The Comedy Game

The Comedy Game is an Australian television comedy anthology series that aired in 1971 and 1973 on ABC. The new comedies screened in the series were seen as possible pilots for a full television series.

The episodes led to the series Our Man in Canberra in 1971, A Nice Day at the Office in 1972, The Aunty Jack Show in 1972, Flash Nick From Jindivick in 1974 and Scattergood: Friend of All in 1975.

A Nice Day at the Office
Aired 2 November 1971 (Sydney), 25 November (Melbourne). By Marcus Cooney and John Brendan. Plot: Harvey and Crisp work in the filing section of a government office.
 * John Bell as Sean Crisp
 * Neil Fitzpatrick as Ted Harvey
 * Fay Kelton as Vicki Short
 * Kevin Lesley as Claude Fogarty

Use No Hooks
Aired 9 November 1971 (Sydney), 2 December (Melbourne). The story of newlyweds George and Peggy Trump and their friends Gordon Bates and Leonard Cartaris. Produced by Maurice Murphy.
 * Keith Lee
 * John Hamblin
 * Grahame Bond
 * Max Meldrum
 * Joan Bruce
 * Tessa Malone
 * Anthony Wagner
 * Redmond Phillips

Our Man in Canberra
Aired 16 November 1971 (Sudneuy), 16 December (Melbourne). By John O'Grady.
 * Jeff Ashby as Humphrey Sullivan
 * Robyn Nevin as Kate Sullivan
 * Walter Sullivan as The Minister
 * Cul Cullen as Fred Larkin
 * Delore Whiteman as Mrs Wheeler
 * John Meillon

Gaudeamus Igitur
Aired 23 December 1971 (Melbourne). By Jenny Wager. A university department has had no professors or students for thirty years.
 * Jacki Weaver
 * Arna-Maria Winchester
 * Joseph Furst
 * Stanley Walsh
 * Chris Haywood

Scattergood
Aired 9 December 1971 (Melbourne).
 * Max Cullen
 * Moya O'Sullivan
 * Alfred Sandor

Aunty Jack’s Travelling Show
Aired 7 December 1971 (Sydney), 30 December 1971 (Melbourne). Writers include Geoffrey Atherdon Graham Bond, Sherman Merlick, Peter Weir. Music and lyrics by Bond and Rory O'Donoghue.
 * Grahame Bond as Aunty Jack

Arthur
Aired 14 December 1971 (Sydney), 6 Han 1972. By Michael Aitkins. Arthur Potter is an out of work young man.
 * Michael Aitkens as Arthur
 * Sheila Kennelly
 * Judy Morris
 * Wendy Blacklock
 * Hazel Phillips

Fat Max
Aired 19 May 1973 (Sydney). By John O'Grady. About a 40 year old bachelor.
 * Barry Lovett
 * Graham Rouse
 * Olivia Hamnett

Catch What I Mean?
Aired 26 May 1973. By John Dingwall. Set in a drivers pool at a city newspaper's office.
 * John Meillon
 * Moya O'Sullivan
 * Graham Rouse

Birth, Death and Marriage
Aired 9 June 1973 (Sydney), 7 November (Melbourne). Three separate stories. By Maurice Wiltshire, Ray Biehler, Arthur Sherman.
 * Garry McDonald
 * Jacki Weaver
 * Peter Sumner
 * Willie Fennell
 * Ros Spiers.

The Engagement Party
Aired 30 June 1973.
 * Ron Frazer
 * John Krummel
 * Sue Walker

Flash Nick from Jindavick
Aired 16 June and 23 June 1973 (Sydney), 14 and 21 Nov (Melbourne). By Grahame Bond.
 * Grahame Bond
 * John Meillon
 * Martin Harris
 * Garry McDonald

The Only One Left
Aired 2 June 1973 (Sydney).
 * Garry McDonald
 * Terry Bader
 * Walter Sullivan

Basically Black
Basically Black was the first television program written and created by Indigenous Australians, and starred:


 * Aileen Corpus
 * Gary Foley
 * Zac Martin
 * Bob Maza
 * Bindi Williams