Live and Sweaty
Encyclopedia
Live and Sweaty was an Australia
n sports television program
, broadcast on the ABC
from 1991 until 1995. Hosted by Andrew Denton
(and later Elle McFeast
), the show was part panel-based, part talk show
and part comedy
, and predated The Footy Show
which has a similar format.
was the show's host, and this was Denton's third series for the ABC (after Blah Blah Blah
and The Money or the Gun
). Comedian Libbi Gorr
(in her Elle McFeast
persona) was a roving reporter, panellist and eventual host of the show when Denton left in 1993.
Other regular panel members were actor Lex "The Swine" Marinos
(always introduced with a Zorba the Greek
style musical theme), Triple J
presenter Debbie "Skull of Rust" Spillane, former NRL
player Rex "The Moose" Mossop
, and Peter "Crackers" Keenan
. A sports news segment was presented by ABC sportscaster Karen Tighe
.
, Paul Keating
, to a game of ten-pin bowling
. Keating made no comment, but Denton continued to up the ante over the course of the year, protesting outside Parliament House
and organising petitions urging the Prime Minister to accept the challenge. Keating eventually relented, not to the game, but appeared in a live interview with Denton.
In the lead up to the 1992 Summer Olympics
, Denton and the rest of the regular cast of the show recorded the song I Don't Care As Long As We Beat New Zealand parodying the sporting rivalry between Australia
and New Zealand
. It was released as a single and reached #38 on the Australian charts.
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 sports television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, broadcast on the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
from 1991 until 1995. Hosted by Andrew Denton
Andrew Denton
Andrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique...
(and later Elle McFeast
Elle McFeast
Elle McFeast is an Australian television character created by comedian Libbi Gorr. The character appeared in several popular shows during the 1990s beginning in the ABC series Live and Sweaty in 1991 and becoming the host in 1993...
), the show was part panel-based, part talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
and part comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, and predated The Footy Show
The Footy Show
The Footy Show can refer to one of the following television shows:*The Footy Show , a sports entertainment programme centred around Australian rules football first screened in 1994...
which has a similar format.
Live and Sweaty regulars
Andrew DentonAndrew Denton
Andrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique...
was the show's host, and this was Denton's third series for the ABC (after Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah was a 1988 comedy television show starring Andrew Denton, broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The show is most notable for the fact that it began the television careers of many Australian performers including Flacco and Roy & HG...
and The Money or the Gun
The Money or the Gun
The Money or the Gun was an Australian comedy/talk-show on the ABC network. It ran from 1989 to 1990, with occasional specials until 1994. It was written by Andrew Denton, Simon Dodd, Bruce Griffiths, and George Dodd, directed by Martin Coombes and produced by Mark Fitzgerald.Each episode was...
). Comedian Libbi Gorr
Libbi Gorr
Lisbeth Joanne "Libbi" Gorr is an Australian broadcaster, writer, voice artist and journalist. She is also known for the satirical character that she created called "Elle McFeast"....
(in her Elle McFeast
Elle McFeast
Elle McFeast is an Australian television character created by comedian Libbi Gorr. The character appeared in several popular shows during the 1990s beginning in the ABC series Live and Sweaty in 1991 and becoming the host in 1993...
persona) was a roving reporter, panellist and eventual host of the show when Denton left in 1993.
Other regular panel members were actor Lex "The Swine" Marinos
Lex Marinos
Lex Marinos OAM is an Australian television actor, director and writer. Notable for his acting role as 'Bruno', the Italian son-in-law of bigot Ted Bullpitt, on the Australian comedy television series Kingswood Country as and host of Late Night Legends on ABC2, he was also a presenter on radio...
(always introduced with a Zorba the Greek
Zorba the Greek
Zorba the Greek is a 1964 film based on the novel Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. The film was directed by Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis and the title character was played by Anthony Quinn...
style musical theme), Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
presenter Debbie "Skull of Rust" Spillane, former NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
player Rex "The Moose" Mossop
Rex Mossop
Rex Peers Mossop was an Australian rugby league and rugby union footballer—a dual-code international, and an Australian television personality from 1964 until 1991.-Rugby union career:...
, and Peter "Crackers" Keenan
Peter Keenan
Peter 'Crackers' Keenan is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne, Essendon and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League during the 1970s....
. A sports news segment was presented by ABC sportscaster Karen Tighe
Karen Tighe
Karen Tighe is an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio and television sports presenter. She grew up and was educated in Sydney, and completed a Bachelor of Arts in communications and psychology at Macquarie University. She joined the ABC sports department as a television reporter and...
.
Notable stunts
In 1992, Denton challenged the Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
, to a game of ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
. Keating made no comment, but Denton continued to up the ante over the course of the year, protesting outside Parliament House
Parliament House
Parliament House is the name of the seat of Parliament in a number of jurisdictions:-Australia:Commonwealth Parliament* Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia* Old Parliament House, CanberraState and Territory Parliaments...
and organising petitions urging the Prime Minister to accept the challenge. Keating eventually relented, not to the game, but appeared in a live interview with Denton.
In the lead up to the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, Denton and the rest of the regular cast of the show recorded the song I Don't Care As Long As We Beat New Zealand parodying the sporting rivalry between Australia
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...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was released as a single and reached #38 on the Australian charts.