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Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on 5 April 2006 on Network 10, where it aired for the first three and from the fifth season onwards; the fourth season aired on the Seven Network. Each episode involves performers walking through a door into an unknown situation, greeted by the line "Thank God you're here!". They then have to improvise their way through the scene. At the end of each episode a winner is announced. It was the most successful new show in Australia of 2006, attracting an average of 1.7 million viewers after the first few episodes. The show was originally hosted by Shane Bourne and judged by Tom Gleisner. After a fourteen year hiatus, it was revived for a fifth series, hosted by Celia Pacquola and featuring a guest judge each episode.[2] The format is sold for recreation in a number of countries. The sixth series of the show aired in 2024.[3] SynopsisEach contestant is dressed in appropriate costume, has some brief banter with the host, and is then invited to "walk through the blue door" onto a hidden set. They are greeted by the ensemble cast, in character, with the line "Thank God you're here!", and must then attempt to improvise their role in the scene. Typically they will be asked in-character questions by the ensemble cast and challenged to provide information about the scene, including the names of characters or objects. At least twice during each episode (to cover set-up and costuming for the live audience), footage is shown of each of the four participants performing a challenge, often on location, which was filmed earlier in the week. These include a commentary booth where the contestants have to comment on an unfamiliar subject, an office where they are being interviewed or interrogated (by police, customs officials, etc.), showing customers things for sale (cars, boats, pianos, houses, etc.), or advertisements (e.g. slimming products, housing developments, etc.). The other characters in these scenes are generally played by members of the ensemble cast. The third series also introduced an additional segment in which Gleisner highlights a "real life" Thank God You're Here-style situation, such as the infamous Guy Goma BBC interview and frequently, that of politicians forced to improvise answers under pressure. Finally, when all the contestants have played in a scene by themselves, all four enter a final scene together for the "all-in group challenge". At the end of the show, the judge declares a winner; this choice is entirely at the judge's discretion, and is largely arbitrary. Honorable and dishonorable mentions are also given, usually to contestants who do not win so that the judge can comment on their performances. The winner receives a trophy in the shape of the programme's blue door logo. There are variations on the standard setup: occasionally the greeting will be slightly changed to better suit the setting (e.g. "Thank the gods you're here!" for a scene featuring Vikings or "Thank God you're alive" in a scene featuring a car accident), and often an alternative entrance will be built into the set. These are often used for comic effect, as in the aforementioned car accident scenario where the contestant (Matthew Newton) climbed through the back of the set and emerged from the door of a wrecked car embedded in the wall of a second-storey flat. First revived seriesThe fourth season introduced a different segment, where Gleisner points out that he believes an Australian cricket player is able to endorse anything, and presents a falsified advertisement where a retired Australian cricketer (Damien Fleming) attempts to endorse an also falsified company of a completely random field (such as a French restaurant or sewage processing plant). Running gags in these segments include the cricketer comparing selecting such a company with his medium pace bowling, the use of "jargon" which actually is completely made-up, comparing the reliability (or other value) with his own bowling style, and a man named "Steve" who is called upon to agree with this previous statement ("bit like my bowling, eh, Steve?") Second revived seriesSince series 5, the format of the show has been tweaked slightly as the performers no longer participate in any "during in the week" scenes, which were in previous seasons filmed on-location with the ensemble cast. In addition, the role of judge which was originated by Tom Gleisner, is now fulfilled by a rotating special guest judge each week, whose remarks after each performance are more brief. Ensemble castAlthough their parts are thoroughly scripted, the actors who interact with the guest stars in each scenario are drawn from an ensemble of experienced improvisational actors. Improvisation experience is preferred so that the cast can react appropriately and immediately to the improvisations of the guest stars, though in most cases this improvisation is limited. This ensemble was also used in many of the mid-week assignments, fulfilling the roles of customers or members of the public with whom the guests must interact in a real-life setting. The following are regular ensemble cast members who have appeared on the show:
Several special guests have also appeared, either playing themselves or as part of the ensemble cast for a scene. Special guests have included Damien Fleming, Dan O'Connor, Melissa Tkautz Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Kate Ceberano, Alan Fletcher, Kimberley Davies, Matt Welsh, Mark Holden, Ryan Moloney, Simon Burke, Greg Evans, Nikki Webster, Mick Molloy, Todd McKenney, Poh Ling Yeow, Grant Denyer, Miguel Maestre and The Veronicas. Other guests including Jane Hall, Andy Lee and Don Burke have appeared as mock presenters in the locational challenges. AppearancesEpisodes
Show promotionHost Shane Bourne and judge Tom Gleisner appeared on Rove Live on 11 April 2006, to promote the show after the first episode had screened. After an interview with Rove McManus, they participated in a game McManus called Where The Bloody Hell Have You Been, a play on words of the Australian tourism campaign, "So Where The Bloody Hell Are You?". In this game they had to perform, without preparation, a situation involving a funeral, and the reading of an improvised eulogy, following exactly the same format as Thank God You're Here. MusicThe main theme is "Come Anytime" by Hoodoo Gurus. A piece used throughout the interludes of the first season of the show is "Don't You Know Who I Am", performed by Small Mercies. In the second season, new music was also used in addition to the main themes:
In the third season, more new music was used in addition to the main themes:
Production and broadcast scheduleFirst Network 10 iteration (2006–2007)The final episode of Season One, in which the actor Angus Sampson won, had 2.13 million viewers nationally.[5] The second series of the show ran from 6 September to 8 November 2006, at a 7:30 pm AEST timeslot. The ratings for the second season place the show in the top three shows watched in Australia boosting the ratings of follow-up show House on the network and placing the show up with ratings juggernaut Border Security: Australia's Front Line which broadcasts on the Seven Network. Thank God You're Here received an average of two million viewers every week. For the last episode of 2006 (8 November), had received ratings of 1.85 million viewers nationally.[6] The first episode of Series Three was filmed on 21 June 2007. Guests for this episode included Stephen Curry, Josh Lawson, Peter Helliar and Cal Wilson. Series Three had begun at the same 7:30 pm time slot on Wednesday 11 July 2007. Seven Network iteration (2009) In late 2008, it was announced that a revival of the show would be made which would air on the Seven Network instead of Network Ten. With Global Television Studios in Nunawading getting ready to shut down,[1] Series 4 started filming at Melbourne Showgrounds in Flemington, in the shed normally used as the Poultry Pavilion. With the move from Nunawading also came a move from Global to Cutting Edge as the broadcast provider. Shooting started on Thursday 19 March 2009, in front of a live studio audience of 500 people. At the recording of episode 2 on 26 March, Tom Gleisner told the audience they could not find an available studio big enough for all their sets and large studio audience, so started looking at other types of venues, and found what they needed at the showgrounds. Portable buildings were set up outside the pavilion for use as offices, dressing rooms and other production amenities. Another vacant pavilion was used to house the audience before taping. The new venue was an issue for audio, as there was no soundproofing, so the nearby railway line often interfered with scenes, and Gleisner remarked that if it had rained, they would have been "stuffed". Second Network 10 iteration (2023–)In April 2023, Network 10 confirmed that a fifth series had been commissioned as a second revival of the show. Celia Pacquola was announced as the host and it was revealed that the series would feature weekly guest judges, a new ensemble cast and a "new generation" of special guests.[7] The second revival was also filmed at the Melbourne Showgrounds.[8] Logie Awards
ReleaseHome mediaAll series of the show have been released on DVD in Australia. Season 1 was released on 8 November 2006, Season 2 was released on 23 August 2007, Season 3 was released on 28 November 2007 and Season 4 was released on 5 November 2009.
StreamingAll series were released on Network 10's catch-up service 10Play in June and July 2020.[9][10] Board gameIn early December 2009, the "Thank God You're Here" board game was released. It contains 70 different scenarios which can be acted out in the home, in a similar format to the show. The board game is being distributed in selected stores only, including What's New. International versionsThe format has been sold to Fremantle for worldwide distribution and has subsequently been sold for creation in 18 countries including the United States.[11] International versions are required to use the same sketch premises used on the original Australian version and if one wants to alter one of their episodes in some way, such as taping a Christmas-themed episode, they must go through Fremantle for permission to do so.[12]
References
External linksInformation related to Thank God You're Here |
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