''Fast Forward'' was Australia's highest-rating and most critically awarded

commercial television Commercial broadcasting (also called private broadcasting) is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship. It was the United States′ first model of radio (a ...

sketch comedy show, broadcast for 90 one-hour episodes from 12 April 1989 to 26 November 1992. The show was produced by

Steve Vizard Stephen William Vizard AM (born 6 March 1956) is an Australian television and radio presenter, producer, writer, lawyer and businessman. He is an adjunct professor at Monash University and University of Adelaide. Vizard has written for and ...

, who was also the executive producer, writer and performer, and starred

Jane Turner Jane Turner (born 1 December 1960) is an Australian actress, comedian and Logie Award-winning comedy series creator and screnwriter. Career Turner, although best known as a comedy performer, made her acting debut in the internationally ren ...

Gina Riley Gina Riley (born 6 May 1961) is an Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian, known for portraying Kim Craig in the television series ''Kath & Kim'', and for her work in musical theatre. Television and film Riley became a popular televis ...

Magda Szubanski Magdalene Mary Therese Szubanski ( ; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian comedy actress, author, singer and LGBT rights advocate. She performed in ''Fast Forward'', '' Kath & Kim'' as Sharon Strzelecki and in the films ''Babe'' (1995) and ' ...

(the three of whom went on to star in ''

Kath & Kim ''Kath & Kim,'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughter ...

''),

Marg Downey Marg Downey (born 5 May 1961) is an Australian comedian and actress best known for her roles in '' The D Generation'', ''Fast Forward'' and '' Full Frontal'' Early life and education Downey grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in the Melb ...

Michael Veitch Michael Veitch (born 29 November 1962 in Melbourne) is an Australian author, actor and broadcaster, best known for his roles on the sketch comedy television shows '' The D-Generation'', '' Fast Forward'' and '' Full Frontal'', as well as for hi ...

, Peter Moon, Alan Pentland, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks, Ernie Dingo, the ''

Rubbery Figures ''Rubbery Figures'' was a satirical rubber puppet series and segment that screened in Australia in various forms from 1984 to 1990. The series ran on the ABC until 1988, when it was axed and subsequently revived as a segment on Seven Network's ...

'' satirical puppets, and numerous guests and supporting stars, such as

Gerry Connolly Gerald Edward Connolly (born March 30, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district, first elected in 2008. The district is anchored in Fairfax County, an affluent suburban coun ...

and Bryan Dawe.''The Unofficial Fast Forward Guide'' ''Fast Forward'' was succeeded by the related series '' Full Frontal'', and subsequently ''Totally Full Frontal'', which were broadcast from 1993 to 1999. ''Full Frontal'' had a different main cast, but many of the ''Fast Forward'' cast guest starred. ''Fast Forward'' was directed by Ted Emery. From its second series onward, Andrew Knight joined Steve Vizard and Ted Emery as executive producers of the show. They went on to establish the leading Australian production house, Artist Services. All four seasons plus five 'best of' compilations of ''Fast Forward'' have been released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

. All four seasons were re-released in 2010. In 2013, the Network Ten-owned channel, One, began airing half-hour-long specials titled ''Fast Forward Funniest Send-Ups'' which first aired in 1994, making it the first time the show has been shown since 1998.

Background

Many of the stars came from a 1985

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia ...

sketch comedy pilot called ''The Eleventh Hour'', which also spawned ''

The Comedy Company ''The Comedy Company'' was an Australian comedy television series first aired from 16 February 1988 until about 11 November 1990 on Network Ten, Sunday night and was created and directed by cast member Ian McFadyen, and co directed and produce ...

'', via ''

The D-Generation ''The D-Generation'' was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for two series, between 1986 and 1987. A further four specials were broadcast on the ...

''. ''Fast Forward'' was commissioned by Seven in late 1988. It was produced by Vizard's production company, United Film Completion, and broadcast on Seven Network. There were a number of

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

s for the show, including ''Snapped Cable Television'', as well as ''Fast Forward''.

Style

''Fast Forward'' was noted for its fast-paced satirical comedy which particularly lampooned the media, in particular film and TV, with its parodies of well-known television shows (such as ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

'', ''

Lost In Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'', ''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

'', and ''

A Current Affair ''A Current Affair'' may refer to: * ''A Current Affair'' (Australian TV program), 1971–present Australian current affairs program that airs on Nine Network * ''A Current Affair'' (American TV program), a 1986–1998 American television news ...

''), personalities (such as Clive James,

Jana Wendt Jana Bohumila Wendt ( ; born 9 May 1956) is an Australian Gold Logie award-winning television journalist, reporter and writer. Early life Wendt was born in Melbourne to Czech parents who emigrated to Australia in 1949. Wendt attended Presentat ...

Derryn Hinch Derryn Nigel Hinch (born 9 February 1944) is a New Zealand-born media personality, politician, actor, journalist and published author. He is best known for his career in Australia, on Melbourne radio and television. He served as a Senator for V ...

and

Geoffrey Robertson Geoffrey Ronald Robertson (born 30 September 1946) is a human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster. He holds dual Australian and British citizenship.

) and commercials (such as for American Express and

Nescafé Nescafé is a brand of coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé first introduced their flagship coffee brand in Switzerland on 1 April 1938. History Nestl� ...

). Its subjects were also Australian politics, which it attacked through various political impersonations (including

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

and

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...

), and also using the political puppets, Rubbery Figures, previously seen in small segments on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, based on Peter Nicholson's political cartoons. Another key distinguishing feature was the use of simulated

channel surfing Channel surfing (also known as channel hopping or zapping) is the practice of quickly scanning through different television channels or radio frequencies to find something interesting to watch or listen to. Modern viewers, who may have cable or ...

to switch from sketch to sketch, often in the middle of a sketch, sometimes after the punchline. Particularly a sketch would abruptly switch to a momentary segment of static, followed by another sketch, simulating the effect of the viewer repeatedly switching channels. The channel-surfing device became a distinctive hallmark of the show that helped move quickly from sketch to sketch. The television and multimedia subject matter of the sketches, pace, style and devices were real points of difference from predecessor sketch comedy shows of the time, particularly earlier shows such as ''

The Mavis Bramston Show ''The Mavis Bramston Show'' was a weekly Australian television satirical sketch comedy revue series which aired on the Seven Network from 1964 to 1968. Inspired by the British TV satirical revue TV shows of the period (notably ''That Was The Week ...

'', ''

The Naked Vicar Show ''The Naked Vicar Show'' is a satirical Australian radio and television series. The classic Australian sitcom ''Kingswood Country'' was spawned from sketches in the series. Production The series was written and produced by Gary Reilly and ...

'', ''

Australia You're Standing In It ''Australia You're Standing In It'' is an Australian sketch comedy series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, first screened in September 1983 with a second series screened in September 1984. In honour of the 30th Anniversary of ...

'', ''

'' and ''

'', ''Fast Forward'' was more media-focused and parody-focused; a real difference, and the binding force for the whole show, was the now-famous channel-changing device. The white noise and on-screen static that represented the channel change became the modern television equivalent of a curtain being drawn at an old-fashioned vaudeville show. ''Fast Forward'' was also well known for its musical parodies, particularly of current music video clips. Some of the better-known music parodies included

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...

, Cher and Dannii Minogue.

Sketches and content

Each episode of ''Fast Forward'' featured regular characters, a news-based segment, a major parody of a well-known television show or film, lampoons of television commercials, political satire, particularly in a segment using the Rubbery Figures political puppets. Some of the most memorable regular characters included • Marg Downey: SBS Presenter • Magda Szubanski: Pixie-Ann Wheatley; Chenille the Beautician (with Marg Downey as Janelle); the Ugly Couple (with Peter Moon) • Steve Vizard and Peter Moon: Advertising executives, Brent Smythe and Barry; Indian Rug Fakari salesmen Roger Ramshet and Abdul • Michael Veitch: gay flight attendants (with Steve Vizard); Kelvin Cunnington; Redmond Herring • Gerry Connolly:

the Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

;

Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (13 January 191123 April 2005), known as Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was a conservative Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during ...

• Jane Turner: Russian news presenter Sveter (with Peter Moon as Victor) • Steve Vizard: Darren Hunch (parody of

) • Ernie Dingo: Robert Gottliebsen • Steve Blackburn and Geoff Brooks: Arthur and Wayne Dodgy (dodgy salesmen who previously appeared in

) • Michael Veitch and Glenn Robbins: The Whizz Bang Theatre Company Some of the most memorable sketches included "Dumb Street", a parody of '' Home and Away'' and '' Neighbours''; and a lampoon of '' Skippy''. In one memorable sketch that went to air, Moon and Vizard were both visibly trying to contain their laughter through a series of insults in one of their parodies of ''

''.Fast Forward - Kung Fu Parody
/ref> The political puppets Rubbery Figures were made more "commercial" than on the ABC by inserting them into popular situations outside the political Canberra environment. This led to the '' Star Trek'' parody where

was Mr. Spock and Bob Hawke was

Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in '' Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk lea ...

. Rubbery Figures was a huge hit and a crucial element in the early success of ''Fast Forward''. In 1991, there were five

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...

skits featuring Ertl Thomas models. These segments involved people complaining about Sodor not having female steam engines,

the Fat Controller The Fat Controller, whose real name is Sir Topham Hatt, is a fictional character in ''The Railway Series'' books written by the Reverend W. Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. In the first two books in the series ('' The Three Railway Engin ...

polluting the countryside by pouring purple

slime Slime may refer to: Biology * Slime mold, a broad term often referring to roughly six groups of Eukaryotes * Biofilm, an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other and/or to a surface * Slimy (fish), also known as the pony ...

out of the tankers, drunken punks, the engines going on strike, and the engines getting replaced. In these skits, Thomas would do some human things, such as eating breakfast, writing, and going away for the weekend.

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

was referred to as Bertie two times in the first sketch,

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

at the end of the fourth, and

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

one time in the fifth. The sketches had five original engine characters, Crazy Bartholomew the Loco Locomotive, who was a Thomas model painted yellow, Alfred, who was a Percy model painted red (he was even referred to as Percy at the start of the fifth sketch), Damian the Diesel, who isn't seen in person, Edgar, who is a mentioned engine character, and one of the female engines, who was a Percy model painted orange with additional detailing.

Toby Toby is a popular, usually male, name in many English speaking countries. The name is from the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה ''Toviah'', which translates to ''Good i ...

was also mentioned once at the end of the first sketch, and so was Clarabel once in the fourth sketch. The full-length TV or movie parodies which were "stripped" through each the one-hour episodes were: 1989 Series * Episode 1 The Midday Show with Don Lane and Jana Wendt,

Burke's Backyard ''Burke's Backyard'' was an Australian gardening and lifestyle series presented by horticulturist Don Burke, broadcast on both radio and television. On television, it was a regular weekly series on the Nine Network from 12 September 1987 to 26 ...

* Episode 3 Friday the 13th, Geoffrey Robertson's Hypothetical * Episode 5 The 1989 Logie Awards * Episode 7 A Night on Manhattan, Batman * Episode 11 The Towering Poseidon Tidal Earthquake '1977 * Episode 12 Candid Camera * Episode 13 Beijing TV News * Episode 15 Tell the Truth * Episode 16

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

, Batman, Beijing TV news * Episode 17 Batman, MTV * Episode 18

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

* Episode 19 Casablanca * Episode 20

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

* Episode 21 Hogan's Heroes * Episode 22

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

1990 Series * Episode 1 Kung-Fu * Episode 2

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

, Tonightly Live with Steve Vizard * Episode 3 A Country Practice * Episode 4

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

, Four Corners * Episode 5 The Golden Girls, Beach Party Massacre * Episode 6

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

* Episode 7

New Faces ''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central. Original series: 197 ...

* Episode 8

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

* Episode 9 I Dream of Jeannie,

NBC Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It w ...

* Episode 10 Doctor Who * Episode 11 The Adventures of Superman,

Donahue Donahue is the Americanized version of Irish surname Donohoe, which, in turn, is an Anglicized version of the ancient Irish name "Donnchadh" (sometimes "Donncha"). Donncha was a common “first name” in 9th Century Ireland, and when the use of ...

* Episode 12

Prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

, Floyd on Australian Cooking * Episode 13 Play School,

Mister Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...

* Episode 14

Sale of the Century ''Sale of the Century'' (stylized as ''$ale of the Century'') is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being th ...

, That's Dancing * Episode 15

The Patty Duke Show ''The Patty Duke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Sidney Sheldon and William Asher. The series ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, to April 27, 1966. The series was developed as a vehicle for teenage star Patty Duke, who h ...

* Episode 16 Sale of the Century, James Bond ''Goldfinger'' * Episode 17

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

* Episode 18 Bonanza, Seven Samurai * Episode 19

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

, Dick Smith * Episode 20 Skippy, Bewitched,

Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...

* Episode 21

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...

* Episode 22

The Sullivans ''The Sullivans'' is an Australian period drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran on the Nine Network from 15 November 1976 until 10 March 1983. The series tells the story of a fictional average middle-cla ...

* Episode 23

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

To the Manor Born ''To the Manor Born'' is a BBC television sitcom that first aired on BBC1 from 1979 to 1981. A special one-off episode was produced in 2007. Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, the first 20 episodes and the 2007 special were written b ...

* Episode 24 Gilligan's Island * Episode 25 Cleopatra/The Fall of the Roman Empire, Agatha Christie * Episode 26 Pride and Prejudice,

1991 Series * Episode 1

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. Th ...

* Episode 3

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. It features two families who compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, th ...

* Episode 4 Batman,

* Episode 5 Star Trek * Episode 6 Donahue * Episode 7

Are You Being Served? ''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London ...

* Episode 8

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, two M ...

* Episode 9

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia d ...

* Episode 10

Blind Date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...

* Episode 11

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

* Episode 12

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

* Episode 13 The Poseidon Adventure * Episode 14

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

* Episode 15 Dracula * Episode 16 Skippy, Embassy * Episode 17 Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles * Episode 18 Charlie's Angels * Episode 19

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

* Episode 20 Alien, All Creatures Great and Small * Episode 21 Lost in Space * Episode 22

Fantastic Voyage ''Fantastic Voyage'' is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who are shrunk to micros ...

* Episode 23 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom * Episode 24

Oprah Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...

Young Talent Time ''Young Talent Time'' is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny You ...

* Episode 25 Miss Teen USA * Episode 26 The Midday Show, The Saturday Show 1992 Series * Episode 1 Star Wars, The Dating Game, 60 Minutes * Episode 2

The Flying Nun ''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book '' The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere ...

, Flipper, The Book Show, Dumb Street * Episode 3

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...

, America's Funniest Bloopers, Backchat,

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

* Episode 4 Frankenstein,

Mother and Son ''Mother and Son'' is an Australian television sitcom that was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. It ...

, Donahue * Episode 5

Hard Copy ''Hard Copy'' is an American tabloid television show that ran in syndication from 1989 to 1999. ''Hard Copy'' was aggressive in its use of questionable material on television, including gratuitous violence. The original hosts of ''Hard Copy' ...

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

, New Faces, The Book Show, Edith Piaf * Episode 6 The Movie Show, Burke's Backyard,

The Hunt for Red October ''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cutt ...

, Four Corners * Episode 7 Picnic at Hanging Rock, Four Corners * Episode 8 The Wizard of Oz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat * Episode 9

The Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...

, Strictly Ballroom,

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' ( it, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, literally "The good, the ugly, the bad") is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Clee ...

, Sylvania Waters * Episode 10

Gone With the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

, Sylvania Waters * Episode 11 Casablanca, Open University, Sylvania Waters * Episode 12

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...

, Psycho, Romeo and Juliet * Episode 13

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

, Blood Frenzy Massacre 2, 4 Corners * Episode 14 E.T. * Episode 15

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...

, The Saturday Show * Episode 16 Play School,

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

Cast

Regular cast members comprised: * Geoff Brooks *

* Peter Moon * Steve Blackburn * Ernie Dingo (1989) *

(1989–1991) * Bryan Dawe (1990) * Alan Pentland (1990–1992, recurring previously) *

(1990–1992) * Brendan Luno (1991, recurring previously) *

(1991, recurring previously) *

Glenn Robbins Glenn Maxwell Robbins (born 30 December 1957) is an Australian comedian, writer, actor, television and radio presenter. Robbins has appeared on '' The Panel'', '' Thank God You're Here'' and ''Have You Been Paying Attention?''. He is best known ...

(1991–1992, recurring previously) Guest stars included: * Alan Pentland (1989) * Bryan Dawe (1989) * Jane Hopkins (1989) * John Deeks (1989) *

Ivan Hutchinson Ivan Joseph Hutchinson (11 February 1928 – 7 October 1995) was an Australian film critic, television personality and music director. Hutchinson was active in the industry for over 30 years, from the early 1960s until the mid-1990s, first on ...

(1989) *

Bert Newton Albert Watson Newton (23 July 1938 – 30 October 2021) was an Australian media personality. He was a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, quadruple Gold Logie award-winning entertainer and radio, theatre and television personality and presenter. Newt ...

(1989) * Kevin Carlin (1989) * Jonathon Coleman (1989) * Stephen Kearney (1989) * Julian McMahon (1989) *

Rita Rudner Rita Rudner (born September 17, 1953) is an American comedian. Beginning her career as a Broadway dancer, Rudner noticed the lack of female comedians in New York City and turned to stand-up comedy, where she has flourished for over three deca ...

(1989) * Paul Jennings (1989-1990) * Brendan Luno (1989, 1990, 1992) * Alan Fletcher (1990) * Michelle McClatchy (1990) * Mandy Salomon (1990) *

Paul Grabowsky Paul Atherstone Grabowsky (born 27 September 1958) is an Australian pianist and composer. Biography Born in Lae, Papua New Guinea, Grabowsky is a pianist and composer of music for film, theatre and opera. His father Alistair had lived in Pap ...

(1990) *

Allan Border Allan Robert Border (born 27 July 1955) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer. A batsman, Border was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was "A.B.". He played 156 Test ma ...

(1990) * John Farnham (1990) * Barry Jones (1990) *

(1990, 1992) * Glenn Robbins (1991, Episodes 3.1-3.13) * Crowded House (1991, Episode 3.8) * Stephen Curry (1991) * Glenn Butcher (1991) *

The Umbilical Brothers The Umbilical Brothers are an Australian comic duo formed in 1988, consisting of David Collins and Shane Dundas. Their performances heavily feature physical comedy and surreal elements. Stage shows by the Umbilical Brothers include ''Heaven ...

(1991) * Greg Keyes (1991) *

John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beha ...

(1991) * Geire Kami (1991-1992) * Andrew Maj (1992) * Matt Hayden (1992) *

Matt Tilley Matt Tilley (born 4 March 1969 in Melbourne) is an Australian ex-radio presenter and stand-up comedian. Personal life Tilley was raised in Mount Eliza. He completed his secondary school education in 1986 at The Peninsula School in Mount Eliza ...

(1992) *

Bill Oddie William Edgar Oddie (born 7 July 1941) is an English writer, comedian, songwriter, musician, artist, birder, conservationist, television presenter and actor. He was a member of comedy trio The Goodies. A birder since his childhood in Quinto ...

(1992) * David Bradshaw (1992) * Peter Cummins (1992) *

Beverley Dunn Beverley Ruth Dunn (24 April 1933 – 27 November 2021) was an Australian veteran radio, stage, television and film actress based in Melbourne, Australia. Dunn had roles in films including ''Ground Zero'', '' Gross Misconduct'', '' Shine'' ...

(1992) *

Rachel Griffiths Rachel Anne Griffiths (born in 1968) is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series ''Secrets'' before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy ''Muriel's Wedding'' ...

(1992) * Paula Gardner (1992) *

Lisa McCune Lisa McCune (born 19 February 1971) is an Australian actress, known for her role in TV series ''Blue Heelers'' as Senior Constable Maggie Doyle, and in '' Sea Patrol'' as Lieutenant Kate McGregor RAN. She has won four Gold Logie Awards. McCun ...

(1992) *

Frank Woodley Frank Woodley (born Frank Wood; 29 February 1968) is an Australian comedian, author and musician who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of the comedic duo Lano and Woodley. The two first performed together for almost 20 year ...

(1992) * Jeffrey Richards (1992)

Awards and ratings

''Fast Forward'' consistently won the ratings for all of its 90 episodes, generally rating in the mid- to high 30s. In 1990, ''Fast Forward'' won two Logie awards; it also received two Australian Television awards (Penguins) for Excellence in Make-up and Achievement in Production. Also in 1990, the company was bestowed with two AWGIES, the Australian Writers' Guild Awards; one for ''Fast Forward'' for best Comedy/Revue/Sketch and the other for Vizard, Co-writer Best Sketch Comedy – ''Fast Forward''. The

Variety Club Variety, the Children's Charity is a charitable organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927. History On October 10, 1927, a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On ...

awarded Vizard Comedy Artist Of The Year and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine awarded him Television Performer of the Year. At the 1991 Logie Awards

won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television. Vizard also won Most Popular Male Light Entertainer.

won Most Popular Female Light Entertainer and Fast Forward was awarded Most Popular Light Entertainment Program. Also in 1991, the ''Fast Forward'' writing team won an AWGIE for Best Sketch Comedy for ''Fast Forward''. At the 1992 Logies, Magda Szubanski once again picked up the award for Most Popular Female Performer – Light Entertainment and ''Fast Forward'' received the Logie for Most Popular Light Entertainment Program. The Australian Writers Guild presented an AWGIE to Fast Forward for Best Sketch Comedy. ''Fast Forward'' also picked up a People's Choice Award for Most Popular Program on Australian Television. The following year, 1993, ''Fast Forward'' won a Logie for Most Popular Comedy Program. The production team and cast decided in late 1992, despite offers to renew from Channel 7, to end the program 'on a high', feeling that they did not want it to go downhill and tarnish its legacy as one of Australia's best-ever sketch comedy shows.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...

(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the

music of Australia The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

, , ''Fast Forward - Take One'' , , ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release , , , , , -

Albums releases

DVD releases

*Fast Forward In Rewind: Funniest Moments Vol. 1 (2-disc set) – 24 April 2004 *Fast Forward In Rewind: Funniest Moments Vol. 2 (2-disc set) – 12 May 2004 *Fast Forward: Funniest TV Send Ups: Vol. 1 – 22 March 2005 *Fast Forward: Funniest TV Send Ups: Vol. 2 – 24 June 2005 *Fast Forward: Funniest TV Send Ups: Vol. 3 – 1 July 2005 *Fast Forward: The Complete Season 1 (5-disc box set) – 20 March 2006 *Fast Forward: The Complete Season 2 (6-disc box set) – 23 October 2006 *Fast Forward: The Complete Season 3 (6-disc box set) – 5 December 2006 *Fast Forward: The Complete Season 4 (5-disc box set) – 18 January 2008 *Fast Forward: Series 1 (6-disc set) – 22 March 2010 *Fast Forward: Series 2 (6-disc set) – 22 March 2010 *Fast Forward: Series 3 (6-disc set) – 8 June 2010 *Fast Forward: Series 4 (5-disc set) – 8 June 2010

Specials

* Fast Forward Exposed (20 April 1993, 45 minutes) * A Royal Commission into the Australian Economy (5 May 1993, 90 minutes) * 38 and a Bit Fabulous Years of Australian Television (13 February 1994, 60 minutes) * The Making of Nothing (20 February 1994, 60 minutes) * Standing on the Road (1994, 60 minutes) * Fast Forward Rewind (4 July 1994, 60 minutes) * Fast Forward's Funniest TV Send-Ups (1994, 12 half-hour episodes) * Fast Forward's Funniest Moments (1998, 12 one-hour episodes) * Ten-Year Bash (October 2002, 48 minutes) * One More Round (2003, 60 minutes) * Dragging up the Past (2003, 60 minutes)

Adaptation

The show was adapted for German television under the name "Switch" by order of TV station ProSieben. It was aired for the first time in 1997.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0096581, title=Fast Forward
Fast Forward at the National Film and Sound Archive
1989 Australian television series debuts 1992 Australian television series endings Seven Network original programming Australian television sketch shows Australian television shows featuring puppetry Television series about television English-language television shows Television shows set in Melbourne