke's creation Fred Dagg having preceded ''A Week of It''. The show's regular cast included McPhail (who also produced the show), Gadsby, singer and comedian Annie Whittle, straight-man/introducer Ken Ellis, C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Holden (director)
Tony Holden is a television producer and director. He has been involved in New Zealand television since the 1970s. In the 1970s, he directed episodes of the sketch show ''A Week of It''. Holden directed a film about the theatre group Red Mole ''Radio with Pictures - Red Mole (Life is a Zoo)'' (1980), much of which was filmed in Wellington Zoo. In the 1980s, he produced and directed ''The Billy T. James William James Te Wehi Taitoko (17 January 1948 – 7 August 1991) better known by his stage name Billy T. James, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian, musician and actor. He became a key figure in the development of New Zealand comedy and a ... Show'' (the 1984 season) and episodes of the Roger Hall sitcom ''Gliding on''. He has produced soap opera '' Shortland Street'', and served as executive producer on numerous specials. References External links * New Zealand television directors Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{NewZealand-t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Dagg
Fred Dagg is a fictional character from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by satirist John Clarke. Clarke appeared on New Zealand TV screens as Dagg during the mid to late 1970s, " taking the piss" out of the post-pioneering Kiwi " blokes" and "blokesses". The sense of the name "Dagg" is associated with the slang term '' dag''. The Fred Dagg character is a stereotypical farmer and New Zealand bloke: clad in a black singlet and gumboots, hailing from the isolated rural town of Taihape, and attended by numerous associates (or sons) all named "Trev". One memorable expression was uttered whenever there was a knock at the door: "That'll be the door." When Clarke first unveiled the character of Fred Dagg in recordings and on New Zealand TV in 1975, he became a national star. He also recorded a series of records and cassettes as Dagg, as well as publishing several books. In 1977, Clarke moved from New Zealand to Australia, where he went on to establish him ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1977 New Zealand Television Series Debuts
Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). * January 17 ** 49 marines from the and are killed as a result of a collision in Barcelona harbour, Spain. * January 18 ** Scientists identify a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious Legionnaires' disease. ** Australia's worst railway disaster at Granville, a suburb of Sydney, leaves 83 people dead. ** SFR Yugoslavia Prime minister Džemal Bijedić, his wife and 6 others are killed in a plane crash in Bosnia and Herzegovina. * January 19 – An Ejército del Aire CASA C-207C Azor (registration T.7-15) plane crashes into the side of a mountain near Chiva, on approach to Valencia Airport in Spain, killing all 11 people on board. * January 20 – Jimmy Carter is sworn in as the 39th President ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1970s New Zealand Television Series
Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * February 19 – Battle of Lugdunum: Emperor Septimius Severus defeats the self-proclaimed emperor Clodius Albinus at Lugdunum (modern Lyon). Albinus commits suicide; legionaries sack the town. * Septimius Severus returns to Rome and has about 30 of Albinus's supporters in the Senate executed. After his victory he declares himself the adopted son of the late Marcus Aurelius. * Septimius Severus forms new naval units, manning all the triremes in Italy with heavily armed troops for war in the East. His soldiers embark on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
McPhail And Gadsby
McPhail is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Addie McPhail (1905–2003), American film actress *Alastair McPhail, British diplomat, the first British ambassador to South Sudan * Andy McPhail, Scottish rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s *Billy McPhail (1928–2003), Scottish footballer *Bob McPhail (1905–2000), Scottish international footballer * Bob McPhail (rugby), English rugby union, and rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s *Bruce McPhail (1937–2020), New Zealand rugby player * Dan McPhail (1903–1987), Scottish professional footballer * David McPhail (rugby league) (1886–?), New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s *David McPhail (1945–2021), New Zealand actor *Donna McPhail, British comedian, TV presenter, journalist * Douglas McPhail (1914–1944), American actor and singer *George Wilson McPhail (1815–1871), Presbyterian minister, president of Lafayette College, and Davidson College. * Hal M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Rowling
Sir Wallace Edward Rowling (; 15 November 1927 – 31 October 1995), commonly known as Bill Rowling, was a New Zealand politician who was the 30th prime minister of New Zealand from 1974 to 1975. He held office as the parliamentary leader of the Labour Party. Rowling was a lecturer in economics when he entered politics; he became a Member of Parliament in the 1962 Buller by-election. Not long after entering parliament Rowling began to rise through Labour's internal hierarchy, and he was Party President from 1970 to 1973. He was serving as Minister of Finance (1972–1974) when he was appointed Prime Minister following the death of the highly popular Norman Kirk. His Labour Government's effort to retrieve the economy ended with an upset victory by the National Party in November 1975. Rowling continued to lead the Labour Party but lost two more general elections. Upon retiring from the party's leadership in 1983, he was knighted. He served as Ambassador to the United States f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leader Of The Opposition (New Zealand)
In New Zealand, the Leader of the Opposition (or Opposition leader) is a senior politician who leads the Official Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is, by convention, the leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives that is not in government (nor provides confidence and supply). This is usually the parliamentary leader of the second-largest caucus in the House of Representatives. When in the debating chamber the Opposition leader sits on the left-hand side of the centre table, in front of the Opposition and opposite the prime minister. The role of the leader of the Opposition dates to the late 19th century, with the first political parties, and the office was formally recognised by statute in 1933. Although currently mentioned in a number of statutes, the office is not established by any Act (nor is that of the prime minister); it is simply a product of the conventions of the Westminster-style parliamentary system. The leader of the Opposition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rob Muldoon
Sir Robert David Muldoon (; 25 September 19215 August 1992) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand, from 1975 to 1984, while leader of the National Party. Serving as a corporal and sergeant in the army in the Second World War, Muldoon completed his training as an accountant and returned to New Zealand as its first fully qualified cost accountant. He was first elected to the House of Representatives at the 1960 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamaki, representing the National Party. In this time of political stability, Muldoon served successively as Minister of Tourism (1967), Minister of Finance (1967–1972), and Deputy Prime Minister (1972). Over this time he built up an informal but solid backing amongst National's mostly rural right faction, which he labelled "Rob's Mob"—possibly in imitation of gangs such as the Mongrel Mob. National were then expelled from office in 1972, beginning the tenure of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Hawes
Peter Robert Hawes (30 September 1947 – 29 October 2018) was a New Zealand playwright, novelist, and scriptwriter. Biography Born in Westport, Hawes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch. Whilst living in Barcelona, he wrote—in Spanish—a best-selling novel about the Spanish Inquisition: ''La Hoguera'' (''The Bonfire''), published in 1974. After returning to New Zealand in 1975, he worked for television, as a researcher and journalist, and as a scriptwriter for various series, including ''Fraggle Rock'', and ''Against the Law''. Several of his plays remain unperformed; for example, ''A Higher Form of Killing''. Hawes died on 29 October 2018. Selected works Novels *''La Hoguera'' (in Spanish) (''The Bonfire''), 1974 *''Tasman's Lay'', 1995 *''Leapfrog with Unicorns'', 1996 Plays *''Alf's General Theory of Relativity'', 1981 *''Ptolemy's Dip'', 1982 *''Armageddon Revisited'', 1983 *''Goldie: A Good Joke'', a portrait of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Clarke (satirist)
John Morrison Clarke (29 July 1948 – 9 April 2017) was a New Zealand comedian, writer and satirist who lived and worked in Australia from the late 1970s. He was a highly regarded actor and writer whose work appeared on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in both radio and television and also in print. He is principally known for his character Fred Dagg and his long-running collaboration with fellow satirist Bryan Dawe, which lasted from 1989 to his death in 2017, as well as for his success as a comic actor in Australian and New Zealand film and television. Early life and career Clarke was born on 29 July 1948 in Palmerston North, New Zealand, the son of Ted Clarke and Neva Clarke-McKenna. He moved to Wellington and attended Scots College before studying at Victoria University of Wellington between 1967 and 1970. Clarke first became known during the mid to late 1970s for portraying a laconic farmer called Fred Dagg on stage, film and television. Gumboot and singlet- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David McPhail
David Alexander McPhail (11 April 1945 – 14 May 2021) was a New Zealand comedic actor and writer whose television career spanned four decades. McPhail first won fame on sketch comedy show ''A Week of It'', partly thanks to his impressions of New Zealand prime minister Robert Muldoon. He went on to appear in multiple series of sketch show ''McPhail and Gadsby'', and hit comedy ''Letter to Blanchy''. All three shows featured his longtime friend Jon Gadsby. Early life and family McPhail was born in Christchurch on 11 April 1945, the son of Alexander Edward McPhail and his second wife, Ivy Freda Halford. His father was described as a "devout atheist" of Scottish descent who was a businessman and chairman of New Zealand Rugby. His half-siblings included Neil McPhail and Clement McPhail, both of whom represented Canterbury at rugby. Neil McPhail was also coach of the New Zealand national rugby union team, the All Blacks, from 1961 to 1965. David McPhail was educated at Cathedra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
That Was The Week That Was
''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and presented by David Frost. The programme is considered a significant element of the satire boom in the UK in the early 1960s, as it broke ground in comedy by lampooning political figures. Its broadcast coincided with coverage of the politically charged Profumo affair, and John Profumo became a figure of derision. TW3 was broadcast from Saturday, 24 November 1962 through late December 1963. An American version under the same title aired on NBC from 1964 to 1965, also featuring Frost. Cast and writers Cast members included cartoonist Timothy Birdsall, political commentator Bernard Levin, and actors Lance Percival, who sang topical calypsos, many improvised to suggestions from the audience, Kenneth Cope, Roy Kinnear, Willie Rushton, Al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
