Rove, also titledRove Live, is an Australian television variety show that featured live music performances and interviews with local and international celebrity guests. The program premiered on theNine Network on 22 September 1999, before moving toNetwork Ten which aired the program from 2000 until November 2009. The show was hosted by comedianRove McManus through his production companyRoving Enterprises, and featured an ensemble cast who presented various segments throughout the course of the show. The show won theLogie Award for "Most Popular Light Entertainment Program" five times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009).
Rove McManus began his television career hosting theRMITV-produced[1]The Loft Live onC31 Melbourne, acommunity-access television station. It was a straightforward tonight show, with a comic monologue from the host, pre-recorded skits and guest interviews. The show had unusually high production values for a community access show.
TheNine Network developed the show into a commercial production. In 1999, the show, namedRove, ran in a late-night timeslot for 10 episodes. The show featured McManus and three co-hosts he referred to as 'the kids on the couch':Peter Helliar,Corinne Grant andDave Callan. However, Nine decided not to renew the program and the cast moved toNetwork Ten the following year.
The new show, very similar to the Nine production, was namedRove Live. The show was sometimes known asRove [Live] orRove (Live), owing to the use of (square) brackets around the word 'Live' in some of the show's graphics.
Dave Callan left the show after one year, to pursue standup comedy and radio opportunities. Corinne Grant left the show at the end of 2005, to concentrate onThe Glass House and other interests.Carrie Bickmore joined the cast in 2006, presenting a parody news segment.Meshel Laurie joined the cast for only one year.
In November 2006,Rove Live was suspended until further notice due to the death of McManus's wifeBelinda Emmett. Rove wrote a personal message on theRove Live website, saying that it "is a very difficult period for all of us and some time away is the best thing for me right now".
The show reverted to the title ofRove in 2007. Production moved from the Global Television facility inNunawading to the oldSeven Network studios inSouth Melbourne. It now occupied the premium timeslot of 8:30pm on Sunday nights.
Peter Helliar returned to McManus's side. Bickmore's role in the show increased. Following the cancellation of the showThe Glass House,Dave Hughes joinedRove. The comedy duoHamish & Andy, who had previously collaborated with Roving Enterprises with their television showReal Stories, began appearing every second week. Their associateRyan Shelton also began presenting a segment each week.
Each year, the show's set changes in some way from the previous. In a previous year, the set was changed to be less like a traditionallate-night talk show and more like a variety show. In 2007, the show's set was reconfigured back into a more traditional late-night talk show again, even going so far as having a view of theMelbourne cityscape in the background.
In July 2007, a special show was filmed atTimes Square inNew York. Rove, Helliar and Adam Hills attended, and a live Australian audience was present. In late July a second special was filmed in Los Angeles at theBob Barker Studio.
Hayden Guppy now also co-host ofVideo Hits also became a cast member, who shows TV viewers what the cast does duringad breaks.
In 2008,Myf Warhurst, who co-hosted a breakfast radio show with Peter Helliar onTriple M, joined the cast as an infrequent addition whenever a regular cast member was unavailable. Again in 2008,Elmo returned as a guest.
In 2009 the program moved premises toABC studios inElsternwick which housed a new set. Dave Hughes, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee began only appearing on a fortnightly basis. Between May and July 2009, actorBrian Wenzel had a weekly skit at the end of the show.
After 12 July, the show went off-air to let the team take a mid-year break due to the show starting in February (earlier than 2007 and 2008). It was also announced that this episode would be Bickmore's and Hughesy's final episode as regular cast members,[2] due to them both leaving to focus on their new show,The 7pm Project,[2] which premiered on 20 July 2009,[3] and is also produced by Roving Enterprises.[2]
Various news reports appeared in the lead-up to the scheduled season finale for the 2009 season ofRove that it would be the final season. TheHerald Sun originally reported that McManus had confirmed that his show would not return until later in 2010.[4] Despite not appearing on a list of shows at Ten's 2010 launch event, it was rumoured thatRove would return in 2010 with a new format, similar toHey Hey It's Saturday, which rated over two million viewers for itstwo reunion shows. McManus made a comment to theHerald Sun and stated: "This show is my love and my passion and it's always what I've wanted to do." McManus then continued to say "If everything else fell down, as long as I still get to do this thing I love then I’m happy. We have that connection with the audience at the moment and that's where my enthusiasm is coming from."[5]
However, rumours appeared the day before the 2009 finale ofRove in that "staff on his TV show were told this week to look for alternative work next year." Ten's publicity department denied these claims by stating: "We have checked with Roving (Enterprises) and no such discussion was had. As for what changes may or may not be made with Rove for 2010, this will be announced on the show this Sunday, stay tuned." McManus was spotted earlier dining withMerrick Watts and Peter Helliar in Sydney, prompting talk that he might return to radio in 2010.[6]
The rumour of the show ending later revealed to be true, as, during the finale on 15 November 2009, McManus confirmed that the show would be ending with the 2009 finale. He said: "It's purely my decision. It's not one I've made lightly or flippantly. The timing was right to stop, stand back and see what happens next."
The final show finished at 11:11pm with a montage of clips from the 2009 season and a performance byPowderfinger. Rove's last words was a variation of his signature sign-off: "I'm Rove McManus. Say bye to your mum for me."
The show starts with Rove performing a comedic monologue about a variety of news events that have occurred during the previous week. He then introducesPeter Helliar and the other cast members present on the couch that week.
PeteSpace, a parody ofsocial-networking websiteMySpace, consists of Helliar presenting a selection of celebrities, news-makers and online video clips that make up his top events of the week.
Kristy at the news desk, presented by Kristy Warner, was aparody news report, similar to the long-runningWeekend Update segment of the American sketch show,Saturday Night Live (replacedCarrie at the news desk from 17 August 2009 onwards).
Judith Lucy presented by Judith Lucy. Lucy delivers a satirical and comedic commentary on a personal or newsworthy topic (ReplacedHughsey! from 17 August 2009 onwards).
Throughout each show, Rove will interview several celebrity guests. Each interview ends with a segment titledPublic Probe where he will ask his guests five different questions that have been posted to the website by the general public. At the end of the interview, Rove would usually spruik the product or event that guest was promoting, and the wordsThe Plug will appear on the screen.
Throughout the course of the show, a variety of other segments are shown, presented by members of theRove cast:
Kevin Rudd PM was a small dramatic-comedy mini-series about the Australian Prime MinisterKevin Rudd. The series involves video news clips of Rudd that are spliced together.
Two other segments are occasionally shown, not necessarily every week.
Hamish & Andy ComediansHamish Blake andAndy Lee presented a pre-recorded report, frequently on location overseas.
Ryan Shelton also presented a segment known asPhilosophisationing with Ryan Shelton.
The final segment of the show wasWhat Have We Learnt?, in which each cast member, and usually each guest, give a humourus example of what they have learned during the week.Peter Helliar always answers last and ends with "and you can read all about it in my new book..."
The show will usually end with a live performance from a band in the studio, and McManus will end the show by saying his trademark line "Say hi to your mum for me!" Starting in 2005 the band performs before theclosing credits. In previous years the credits would roll while the band performed. In 2006, Rove had a house band, which may have been the same band as the main act, or an Australian band of much smaller stature than the main act. They would play live music when returning from ad breaks.
20 bucks in 20 seconds was a titled segment at the end of an interview with a guest where Rove would ask questions for twenty seconds. Once the time was up, Rove would always ask the question: "Who would you turn gay for?" (if the guest was openly gay, the question would be changed to "Who would you turn straight for?"). A popular solution to this question was to respond "I'd turn gay for you, Rove". In a particular episode featuring known prankster and member ofThe Chaser team,Chas Licciardello, Licciardello expressed his annoyance that everyone answered "I'd turn gay for you, Rove" but that nobody ever followed up on it. He then leapt on Rove andFrench kissed him, before licking Rove on the face. This segment was again replaced byFinal Five in 2009, and halfway through the 2009 series, it changed once again and became the "Public Probe", where Rove would ask the guest 5 questions submitted online from the public.
All That Glitters: Rove, along with regular presenters and guest artists perform a scripted radio play with the help of aFoley artist live on the show.
Amazing Talents: Viewers with 'amazing' (or just plain bizarre) 'talents' are brought to the studio and given a few minutes to display their skills. This could be balancing lawn furniture, or nailing a fork into each nostril. This is comparable to the "Stupid Human Tricks" segment on theLate Show with David Letterman.
Carrie at the Newsdesk was aparody news report, similar to the long-runningWeekend Update segment of the American sketch show,Saturday Night Live. The segment had been presented by a variety of personalities in Bickmore's absence. While onmaternity leave in 2007, Bickmore was replaced byJane Hall andMeshel Laurie. In 2008,Bert Newton andMyf Warhurst have presented the segment when Bickmore was ill.
Final Five where he will ask his guests five different questions and often include their opinion on something that has happened during the week in popular culture (such as askingAlan Cumming what he thought ofMatthew Newton's bum inUnderbelly: A Tale of Two Cities). The last question was always a visual question where Rove will show the interviewee an unusual image and ask them to say what they think about the image.
Flick Your Switch: The show broadcasts a live video shot of an area of an Australian city. Rove then asks those residents of the area who are watching the show and willing to respond to flick their houselights on and off, sometimes to give answers to questions.
This segment started in 2004 when Rove pointed a camera atKirribilli House and asked thePrime Minister of Australia,John Howard, to flick his light switch if he was willing to be interviewed on the show. When the desired result was not achieved, Rove then asked the neighbours to flick their switch if they would try to help get Howard on the show. On 19 April 2005, Rove succeeded in his goal of getting someone at Kirribilli house to flick their switch. A special ferry filled with participants in a dress-up competition for the show stopped onSydney Harbour outside Kirribilli House, the passengers chanting "Flick your switch". Rove and viewers were surprised to see the lights flick. It was neither Mr or Mrs Howard as they were both on an international visit at the time. It is believed that it was one of Howard's children or an aide.
The showDon't Forget Your Toothbrush had a similar element for the second season involving the audience flashing their house lights on and off at a prescribed moment. A camera in a mystery location would search for someone taking part, thus selecting him or her to play a game that involved throwing things out of his or her windows.
Guides: Rove, Pete and Corinne createdguides to help people. The guides they did were:Guide To Having A Baby,Guide To Driving,Guide To Breaking Up,Guide To House Hunting andGuide To Job Interviews.
Hang Up, Don't Hang Up: Rove called a regular audience member from a differenttime zone, and tried to engage in conversation. However, during the call Peter Helliar revealed random instructions from the keypad of an oversized phone prop. For example,Sing your words, orMake the live-lister say the word "bucket". If Peter pulled outHang up, Rove hung up and ended the call without saying goodbye or even finishing his sentence.
Hot Topic: Avox populi segment, in which purportedly random people were asked their opinions. These answers were evidently scripted, and many of their responses included references toNetwork Ten shows.
Hughesy! was presented byDave Hughes. Hughes delivered a satirical and comedic commentary on a personal or newsworthy topic.
Hughesy Loses It: Dave Hughes engaged in a weekly rant about something trivial, this is very similar to Nickelodeon's "Dave's Raves" a years prior byDave Lawson onSarvo. He often used the catchphrase 'Seriously!'
Help Me Hughesy!: Dave Hughes responded humorously to viewer questions, frequently with taped reports.
I Want My Stuff Back: Rove helps a 'Live Lister' receive back property that they have lent to someone.
It Takes You: Parody ofIt Takes Two, in which Rove picked a member of the audience to sing with a celebrity. This segment appeared once on 3 June 2007. The professional wasDean Geyer.
Live List: Viewers can register their name, address and various other details on the show's website to join theLive List. A broadcast team will occasionally visit a viewer (the first the viewer knows about it is when they see the front of their house live on television). What happens from then on varies greatly—from performing a quick two-minute interview live from their house, to being sent away to perform a certain task (usually to win a prize), sometimes being sent as far away asFiji, New York City or the United Kingdom.
My Charader:Charades. The title is a play on the song "My Sharona" byThe Knack. The game is hosted by Rove and involves two teams. BeforeCorinne Grant left the show, she and a guest would play on one team, andPeter Helliar and a guest on the other team.
Not SoFrequently Asked Questions: Rove, Peter and Corinne are asked questions that aren't asked very often. This usually ends with a pre-recorded skit.
The Pentagon of Probable Embarrassment: Rove has an audience member spin a wheel with a one in five chance of winning $5000, although the other four items on the wheel are repelling. Other items on the wheel included: "Breakfast in your pants", "Kiss Pete's Grandma", "Soup on your head", "Eat a Fish Eye" and "Mega-Wedgie".
Petesclusive: Peter Helliar will chat to a 'guest' (celebrity or world figure) who has recently been involved in a famous story or scandal. Helliar's guests are a photograph of the famous person with his or her mouth digitally replaced by Rove's mouth. This is similar to a regular bit onLate Night with Conan O'Brien.
Ron's Review: 78-year-oldRon Steward reviewed a new movie and a rating out of 5 stars.Ron's Review occurred around every three weeks. Peter Helliar also reviews the same movie. The main humorous appeal of this segment was the fact that Ron was quite an elderly man which led to a variety of jokes regarding Ron's age, which, although many were at his own expense, he appeared to take in good humor. Another humorous part of the segment is Ron's ever-recurring rating of three-and-a-half stars (out of 5). In 2006 Rove conducted a semi-humorous campaign to have Ron nominated for the best newcomerLogie Award.
Rove's Audience's Got Talent: Parody ofAustralia's Got Talent, where Rove plucked a member of the audience and put them into a performance utilising a particular talent. Peter Helliar, Dave Hughes and a celebrity guest acted as judges. This segment has only occurred twice.
Roving with Rove: A pre-recordedvox populi segment in which McManus asks people in street for their thoughts.
Rydeas: ComedianRyan Shelton presented a new invention or idea, often incorporating the syllable 'Ry'.
So Rove's Audience Thinks They Can Dance: Parody ofSo You Think You Can Dance, where Rove picks a member of the audience, dresses him or her in an unusual costume, and forces him/her to dance. LikeIt Takes You, this segment has only appeared once.
Sex Office: a drama/sitcom style television show set in the 1970s, in which everyone in the office (except one individual) is engaging in frequentcasual sex.
Tell Us Where To Go: At a viewer's request, Corinne Grant was sent on location somewhere in Australia to witness a local event, to see a local landmark or to meet a local personality. The segment is pre-recorded and introduced by Rove and Corinne in front of a large map of Australia (withoutTasmania) lowered onto the stage. At the end of the segment, Corinne gives Rove a present from the adventure (something sexual or inappropriate or both), and a magnet is placed on the drop-down map approximately where the location was. Due to Australia being very closely populated on the eastern coast, and southeastern corner in particular, the "approximate" placement of the magnets has been evermore loosely interpreted. This segment was dropped with the departure of Grant in 2005.
Two Minutes at Your House: In addition to being chosen to participate instunts andcontests, "Live List-ers", as they are referred to, may be visited by the show's camera crew for a live crossover to their house lasting about two minutes. In reality, these segments are often well beyond the suggested two minutes, as the timer doesn't commence counting down until the person has been verified to be at home, and Rove tells the clock to start. If a particular story isn't finished, pet not shown, or talent not displayed, the segment will often continue even if the timer has expired. Some broadcasts have hinted at prior planning of the segment.
What's Hot, What's Not: Rove would describe something that ishot (popular) at the moment and compare it with something that is not (e.g.What's Hot –Lamborghinis.What's Not – Lamb Bikinis.What's Hot –Desperate Housewives. "What's Not" – Dentist Archives).
What the...?: Rove receives viewer submissions of objects that might make one say "What the...?" The submissions could be newspaper clippings, DVD boxes, photographs of oddsigns or animals doing inappropriate things to each other. Many aremistakes of translation from foreign languages or otherunintentional humor. This segment was abandoned in 2007.
Who's in the Swivel Chair?: A celebrity was pushed around the studio on aswivel chair. Each week the name of the celebrity was announced byBruce Mansfield.
Words that sound better when said by Dave:Dave Callan recited certain words and names which, owing to his thick Irish accent, sound quaint to the Australian audience. The sketch was abandoned when Callan left after the first series in 2000. Some of Callan's famous words include: 'trousers', 'haberdashery', 'Archbishop Desmond Tutu' and 'man-boob'.
Joke credits: At the end of every episode there were fake credits shown with the real credits. There was a common theme for the credits each week.
Sketches: Rove, Pete and Corinne Grant performed three sketches on the show together. The first one was about a sleepover, the second was about wheelchair rugby and the third was about horse racing.
The show has sometimes struggled in the ratings. This was most obvious in the ratings for the final show of 2005, which was broadcast on 22 November. The show gave away six cars, and had media heavyweightsBert Newton,Jerry Seinfeld andKath & Kim as guests. The show rated 19th for the day, with only 797,000 viewers nationwide.[7]
On 16 May 2006, the ratings peaked over a million for the first time since 2002 when 1,040,762 viewers watched nationwide. This episode involved anintruder entering the Big Brother house live during the show.[8] The final episode for 2006 attracted only 700,000 viewers nationally.[9] This wasn't intended to be the final episode, but it eventuated as the result of the death of McManus' wifeBelinda Emmett.
The first episode of the revamped series, which began 1 April 2007, attracted 1,693,000 viewers nationwide, and was the highest-rated program for the day.[10] For the second episode of the season, which aired on 8 April, viewership fell to 999,000.[11] The third episode was shown on 22 April, achieving around 1,073,000 viewers.[12] Since then, the show has consistently rated above 1 million viewers nationally.
Eight hundred and fifty-five thousand viewers watched the 2009 return of Rove, up nearly 100,000 viewers on the previous year. Ratings frequently average 800,000 to 1 million viewers.
In 2004, the show began broadcasting onTV3 in New Zealand at a late-night time slot. The show quickly gained a following and was given a primetime slot on Friday nights (8:30pm–9:30pm). It was not broadcastlive in New Zealand (in spite of its former titleRove Live); rather, it was televised five days after the Australian broadcast.
On 28 June 2009, McManus interviewedSacha Baron Cohen (appearing in character asBrüno Gehard). During the course of the interview, Brüno joked that "I hear [Cohen's] wife gets less sex thanKatie Holmes", a reference to long-time rumours of her then-husbandTom Cruise being gay.[15][16] However, when televised, the words "Katie Holmes" were censored. A further joke at the expense of Holmes towards the end of the interview was not even televised. Throughout the interview, Brüno made numerous jokes about other celebrities, especiallyPrime MinisterKevin Rudd. These jokes were not similarly censored.[17]
Rove, Peter and Corinne hosted a radio program originating fromFOX FM in Melbourne forAustereo'sToday Network, as well as selected regional stations, until 2004. It was initially known asSaturday Morning Rove. It was then calledRove Live Radio.
Two soundtracks were released bySony featuring musical performances from the show, one in November 2001 and the second in November 2002. Both albums peaked within theARIA top 40.
