Fast Forward
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Fast Forward was a long-running Australian commercial television sketch comedy show that ran for 95 episodes from 12 April 1989 to 26 November 1992. It starred several former members of the ABC series The D-Generation such as Magda Szubanski and Marg Downey, as well as other Melbourne-based comedians such as The Eleventh Hour's Steve Vizard and Peter Moon, and Jane Turner and Gina Riley who are now famous for Kath & Kim. It also marked the first time that Kath & Kim stars Turner, Riley and Szubanski worked together on screen.
Fast Forward was formatted to simulate continuous channel surfing, and after the punchline, each sketch would abruptly switch to a momentary segment of static, followed by another sketch, simulating the effect of the viewer repeatedly switching channels. It featured many spoofs of television programs of the day, politicians and television advertisements.
The series' composite style, which blended direct TV parody with traditional sketch comedy followed several earlier Australian sketch comedy programs such as The Mavis Bramston Show, The Naked Vicar Show, Australia You're Standing In It, and The D-Generation. Fast Forward was succeeded by the series Full Frontal, which starred some of the same cast and marked the TV debut of comedian and actor Eric Bana.
Cast
Regular cast members included:
- Steve Vizard
- Peter Moon
- Jane Turner
- Magda Szubanski
- Gina Riley
- Marg Downey
- Michael Veitch
- Glenn Robbins
- Ernie Dingo
Sketches
Sketches included:
- "Dumb Street", which spoofed Australian soaps Home and Away, E Street, Flying Doctors, Neighbours and A Country Practice
- "A Current Affair", a parody of the long-running Channel Nine current affairs program.
- "Hunch", which parodied current affairs host and talkback radio star Derryn Hinch and his program Hinch.
- Parodies of programmes by Australian multicultural TV network SBS
- A spoof of the Australian children's's show Romper Room but hosted by a racist bigot, Bruce Rump (a parody of Bruce Ruxton).
- Roger Ramshett, a politically-incorrect sketch involving an Indian carpet salesman.
- "Brent Smythe and Barry", a parody of 1980s advertising executives
- Dodgy Brothers (Blackburn and Brooks) who tried to sell anything. These characters had earlier been seen on Australia You're Standing In It.
- Two gay male airline stewards Darryl and Wayne, played by Veitch and Vizard, which featured high-camp, stereotypically effeminate speech and mannerisms along with Benny Hill-style sexual word-play and innuendo.
- Inept sports reporter Pixie-Anne Wheatley (Szubanski) who would interview real-life sporting heroes, revealing her complete lack of knowledge of the person or topic.
- Mary MacGregor (Szubanski), a tipsy Scotswoman offering tips to beat the economic recession of the time.
- Bobbie Batista (Jane Turner) a caricature of the American CNN newsreader (CNN was at that time relayed in a late-night timeslot on the same network that broadcast Fast Forward).
- MTV spoofs with Jane Turner as a clueless, try-hard MTV presenter while Gina Riley played artists in music video parodies, with comic versions of songs and videos by such performers as Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Arena, Danni Minogue.
- Victor and Sveta, the Russian presenters of Good Morning Moscow, then In Moscow Tonight, where they talked about life in Russia while grappling with the new Western trends currently reaching that nation (like rock'n'roll, or hula hoops).
- The Saturday Show a variety show spoof which featured Eleanor Largor (Riley).
- Gerry Connoly doing impressions of Sir John Bjelkie-Petersen (former Queensland Premier (1968-1987), The Queen and Prince Charles.
- Impressions of such Australian media figures as Ita Buttrose and Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
- Numerous parodies of Australian, US and UK television series. These included Skippy, The Munsters, The Addams Family, Batman and Are You Being Served?
