Frontline (Australian TV series)
Encyclopedia
Frontline is an Australia
n comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV
in 1994, 1995 and 1997.
, Santo Cilauro
, Rob Sitch
and Tom Gleisner
. They created and performed in The D-Generation
and The Late Show
and a stint on radio they created Frontline (as well as Funky Squad
between seasons 1 and 2). After Frontline they moved into feature films, making several popular Australian movies including The Castle
and The Dish
, and hosted The Panel for several years, before moving on to Thank God You're Here
.
The series was partly inspired by a 60 Minutes special Has the media gone too far?. It bears some similarity to the UK series Drop the Dead Donkey
.
's A Current Affair and Seven
's Real Life
, which changed its name to Today Tonight
from 1995 onwards.
The Frontline office showcases and satirises the machinations of the ruthless producers, the self-obsessed airhead host, and the ambitious, cynical reporters, all of whom resort to any sort of underhanded trick to get ratings and maintain their status – including the use of hidden cameras, foot-in-the-door, bullying interview techniques and chequebook journalism
. They ingratiate themselves with the all-powerful network bosses, while the real work is in fact done by their long-suffering production staff.
The station itself also runs other television shows referenced by Frontline staff, such as 6 o'clock news program, a 3 hour news review show Sunday Forum, a sketch
show The Komedy Bunch, a game show Jackpot, a teen soap opera Sunshine Cove which later changed to Rainbow Island, also lesser mentioned shows such as the football show Ball-to-Ball, Late-Night OZ, Cartoon Crazies and Vacation.
The dim witted, egotistical host Mike Moore was a parody of current television hosts and journalists. Sitch has claimed that none of the characters were directly based on a single person, and indeed the character of Moore was a combination of well-known characteristics of several high-profile television figures, including A Current Affair host Ray Martin
, Martin's predecessor Mike Willesee
, and Real Life host Stan Grant.
Parallels might also be drawn between Frontline and ABC's Media Watch. Much of the real life journalistic misconduct reported on Media Watch later appeared on Frontline in fictionalised form. One example of this was when Media Watch reported that Dave "Sluggo" Richardson had made a highly misleading report on Christopher Skase
for Today Tonight. Richardson was suspended from duty for a month, and in the One Rule for One episode of Frontline, fictional reporter Martin di Stasio is suspended for a month for doing exactly the same thing.
Also, multiple episodes of Frontline featured Media Watch segments criticising the show.
in The Shadow We Cast (series 3), in which she turns her famous "please explain?" phrase on Mike. Noel Pearson appears as an interviewee later in the same episode. Other appearances include: John Hewson
in The Soufflé Rises (series 1); Pat Cash
in The Desert Angel; Cheryl Kernot
in We Ain't Got Dames (series 1); Bert Newton
; Amanda Keller
and Anne Fulwood
in This Night of Nights (series 1); Glenn Ridge
in Add Sex and Stir and Office Mole (series 2); Glenn Robbins
and Molly Meldrum in Add Sex and Stir, George Negus
in Add Sex and Stir and Dick on the Line (series 3) and Ian Baker-Finch
in A Hole in the Heart. Harry Shearer
appeared in the series 2 episode Changing the Face of Current Affairs where he played the character of Larry Hadges. Merv Hughes
also starred in the series 2 episode Workin' Class Man.
Other guest stars appeared in mock-ups of their own shows: Mike Moore appeared on fictitious episodes of Burke's Backyard
with Don Burke
, Rex Hunt
's fishing show, and The AFL Footy Show
with Sam Newman
. Stuart Littlemore
, who at the time was hosting the media commentary show Media Watch, appeared in several fictitious episodes as a critic of Frontline.
, where each episode was written and taped in a single week and scripts were closely based on the real news stories of the preceding seven days.
The Frontline scripts were likewise written and the series filmed with a short period, often within a single week. It was a fully collaborative effort, with Cilauro, Kennedy, Gleisner and Sitch all sharing writing and directing duties, and the cast all contributing ideas during all stages of production. So sometimes when the show appeared on then-current events, it was a coincidence, as episodes were delayed by several months. In other cases there was direct commentary on real events, albeit not extremely recent ones.
To create a heightened illusion of grainy documentary realism, footage was shot under fluorescent lights
in an actual office building set, and taped on hand-held Hi-8 video cameras
usually operated by Gleisner and Cilauro. The footage was then transferred onto film and finally transferred back to videotape (see: Kinescope
). Footage that was portrayed as being part of the Frontline broadcast (i.e. Studio or field reports) was shot at broadcast quality, to increase the "realism" of the satire and complement the behind the scenes footage.
The series comprehensively lampooned Ray Martin
, and it's relevance in exposing the hypocrisy of ratings driven current affairs television remains to this day.
has shown the series as late as 2005.
In America, Frontline was shown as either Behind the Frontline on cable or as Breaking News on PBS (which already has a news series entitled Frontline).
In the UK, series 1 and 2 were shown by the Paramount Comedy Channel. Series 3, however, was never screened.
award for Most Outstanding Achievement in Comedy in 1995, and a Logie for Alison Whyte
as most outstanding actress in 1997. A Sydney Morning Herald industry poll rated it #2 in the 25 all-time greatest Australian TV shows.
Six episodes from series one were a core text in the Year 12 English Advanced syllabus for the Higher School Certificate in New South Wales
(2000–2008) for Module C: Representation and Text: Elective 1: Telling the Truth. The episodes are Playing The Ego Card, Add Sex and Stir, The Siege, Smaller Fish To Fry, We Ain't Got Dames and This Night of Nights. The show has also been used as a text response for both Years 11 and 12 in the English units of the Victorian Certificate of Education
. Episodes of Frontline have been analysed for the Media topic in the Year 10 English syllabus in New South Wales since at least 2001.
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 comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
in 1994, 1995 and 1997.
Production
The series was written, directed and produced by Jane KennedyJane Kennedy (actor)
Jane Kennedy is an Australian actress, comedian, radio presenter, and television producer best known for her work with the Working Dog Productions – a tight-knit group of performers responsible for a variety of television and films....
, Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro
Santo Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
, Rob Sitch
Rob Sitch
Robert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
and Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner
Tom Gleisner is an Australian director, producer, writer, comedian, occasional actor and author. He was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia.-Television, radio and film:...
. They created and performed in The D-Generation
The D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
and The Late Show
The Late Show (Australian TV series)
The Late Show was a popular Australian comedy show, which ran for two seasons on ABC from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.-Cast:The Late Show has its roots in the 1980s comedy group, The D-Generation...
and a stint on radio they created Frontline (as well as Funky Squad
Funky Squad
Funky Squad was a short-lived 1995 Australian comedy television series which satirised '70s-era U.S. police television dramas, such as The Mod Squad. Only 7 half-hour episodes were produced, which were broadcast on the ABC...
between seasons 1 and 2). After Frontline they moved into feature films, making several popular Australian movies including The Castle
The Castle (film)
The Castle is a 1997 Australian comedy film directed by Rob Sitch. It starred Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Sophie Lee, Eric Bana and Charles 'Bud' Tingwell. The screenwriting team comprised Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Jane Kennedy of Working Dog Productions.The Castle was...
and The Dish
The Dish
The Dish is a 2000 Australian film that tells the story of how the Parkes Observatory was used to relay the live television of man's first steps on the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969...
, and hosted The Panel for several years, before moving on to Thank God You're Here
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 Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
.
The series was partly inspired by a 60 Minutes special Has the media gone too far?. It bears some similarity to the UK series Drop the Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey
- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
.
A commercial network
The series follows the fortunes of a fictional current affairs show, Frontline. In the show, Frontline competes directly with NineNine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's A Current Affair and Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's Real Life
Real Life (TV program)
Real Life was an Australian current affairs television program that aired on the Seven Network from 20 January 1992 to 1994.Its format was similar to other tabloid current affairs shows airing at the time, these being A Current Affair and Hinch, which had recently been axed by the Seven Network and...
, which changed its name to Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
from 1995 onwards.
The Frontline office showcases and satirises the machinations of the ruthless producers, the self-obsessed airhead host, and the ambitious, cynical reporters, all of whom resort to any sort of underhanded trick to get ratings and maintain their status – including the use of hidden cameras, foot-in-the-door, bullying interview techniques and chequebook journalism
Chequebook journalism
Chequebook journalism is the form of journalism where the essential characteristic is that the journalist pays the subject of the work money for the right to publish his story....
. They ingratiate themselves with the all-powerful network bosses, while the real work is in fact done by their long-suffering production staff.
The station itself also runs other television shows referenced by Frontline staff, such as 6 o'clock news program, a 3 hour news review show Sunday Forum, a sketch
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
show The Komedy Bunch, a game show Jackpot, a teen soap opera Sunshine Cove which later changed to Rainbow Island, also lesser mentioned shows such as the football show Ball-to-Ball, Late-Night OZ, Cartoon Crazies and Vacation.
As a commentary
What gave the show its special edge was that the stories and the actions of the characters were often thinly-disguised parodies of recent real events and real people. Episodes such as The Siege were replays of controversial events which had occurred a few months prior, told as though Frontline had covered the story.The dim witted, egotistical host Mike Moore was a parody of current television hosts and journalists. Sitch has claimed that none of the characters were directly based on a single person, and indeed the character of Moore was a combination of well-known characteristics of several high-profile television figures, including A Current Affair host Ray Martin
Ray Martin (television presenter)
Raymond George "Ray" Martin AM is an Australian television journalist. He is best known for his various on-air roles on Channel Nine from 1978 to 2008. In 2011 he returned to 60 Minutes....
, Martin's predecessor Mike Willesee
Mike Willesee
Michael Willesee is an Australian television presenter.Mike Willesee came to prominence in 1967 as a reporter for the ABC's new nightly current affairs program This Day Tonight , where his aggressive style quickly earned him a reputation as a fearless political interviewer.-Career:Willesee figured...
, and Real Life host Stan Grant.
Parallels might also be drawn between Frontline and ABC's Media Watch. Much of the real life journalistic misconduct reported on Media Watch later appeared on Frontline in fictionalised form. One example of this was when Media Watch reported that Dave "Sluggo" Richardson had made a highly misleading report on Christopher Skase
Christopher Skase
Christopher Charles Skase was an Australian businessman who later became one of his country's most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca in Spain.-Early life:...
for Today Tonight. Richardson was suspended from duty for a month, and in the One Rule for One episode of Frontline, fictional reporter Martin di Stasio is suspended for a month for doing exactly the same thing.
Also, multiple episodes of Frontline featured Media Watch segments criticising the show.
Episodes
See:- List of season 1 episodesFrontline (season 1)This is a list of the 13 episodes of series one of Frontline, which first aired in 1994. In series 1, Frontline chronicles the behind-the-scenes workings of a struggling current affairs show competing with dominant players for audience share...
- List of season 2 episodesFrontline (season 2)This is a list of the 13 episodes of series two of Frontline, which first aired in 1995. In series 2, Frontline struggles with ratings, and the network's varying attempts to heighten the ratings...
- List of season 3 episodesFrontline (season 3)This is a list of the 13 episodes of series three of Frontline, which aired in 1997. In the third and final season, the show-within-the-show becomes the most respected and well-rated current affairs program in Australia however the politics and manipulations behind the scenes remain exactly the...
Reporters
- Mike Moore (Rob SitchRob SitchRobert Ian Sitch , is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter, actor and comedian.-Early life:Sitch attended St Kevin's College and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Trinity College. He worked at the Royal Womans Hospital...
) anchors Frontline. He is a dim-witted narcissist poached by the network from the ABC, where he had been minor journalist from Perth. Many gags centre around how easily he is manipulated by his executive producer, the most typical case being when Mike refuses to present a story and then is convinced to run it by an appeal to his supposed fearlessness or journalistic integrity. In the first two series Mike's position is constantly under threat from senior reporter Brooke Vandenberg, who has a better press profile, but by the last series he has been cemented as one of the network's most valuable stars and considerably more effort is made to pander to his whims. While Mike is usually portrayed as simply dumb (for example, in A Man of His Convictions in series 2 he writes a letter to media commentator Stuart LittlemoreStuart LittlemoreStuart Littlemore QC is an Australian barrister and former journalist and television presenter. He is best known for his time as writer and host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch program, which he presented from its inception in 1989 to 1997...
full of basic spelling and grammatical errors) he occasionally surprises his colleagues with his sneakiness: in Give 'em Enough Rope (series 2) he traps the network owner into admitting to contravening the Broadcasting Act in a live interview, after first getting the owner to publicly commit to allowing him to ask difficult questions without threat to his job. - Brooke Vandenberg (Jane KennedyJane Kennedy (actor)Jane Kennedy is an Australian actress, comedian, radio presenter, and television producer best known for her work with the Working Dog Productions – a tight-knit group of performers responsible for a variety of television and films....
) is a reporter on Frontline. She is ambitious, amoral and publicity hungry. While there are constant rumours that she has affairs with male celebrities in order to build her profile, in some cases she simply creates the rumours herself; in The Desert Angel (series 1) she confesses to Pat CashPat CashPatrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
that she started a rumour about having an affair with him. Like most of the employees of Frontline, she has no ethical problems with any action the show takes to get a good story. In A Hole in the Heart (series 3) she discovers she is pregnant to a former boyfriend and is bribed into having an abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
by a new hosting offer. - Martin (Marty) Di Stasio (Tiriel MoraTiriel MoraTiriel Mora is an Australian television and film actor. He is the son of Melbourne artist Mirka Mora and Georges Mora , German-born Australian entrepreneur, art dealer, patron, connoisseur and restaurateur....
) is a senior reporter on Frontline. He is Mike's major antagonist on the team, often baiting him about sensitive topics, such as the supposedly anti-SemiticAnti-SemitismAntisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
golf club of which Mike is a member (A Hole in the Heart). He is the most experienced journalist on the team: a few references are made to him winning a Walkley AwardWalkley AwardsThe annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
. Like Brooke, he is uncritical of the show's journalistic tactics (although in the episode Judge and Jury, he has reservations about their persecution of a priest accused of rape, mainly because he is a lapsed Catholic); in fact he is usually the confidante of the executive producers, and the one they can trust to do what is needed to get a good story, or to persuade Mike to present a story. His position on Frontline is more tenuous than that of Mike or Brooke: in Dick on the Line (series 3) he tells Mike and Brooke that at his age he signs his yearly contract immediately and doesn't mess about negotiating.
Producers
- Emma Ward (Alison WhyteAlison WhyteAlison Whyte is a Tasmanian-born Australian actress best known for her role on the Australian television series Frontline and Satisfaction....
) is the Line Producer on Frontline. She questions the show's practices most frequently and acts as the viewers' conscience. In Heroes and Villains (series 2), she is the only member of the team to have read the supposedly racist book the show is attacking and objects to their incendiary treatment of its author. Early in series 2 and 3, the executive producers of the time approach Marty and ask him to explain Emma. Marty explains that while she has moral qualms like Mike does, she is more difficult to handle because she is intelligent. Despite often objecting, Emma is usually party to ethically questionable practices and occasionally finds them amusing. In A Hole In The Heart (part 2), to placate a director from charity organisation Rotary, she allows the executive producer to yell at her and pretend to fire her over one of the show's decisions, when in reality she is receiving a large pay rise in return for her part of the act. - Kate Preston (Trudy HellierTrudy HellierTrudy Hellier is an Australian actress with many television credits to her name. She was a presenter on the children's show Play School and was a main star in the Australian television programs Round the Twist and Frontline...
) is the segment producer. While Kate is friendly with Emma, who has a more senior position, Kate has fewer ethical qualms about stories than Emma, and tends to be in the middle of conflicts between Emma and the executive producer. - Brian (Thommo) Thompson (Bruno LawrenceBruno LawrenceBruno Lawrence was a New Zealand musician and actor.Initially notable as founder of 1970s musical and theatrical "Blerta", he had well-regarded roles in several major films, and starred on the 1990s Australian satirical TV series Frontline.-Biography:Born David Charles Lawrence in Worthing, West...
) is the executive producer during series 1. He is fired by the network in the first episode of series 2, although he is never shown on screen in that episode; the real reason for this is that Lawrence died of lung cancer between the filming of series 1 and series 2, forcing the writers to create a new executive producer character, Sam (see below). - Sam Murphy (Kevin J. WilsonKevin J. WilsonKevin J. Wilson is an Australian actor. He is best known for his performance as executive producer Sam Murphy on the satirical Frontline and as Sir Malcolm on erotic soap opera Chances.-References:...
) is the executive producer during series 2, hired immediately after Brian is fired. Thommo and Sam's characters are similar; a hard-nosed EP who would not hesitate to air questionable stories to attract ratings. - Graeme (Prowsey) Prowse (Steve BisleySteve BisleySteve Bisley is an Australian film and television actor, who attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art .-Acting career:...
) is the executive producer during series 3, hired after the producer who took Frontline to the top retires. Prowsey is much more aggressive and unpleasant than his two predecessors. He has a bad temper, is unpleasant to the staff and is unashamedly sexist: groping the female staff, dismissing bulimia as a "chick thing" and writing off Brooke's bad moods as PMSPremenstrual stress syndromePremenstrual syndrome is a collection of physical and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstrual cycle...
. He is however, like his predecessors, capable of being charming when needed to deceive Mike, placate Emma or feed Brooke's ego.
Supporting staff
- Domenica Baroni (Anita Cerdic) is the office receptionist, and the only person in the office who truly admires Mike. Her increasingly bizarre hairstyles become a running gag, culminating in Give 'em Enough Rope, when she is completely bald and festooned with ribbons. Her reactions to the show usually reflect the target audience's responses. She is a reluctant and sometimes traitorous party to the office's determination to keep Mike away from production meetings. She is always very supportive of Mike and there are often hints that she actually has a crush on him.
- Shelley Cohen (Linda Ross) is the executive producer's secretary.
- Stuart (Stu) O'Hallaran (Pip Mushin) is the office's main cameraman and shoots most of Brooke's and Marty's stories. He, Marty and Jase are all friends and frequently make fun of Mike.
- Jason (Jase) Cotter (Torquil NeilsonTorquil Neilson-Biography:Born in London and raised in Melbourne, Neilson currently resides in Sydney where he has lived since 2003. He is best known for his role as Jason Cotter in Frontline which he played from 1994 to 1997. Neilson's other television roles include Blue Heelers, The Secret Life of Us and Love...
) is the sound recorder who works with Stu. Jase is not actually heard speaking until series 3 despite appearing in most episodes in series 1 and 2. He is fired in the episode "I Get the Big Names" for audio taping Brooke Vandanberg while she urinates on the toilet. - Hugh Tabbagh is the editor of videos, who is almost always seen editing in the audio-visual room whilst sitting, smoking cigarettes and coughing wildly.
- Trev (Stephen Curry) appears as Jase's replacement as the sound recorder towards the end of the third series.
Network employees
- Geoffrey Salter (Santo CilauroSanto CilauroSanto Cilauro is an Australian television and feature film producer, screenwriter, actor, author, comedian and cameraman, a co-founder of The D-Generation...
) is the network's weatherman and Mike's closest friend at work. Geoff usually appears in private conversations in his office with Mike, and is often the catalyst for Mike to question the reassurance he has been given by a producer that the story of the moment is being ethically pursued. He is the focus of a running gag where he will laugh hysterically along with Mike at any anecdote Mike tells him, before admitting that he doesn't get it. - Ian Farmer is the Station Manager, the boss of the local studios. He appears only in season one. He and Brian Thompson are good friends, and frequently play golf together.
- Bob Caville is the network's managing director, and definitively pulls the office into line.
- Jan Whelan (Genevieve Mooy) is the network's head of publicity in series 1 and 2. Jan refers to everyone as "poppet" and "darling" and has extravagantly campCamp (style)Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
mannerisms, but is in fact practical and efficient. - Trish (Lynda Gibson) is the network's head of publicity in series 3.
- Elliot Rhodes (Boris Conley) is a comedian and musician, performing short musical sketches about current events at the end of Friday night episodes of Frontline. Mike detests his act but is required to laugh uproariously and compliment it on air every week. In 2 episodes, he was fired at Mike's request.
Special guests
Frontline frequently featured celebrity cameos, unusually including major Australian politicians appearing as themselves, often but not always as interviewees. The most memorable appearance is that of Pauline HansonPauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
in The Shadow We Cast (series 3), in which she turns her famous "please explain?" phrase on Mike. Noel Pearson appears as an interviewee later in the same episode. Other appearances include: John Hewson
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM is an Australian economist, company director and a former politician. He was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1990 to 1994 and led the party to defeat at the 1993 federal election.-Early life:...
in The Soufflé Rises (series 1); Pat Cash
Pat Cash
Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
in The Desert Angel; Cheryl Kernot
Cheryl Kernot
Cheryl Kernot is an Australian politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate representing Queensland for the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 1997, and the fifth leader of the Australian Democrats from 1993 to 1997...
in We Ain't Got Dames (series 1); Bert Newton
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
; Amanda Keller
Amanda Keller
Amanda Rose Keller is an Australian journalist, radio presenter, and media personality.-Education:Keller went to Carlingford High School, and then went on to study media and communications at Charles Sturt University as a contemporary of Andrew Denton...
and Anne Fulwood
Anne Fulwood
Anne Fulwood is a former Australian newsreader and current affairs host who was born in South Australia's Riverland.-Career:Fulwood began her television career at ADS-7 in Adelaide in 1983 initally as a sports reporter...
in This Night of Nights (series 1); Glenn Ridge
Glenn Ridge
Glenn Daryl Ridge is an Australian television presenter and owner and managing director of the Q Media Group, a production company which produces television specials and documentaries....
in Add Sex and Stir and Office Mole (series 2); Glenn Robbins
Glenn Robbins
Glenn Maxwell Robbins is an Australian comedian, writer and actor.Robbins attended Strathmore Secondary College and graduated in 1975...
and Molly Meldrum in Add Sex and Stir, George Negus
George Negus
George Edward Negus is an Australian author, journalist, and television presenter. He previously presented 6:30 with George Negus on Network Ten, until it was axed by the Network on 19 October 2011.-Education:...
in Add Sex and Stir and Dick on the Line (series 3) and Ian Baker-Finch
Ian Baker-Finch
Ian Michael Baker-Finch is an Australian professional golfer, who is best known for winning The Open Championship in 1991.-Early years:...
in A Hole in the Heart. Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
appeared in the series 2 episode Changing the Face of Current Affairs where he played the character of Larry Hadges. Merv Hughes
Merv Hughes
Mervyn Gregory Hughes is a former Australian cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler, he represented Australia between 1985 and 1994 in 53 Test matches, taking 212 wickets. He played 33 One Day Internationals, taking 38 wickets. He took a hat trick in a Test against the West Indies at the WACA in...
also starred in the series 2 episode Workin' Class Man.
Other guest stars appeared in mock-ups of their own shows: Mike Moore appeared on fictitious episodes of Burke's Backyard
Burke's Backyard
Burke's Backyard is an Australian gardening and lifestyle program, broadcast on both radio and television. On television, it was a regular weekly series on the Nine Network from 1987 to 2004.- History :...
with Don Burke
Don Burke
Donald William "Don" Burke OAM is an Australian television personality and author. He is best known as the long time host of Burke's Backyard, a lifestyle program which ran for 17 years from 1987 to late 2004 on the Nine Network. It has returned several times over recent years with a number of...
, Rex Hunt
Rex Hunt
Rex James Hunt is an Australian television and radio personality, and a former Australian rules football player. He is an Australian rules football commentator, currently on the 1116 SEN radio station with son in law Lee Raynor conducting a program called Off The Hook. He is better known around...
's fishing show, and The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
with Sam Newman
Sam Newman
John Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...
. Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore
Stuart Littlemore QC is an Australian barrister and former journalist and television presenter. He is best known for his time as writer and host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch program, which he presented from its inception in 1989 to 1997...
, who at the time was hosting the media commentary show Media Watch, appeared in several fictitious episodes as a critic of Frontline.
Production strategies
Frontline broke new ground for Australian situation comedy, by adopting some innovative production strategies. Its rapid production schedule was inspired by UK series Drop The Dead DonkeyDrop the Dead Donkey
- Major characters :* Gus Hedges — The unctuous Chief Executive of the company, and yes-man to Sir Roysten Merchant. A management stereotype, complete with clichés and clumsy metaphors, he swiftly transforms GlobeLink from a serious news network to a ratings-chasing tabloid channel...
, where each episode was written and taped in a single week and scripts were closely based on the real news stories of the preceding seven days.
The Frontline scripts were likewise written and the series filmed with a short period, often within a single week. It was a fully collaborative effort, with Cilauro, Kennedy, Gleisner and Sitch all sharing writing and directing duties, and the cast all contributing ideas during all stages of production. So sometimes when the show appeared on then-current events, it was a coincidence, as episodes were delayed by several months. In other cases there was direct commentary on real events, albeit not extremely recent ones.
To create a heightened illusion of grainy documentary realism, footage was shot under fluorescent lights
Fluorescent lamp
A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...
in an actual office building set, and taped on hand-held Hi-8 video cameras
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
usually operated by Gleisner and Cilauro. The footage was then transferred onto film and finally transferred back to videotape (see: Kinescope
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
). Footage that was portrayed as being part of the Frontline broadcast (i.e. Studio or field reports) was shot at broadcast quality, to increase the "realism" of the satire and complement the behind the scenes footage.
The series comprehensively lampooned Ray Martin
Ray Martin
Ray Martin may refer to:*Ray Martin , English association football player*Ray Martin , Australian rules footballer*Ray Martin , United Kingdom...
, and it's relevance in exposing the hypocrisy of ratings driven current affairs television remains to this day.
Other airings
In 1997, Channel Seven bought the rights to the series, however they only aired a handful of episodes. The show was perceived by management as "too close to the bone" for a network significantly focused upon it's prime time current affairs ratings battle with rival stations. The Comedy ChannelThe Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
has shown the series as late as 2005.
In America, Frontline was shown as either Behind the Frontline on cable or as Breaking News on PBS (which already has a news series entitled Frontline).
In the UK, series 1 and 2 were shown by the Paramount Comedy Channel. Series 3, however, was never screened.
Impact
The series was extremely popular through its run, winning a LogieLogie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
award for Most Outstanding Achievement in Comedy in 1995, and a Logie for Alison Whyte
Alison Whyte
Alison Whyte is a Tasmanian-born Australian actress best known for her role on the Australian television series Frontline and Satisfaction....
as most outstanding actress in 1997. A Sydney Morning Herald industry poll rated it #2 in the 25 all-time greatest Australian TV shows.
Six episodes from series one were a core text in the Year 12 English Advanced syllabus for the Higher School Certificate in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(2000–2008) for Module C: Representation and Text: Elective 1: Telling the Truth. The episodes are Playing The Ego Card, Add Sex and Stir, The Siege, Smaller Fish To Fry, We Ain't Got Dames and This Night of Nights. The show has also been used as a text response for both Years 11 and 12 in the English units of the Victorian Certificate of Education
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
. Episodes of Frontline have been analysed for the Media topic in the Year 10 English syllabus in New South Wales since at least 2001.