Martin/Molloy
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Martin/Molloy was a hugely popular Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. It was broadcast nationwide on 54 radio stations for two hours on weekday evenings between 1995 and 1998.
Contents |
[edit] The Martin/Molloy Team
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Hosts | Tony Martin & Mick Molloy |
| Producer/Panel Operator | Peter Grace |
| Assistant Producer | Sancia Robinson |
| Announcements | Pete Smith |
| Sketch Production | Vicki Marr |
[edit] About the Show
The program was known for its wit and satire, but also, as both performers constantly admitted, a large degree of toilet humour. The use of such low-brow comedy was frequently mocked by the hosts themselves. They caused occasional controversy, such as when they made repeated fun of Mal Colston's son for shouting at the media camped outside Colston's family home.
Much of the show consisted of banter between Martin and Molloy, interspersed with music and sketches. These sketches frequently lampooned celebrities, with impersonations provided by Martin. The show's announcer, Pete Smith regularly participated in sketches, often lampooning his own image as a former Sale of the Century announcer.
The pair would also interview celebrities, often bringing the guests to fits of laughter. Samuel L. Jackson was declared their favourite guest.
Each show would end by thanking the cast, crew and audience.
The show was most successful when satirising Australian society and individuals. One example is a pretend episode of 60 Minutes in which young people were portrayed as evil in typically one-sided fashion. Another was a supposed newsreel concerning the political popularity of a bag of sawdust, a thinly-veiled and scathing attack on Pauline Hanson. Another memorable sketch was the performance of the Spice Boys (a parody of the Spice Girls) singing a song with lyrics including "I've got graphic footage of Laurie Oakes eating a chocolate eclair", and was just an example of the biting satire that Martin/Molloy provided.
Martin/Molloy received several radio industry awards and produced three ARIA Award-winning albums The Brown Album (1995), Poop Chute (1996) and Eat Your Peas (1998).
The show ended in 1998 when both performers claimed exhaustion. On the final show, Martin and Molloy were to play the final song on their playlist, Cruel by Human Nature, but rejected this in favour of more highlights of previous shows.
[edit] Segments
[edit] What's All That About
Every Friday Mick would choose a topic of his choice & simply ask the question "What's All That About?" A humorous slant on the topics of the day.
[edit] Please Explain!
This segment was created based on a Pauline Hanson quote. The quote was used frequently on the show before it was given its own segment in which the quote was played quite frequently. Pauline herself was often used as a subject in this section of the show where Tony & Mick would ponder & try to explain quotes made my famous people (mainly politicians) during the week. The segment was replaced with another based on another Pauline Hanson quote "I Don't Like It". The segment was renamed "Peas Explain" during the final two weeks of the program to promote the Eat Your Peas album.
[edit] I Don't Like It
This segment was simply Mick & Tony choosing something they don't like & having a bit of a rant about it. There was frequent use of the "I don't like it" quote by the infamous Pauline Hanson.
[edit] Paul Hester
Not really a segment, but starting from 1996 Paul Hester would become a regular guest on the show every Friday[citation needed], providing that the album Recurring Dream by Crowded House (of which he was the drummer) was number 1 on the ARIA charts[citation needed], an arrangement that lasted many weeks. Even after the album dropped out of the top 40 altogether, Hester remained as a frequent guest on the program. Hester's foray into the media would continue when he soon hosted the show Hessie's Shed.
[edit] Top Night
Another memorable segment was called "Top Night". Callers would ring in with accounts of their exploits. One guy reported that after a big night on the booze, he had lost his keys thus locking himself out of his apartment. He began scaling the drainpipe to reach his bathroom window. The drainpipe tore away from the side of the building and he fell 20 feet to the ground fracturing his wrist. The neighbours had already called police who duly attended the scene and arrested the chap for attempted burglary. Mick and Tony gave that a huge "Top Night" thumbs up!
[edit] Radio Gladiators
Daily segment/competition where Tony & Mick would discuss the topic of the day and then choose a handful of listeners to call in to briefly discuss the chosen topic with the hosts. The caller that Tony & Mick deemed the best was awarded a prize.
[edit] Shoot the Celebrity In the Arse
A segment where listeners where invited to call in and "shoot" (with wacky sound effects) a celebrity (either guest, or celebrity that's the topic of discussion) in the arse.
[edit] Hot Poo
A discussion of scandalous political events or comments of the week. The theme tune was "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer.
[edit] Recurring Characters
[edit] Tum & Phul
A pair of New Zealand radio hosts voiced by Martin in an exaggerated New Zealand accent, each sketch was basically a string of names and words to get best comedy value out of the changed vowels and flattened I's in the stereotyped New Zealand accent (see New Zealand English). The characters have also made an return appearance in 2006 a sketch on Martin's new show Get This.
[edit] Blimpy the Lactose Intolerant Cat
An example of the level of toilet humor on the show, the character consisted of the stock sound effects of an angry meowing cat and wet splat noises. Originally a one off sketch, the character proved so successful that a whole series of serials involving Blimpy and the family that owned him in ever more absurd methods of setting him off. Blimpy was one of the characters who appeared in the Martin/Molloy comic book.
[edit] Blast FM
Another Martin voiced sketch, this time a parody of the presenter and technical inexprience of a community radio station.
[edit] Haughty Mick
A character Molloy who spoke in ye olde English and offered his ‘seduction tips’ to the listeners...although, he proved his tips to be unsuccessful as his bad pick up lines always got a knock back from the damsels/wenches.
[edit] Fully Grown Baby
A baby that looked and acted like a 30 year old man, voiced and acting like Mick Molloy
[edit] Girlie Man
A sensitive man who acted very femininely.
[edit] Humpy
A dog who wouldn’t stop humping his master’s (voiced by Molloy) leg, a parody of various animal companion movies and TV series such as Lassie and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
[edit] The Giant Peach
A walking and talking peach with emotional problems.
[edit] Discography
- Martin/Molloy: The Brown Album (1995) 2CD
- Martin/Molloy: Poop Chute (1996) 2CD
- Martin/Molloy: Eat Your Peas (1998) 2CD
[edit] Life after Martin/Molloy
They pursued other projects, such as the films Crackerjack (2002) and Bad Eggs (2003) and the documentary Tackle Happy (2000). Martin took part in Molloy's controversial 1999 TV series The Mick Molloy Show, and from 2004, Molloy returned to national radio, in Tough Love with Mick Molloy. Molloy's recent project was the movie BoyTown that was released in 2006 and is now available on DVD, while Martin has published a book Lolly Scramble (2005), and currently hosts Get This on the national Triple M network.
