Thank God You're Here

I don't think I can say any more than what people have already said about this show. It is groundbreaking, the best show on TV. It has an appeal for absolutely everyone. I have no doubt that in a few years' time the concept will be picked up by networks from other countries.

One thing I'd like to comment on is everyones' attitude towards the "judge" of the show. Now, is it just me or is this aspect merely another part of the comedy? Tom Gleisner is there simply to send up the Reality TV concept of a judge and to inspire more laughs. He's not a real judge. It's not a real contest. This is a sketch comedy show, pure and simple. Perhaps the closest thing to it is "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" Even then, it's in a genre all its own.

And, damn, it's funny.

This is Australian comedy at it's best.

Now currently in it's third season, Thank God You're Here (TGYH) gives four guests a costume, a set, a few props and only one thing is missing... a script! Put into a costume, they must improvise their way through the scene.

After the individual performance, they gather together for one final showdown: the All-In Group Challenge, in which they must improvise together in a scene.

This is why I love Aussie comedy. It's fresh, original, and absolutely brilliant. While the US version didn't go as well as the Australian version, it's still a great show to enjoy!

I didn't see the first episode of Thank God You're Here. My father did, and he told me he enjoyed it, and found it amusing. My father finds many things amusing, but I decided to watch it on the station it began on.

I fell in love.

Thank God You're Here brings out some of the best of Australian comedy. It brings out some of our greatest comedians and let's them take a scene and run wild with it. It is full of great improvisation, and it's definitely material for a thoroughly entertaining evening.

The concept of the show is marvelously simple: a contest gets dressed up in a costume, then walks through a door, completely unaware of what scene lay beyond. They then do their best to improvise the scene before them, frequently answering questions provided by the actual crew of the show. The costumes are great, sometimes a little bit iffy, but it just adds to the hilarity of the show.

One of the flaws of the show is it's Judge, Tom Gleisner. I can quite happily say his role is completely unnecessary, and, in choosing the winner, and criticising the contestants, he is always saying positive things - never a negative thing spills from his mouth. Rather than a judge, Gleisner appears to be what I'd call a "feel-good" instructor - because that's all he seems to actually do.

Regardless, watch the show, and just mute it whenever Gleisner speaks. You'll be much happy that way.

Thank God You're Here is a great concept for a show and it's obvious that a lot of work goes into its preparation. It's good to see such a broad range of Australian talent having a go at this kind of improvisational comedy. The episodes with Shaun Micallef are exceptionally funny.

One of the things that I don't like about the show is the lack of creativity when it comes to involving the guest into the pre-written script that the ensemble cast are following. There is a little too much of the fill-in-the-blanks kind of thing happening in which the ensemble cast member starts a sentence, and then stops before the end so that the guest can complete it.

Here's a few examples of what I mean, from the segment Dailan Evans did as co-host on a "The Movie Show"-style film review program:

Ensemble Cast Member: "We're also looking at a great new Australian Classic, The Story of..." (turns to guest star to fill in the blank) Ensemble Cast Member: "At Canne this year it didn't win the Palme d'Or but it did win the..." (turns to guest star to fill in the blank) Ensemble Cast Member: "Which goes to the film for..." (turns to guest star to fill in the blank)

Very unimaginative. To make the show more believable (and more funny) they could perhaps leave it more open for the guest to do a little more improvising by means of starting and finishing their own sentences instead of just adding the punchline to something that's already been scripted.

Great show otherwise and I'm sure we'll see it improve immensely as it evolves.

The problem with Australian's television industry is that too much American crap fills up the channels. With the arrival and well deserved success of "Thank God You're Here", it may not have overcome OZ TV crisis, but it did help and in a time where Australian TV comedy was at an all time low. Another new comedy show has premiered, "The Wedge"- It's Australian, but it really sucks, so watch Thank God... instead. The best "bullsh*ters" as such would have to be Akmal Saleh, Peter Rowsthorn, Angus Sampson, Frank Woodley and Josh Lawson (the equivalent of what John Wood had been for 9 or 10 years, great but never winning any prizes).

Which brings me to my next point, the incompetent judge Tom Gleisner. He always says to the guests that it was a "fabulous performance" despite some guests not being really funny-mediocre at best. And with the exception of the first one or two episodes, the winner Tommy has selected was not the right decision, leaving the performers ACTUALLY WORTHY OF THE PRIZE going home empty-handed.

Therefore, I leave you with this. "Thank God You're Here" is a really funny show (most of the time), but has its really dud and good but not great performers, and if you feel like spitting the dummy at Mr Gleisner, then I can't blame you!