Ernie Carroll
Encyclopedia
Ernie Carroll is an Australia
n entertainer and television personality most recognised for his role as the man behind (and inside) Ossie Ostrich
on Hey Hey It's Saturday
.
Carroll first appeared on Geelong radio station 3GL in the mid-1950s, and then on Melbourne
television for GTV-9
, working on early children's shows such as The Tarax Show
both on screen and as a producer, and was a writer for Graham Kennedy
. He created the character "Professor Ratbaggy", which owed its origins to Denzil Howson's "Professor Nitwitty" from the late 1950s, and he appeared as "Uncle" Ernie. He also penned the comic strip versions of Gerry Gee, Joy-Belle and Ossie Ostrich.
His greatest fame was as "Ossie Ostrich" on the long-running and successful Saturday live show, "Hey Hey It's Saturday" with Daryl Somers
. He worked on "Hey Hey" from 1971 until December 1994, when he retired. He reprised his role as Ossie in 2009 with the second Hey Hey It's Saturday reunion special and later returned to the show's re-instatement in 2010.
Carroll and Somers created the television production company, Somers Carroll Productions
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n entertainer and television personality most recognised for his role as the man behind (and inside) Ossie Ostrich
Ossie Ostrich
Ossie Ostrich is an Australian television character, firstly on the Tarax Show, and then on the long-running program Hey Hey It's Saturday which started as a Saturday morning cartoon show for children in 1971. In 1984, he also hosted an after-school children's show called The Ossie Ostrich Video...
on Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
.
Carroll first appeared on Geelong radio station 3GL in the mid-1950s, and then on Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
television for GTV-9
GTV-9
GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.-History:...
, working on early children's shows such as The Tarax Show
Tarax Show
The Tarax Show was an early Australian children's TV program on GTV-9 in Melbourne running from 1957 to 1969.Denzil Howson, who was Assistant Programme Manager at GTV9, was asked by Normal Spencer to develop a daily children's programme. A pilot of the show was kinescope recorded onto film...
both on screen and as a producer, and was a writer for Graham Kennedy
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
. He created the character "Professor Ratbaggy", which owed its origins to Denzil Howson's "Professor Nitwitty" from the late 1950s, and he appeared as "Uncle" Ernie. He also penned the comic strip versions of Gerry Gee, Joy-Belle and Ossie Ostrich.
His greatest fame was as "Ossie Ostrich" on the long-running and successful Saturday live show, "Hey Hey It's Saturday" with Daryl Somers
Daryl Somers
Daryl Paul Somers OAM , is an Australian television personality. The son of a dairy farmer and a cabaret singer, Somers rose to national fame as the host of the long-running comedy-variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday.-Early life:Somers, who has an Irish Catholic heritage, was educated at...
. He worked on "Hey Hey" from 1971 until December 1994, when he retired. He reprised his role as Ossie in 2009 with the second Hey Hey It's Saturday reunion special and later returned to the show's re-instatement in 2010.
Carroll and Somers created the television production company, Somers Carroll Productions
Somers Carroll Productions
Somers Carroll Productions is an Australian television production company.Somers Carroll was formed by Daryl Somers and Ernie Carroll, to produce Hey Hey It's Saturday Somers Carroll also produced compilation specials including The Best and Worst of Red Faces, Hey Hey By Request, The Plucka Duck...
.
