095: Ian McFadyen – Creating an Australian sketch comedy national treasure

In 1988 The Comedy Company changed the face of Australian sketch
comedy. Kylie Mole, Uncle Arthur, Con the Fruiterer, and Colin
Carpenter became part of the Australian lexicon. So too their
creators - Mary-Anne Faye, Glenn Robbins, Mark Mitchell and Kym
Gyngell, as well as Russell Gilbert, Tim Smith and, the group's
founder, Ian McFadyen. You know them as comedy royalty. What
you don't know is that it all started with a loaned hammer.


In this School of Hard Knock Knocks podcast episodes,
host Steve Davis interviews The Comedy Company creator, Ian
McFadyen, as they name-drop down Australian comedy memory lane.
You'll learn how a poorly funded comedy show beat the 800-pound
gorilla of the time, 60 Minutes, how the 'writers room' generated
ideas, and ultimately learn how serendipity created this national
treasure.


And if you're interested in learning how to write comedy
sketches, then stay tuned. In 2021 the School of Hard Knock
Knocks is launching our sketch writing course. Learn how to
write, edit and even produce your own sketch show, with help from
veteran comedy writers and directors. Best of all, your comedy
will be turned into an actual Australian sketch comedy web
series!


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