1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: From the newsroom and new still come to me. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: Gooday, there, I'm Andrew Bucklow and trust me, you were 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 2: gonna love this episode. 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: Okay. My guest is Charlie. 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 2: Pickering, who was one of the original hosts of the 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 2: Project on Channel ten, the show which is sadly coming 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 2: to an end in two weeks time after almost sixteen 8 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: years on air. In this interview, Charlie reveals that he 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 2: was actually never meant to host the show. He kind 10 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: of landed the gig by accident. Wait until you hear 11 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 2: that story. He also opens up about his favorite celebrity 12 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: guests of all time and the rudest, a musician who 13 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: abused Carry Bigmore live on air. 14 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 3: Shut up, you sound like my name, dreadful loud birds. 15 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: I don't like Can you believe that? If you want 16 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: to find out who it is, keep listening. 17 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: You know him from his stand up comedy back in 18 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 2: the day, you know him from The Project, and you 19 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: know him from The Weekly with Charlie Pickering on the ABC. 20 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 2: It's the man himself, Charlie Pickering. 21 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 4: Gooday, Hey, how are you. It's been a while, Andrew. 22 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 2: It's been a long time, and I want to get 23 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: you on because I want to talk about the project. 24 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 2: It started way back in two thousand and nine. You were, 25 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 2: of course one of the original hosts alongside Hughsey and 26 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 2: Carry Bigmore. Can you tell me how the idea for 27 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 2: the show came about or those years ago. 28 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 5: Look, a lot of people, you know, how, like they 29 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 5: say that success has many mothers, A lot of people 30 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 5: probably think that. 31 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 4: They were responsible for the idea of the show. But 32 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 4: I remember very clearly. 33 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 5: I was working as a writer on Rove Live at 34 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 5: the time, which was still on air, and oddly enough, 35 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 5: I would write Carrie Bigmore's news desk jokes when she 36 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 5: used to do funny news headlines. 37 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 4: A funny thing about that was we had never met. 38 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 4: She had no idea who I was. 39 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 5: I would just write my jokes and put them in 40 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 5: the machine, and I always would watch the show to 41 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 5: see how many of my jokes got through. 42 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 4: So that was the situation. 43 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 5: And then, to be honest, I think the genesis of 44 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 5: the idea was it came from Craig cam who was 45 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 5: the EP of Rove Live also EP of Skit House 46 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 5: ran roving with Rove mcmanuson Kevin White, and I think 47 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 5: the idea was started simply as why not breakfast TV 48 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 5: at night, I think is the simplest way, but with 49 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 5: more of a comedic outlook, And that was sort of 50 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 5: the you know, the idea behind it, and then they 51 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 5: started putting it together. And what I remember very clearly 52 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 5: about this show was Carrie and I were never meant 53 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 5: to host it, right, That is an accident. 54 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 4: Of showbiz that that happened. 55 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 5: And so what happened was Carrie was going to be 56 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 5: the I'm using commercial TV terms, this isn't what I. 57 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 4: Would say, but she was going to be the news girl. 58 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 5: You know, she was doing news on Hughsey's radio show 59 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 5: in the morning at the time, she was reading the. 60 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 4: News on Rove Live, so she was going to do 61 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 4: news headlines. 62 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 5: I as an up and coming comedian who started doing 63 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 5: a few desk spots on Row of Live, but was 64 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 5: really kind of struggling for a break in TV, to 65 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 5: be honest. 66 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 4: But I was writing a lot, and I. 67 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 5: Knew about the news and I did stand up about 68 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 5: the news, so they knew that. So I was going 69 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 5: to be a regular correspondent and sort of sit on 70 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 5: the other end of the desk. So Carrie was going 71 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 5: to be on one end doing the headlines. I was 72 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 5: going to be on the other end, and I would 73 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 5: have one or two stories a week where I would 74 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 5: come on and talk about them. And they got the 75 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 5: two of us, two audition hosts for the show they 76 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 5: were doing these auditions, I think it was Good Morning Australia. 77 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 5: Would finish recording in the morning in the studio and 78 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 5: then they'd move in a desk and we sat there 79 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 5: and we had a you know, actually we didn't have 80 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 5: it carry and I didn't have any pieces in. We 81 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 5: knew the rundown, we knew all the stories, and we 82 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 5: basically auditioned different pairs of people for two days, two 83 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 5: or three days straight. And what was funny about that 84 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 5: was is to keep the auditions consistent. The news stories 85 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 5: we would talk about and the script that they would 86 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 5: read it as host was the same every time. 87 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 4: And then Carrie would do the headline. 88 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 5: There'd be some discussion and I would you chip in 89 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 5: and have an opinion, be sort of an opinion guest. 90 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 4: And I got bored. 91 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 5: Doing the same thing all the time, so I would 92 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 5: change my opinion on the story every time we did 93 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 5: a different audition, and I'd try and think of different jokes, 94 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 5: and so I'm sitting there for two days just trying 95 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 5: to make as many jokes and take as many different 96 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 5: opinions on the same stories as I can. And Carrie too, 97 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 5: is starting to get more involved in conversation because she's bored. 98 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 4: Of reading the same headlines over and over. And then 99 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 4: we get to the end of it. 100 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 5: It was either the second or third day, and this 101 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 5: is literally what happened. We'd auditioned everyone and there was 102 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 5: fifteen minutes of studio time left that they hadn't used. 103 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 5: And I can't remember who it was it might have been. 104 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 5: I think Todd Abbott might have been helping with the casting. 105 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 5: I could be wrong. Said oh, why don't Carry and 106 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 5: Charlie have a go while we've got the studio, And 107 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 5: this was my eminem what if you had only one 108 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 5: shot moment? And I put the earpiece in, but I 109 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 5: didn't know how to use an earpiece. I had never 110 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 5: read an AUTOQ before. But I had the advantage of 111 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 5: I had watched everyone audition, and I knew what I 112 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 5: liked and what I didn't, you know, I had a 113 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 5: sense of what worked and what didn't, and so that 114 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 5: was a bit of an advantage but also. 115 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 4: My dream had always been. 116 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 5: To host a TV show, so like that was always 117 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 5: my dream, and I'd almost given up on it at 118 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 5: that point because just every time I auditioned for something, 119 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 5: I didn't get the job. And so I stepped in 120 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 5: and did one host chair, carried did the other host chair, 121 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 5: and it just clicked straight away. It was like the 122 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 5: for me personally, it felt like the most natural thing 123 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 5: I've ever done hosting it, like hitting the AUTOQ, hosting 124 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:01,679 Speaker 5: it and guiding that conversation and carry obviously had watched 125 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 5: all of this happen. She was more experienced than I 126 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 5: was on TV, but she was very comfortable and we 127 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 5: both just had fun because there was no real pressure 128 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 5: on it because we really we were just using free 129 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 5: studio time. 130 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 4: It wasn't really taken that seriously. And then. 131 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 5: We finished, packed up and went home and I was like, oh, 132 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 5: that was fun. And you know, an hour later, I'm 133 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 5: getting a call from my manager saying, right, we're going 134 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 5: to be doing more auditions and it's just you and 135 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 5: Carrie and. 136 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 4: One other person. Wow, And I was just shocked. 137 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 5: But they were like, but we're going to get you 138 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 5: to wardrobe because you can't wear what you're wearing, you know, 139 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 5: like it was like it was like all of a sudden, 140 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 5: I was not visually presentable for the job that they 141 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 5: wanted before and so within a couple of days. 142 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 4: And this was the thing that I. 143 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 5: Did not know all along was it was always going 144 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 5: to be a Hughesy show, right, So Hughesy was always 145 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 5: going to be on the panel, and we had no 146 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 5: idea of that. He did an audition with us, and 147 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 5: then when we went into audition, it was carry and I. 148 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 5: I think it was carry and I, and then I 149 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 5: think Husey and carry, and then they did carry Tusey 150 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 5: and I and they. 151 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 4: Were like, that's it, that's what we're doing. Wow. 152 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 5: It was never meant to be, but it is like 153 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 5: a scene in a movie, you know, where the director 154 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 5: says that, boy, you've got the perfect look. Come and 155 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 5: be in the movies, you know. And it changed my life. 156 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 5: Welcome to the seven PM Project. We're gonna be here 157 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 5: every day taking you through the day's events. 158 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 4: I'm Charlie Pickering. 159 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,679 Speaker 5: This is Carrie Bigmore of caused mister Dave hughes Tomorrow. 160 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 5: You've excited about the first show, a little bit apprehensive 161 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 5: to the Eyes. 162 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 2: The first episode of the project went awhere on July twenty. 163 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 2: Back in two thousand and nine, I spoke to Hughsey 164 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: about that first episode a few years ago. He told 165 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 2: me he was freaking out. He said, and I quote, 166 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 2: I won't try and do Hughsey's voice. 167 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: He said. 168 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 2: The producers didn't want to have a studio audience, but 169 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 2: I said, it needs an audience, but they forgot to 170 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 2: organize one for our opening night. We're about to go 171 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 2: on air and there are about seven people in the 172 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 2: audience and I was sitting there yelling the fucking audience. 173 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 2: Charlie was telling me to calm down, but literally fifteen 174 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 2: seconds before we went live, I was still yelling, where's 175 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 2: the fucking audience? 176 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 4: So they had to. 177 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: Run people up from other flaws in the building. So 178 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: you obviously remember that. 179 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 5: I remember it very clearly, and I will eternally be 180 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 5: grateful to Hughesy for pushing so hard for that. But 181 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 5: I do remember just at the time in my head 182 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 5: I was thinking, you're Husy, why are you freaking out? 183 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 5: Some you know like and you know what we've been 184 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 5: like such good We knew each other from the circuit 185 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 5: stand up circuit before that, but we've been such good 186 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 5: friends through doing the project and since then. But sometimes, 187 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 5: like to this day, I still will often say, what the. 188 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 4: Fuck are freaking out for Susy? 189 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 5: So you know, he that's probably part of why he's 190 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 5: as successful as he is, but he like it was. 191 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 5: It was stressful. I think the thing I remember was 192 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 5: we literally had no idea what the show was right. 193 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 5: And I will say that, and I say this with 194 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 5: love and affection to everyone who has been involved in 195 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 5: that show for sixteen years. I still don't think that 196 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 5: show knows what it is. And I say that in 197 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 5: the nicest possible way, and that probably explains how many 198 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 5: evolutions it's been through and how who's sitting at the 199 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 5: desk has always really shifted the course of what that 200 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 5: show's thinks its mission is along the way. But I 201 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 5: remember we genuinely had no idea what we were doing. 202 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 5: We had something like twenty two stories on the rundown, 203 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 5: and we got through most of them and it was 204 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 5: just too quick and it was insane, but we got 205 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 5: off air and we had survived, and that was it. 206 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 5: Like we went to the green room afterwards, and that 207 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 5: David Mott, who was head of ten at the time 208 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 5: was there and all the EPs and everyone, and we 209 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 5: literally pop champagne corks. I think because the set didn't 210 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 5: catch fire, that's all it was. And we remained on 211 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 5: air for the entirety of it. Was it good, Like 212 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 5: I've apart from the first like two minutes of that episode, 213 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 5: which always gets trotted out on an anniversary or when 214 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 5: someone's leaving or whatever. Apart from that first couple of minutes, 215 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 5: I haven't watched the rest of it because I think 216 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 5: I would have been too self conscious to ever get 217 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 5: in front of a camera again. I mean, it was wild, 218 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 5: and I think the one difference between like, I think 219 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 5: Carrie felt like she was handling it very well. Tuessey 220 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 5: was freaking out. He thought he was ruining his career 221 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 5: every night he did that show for the first year 222 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 5: or so, and he would say that before the show, 223 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 5: after the show all the time. 224 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 4: But I was just excited because I was like, can you. 225 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 5: Fucking believe I'm hosting a TV It's a live TV 226 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 5: show five nights away. 227 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 4: It's all I've ever wanted to do. 228 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 5: So I've literally lived my dream just by sitting at 229 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,839 Speaker 5: this desk. So you know, I was pretty I was 230 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 5: a lot more calm than everyone else. 231 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 2: You hosted the program for five years, you must have 232 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 2: interviewed thousands of people on the show. 233 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: Do you have a favorite celebrity guest of all time? 234 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 5: It's so incredibly hard to pick one out, but I 235 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 5: would say that Robin Williams Live in the studio. Wow, 236 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 5: was everything about it was perfect right, and I grew 237 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 5: up he was just one of my absolute heroes, and 238 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 5: I'm always being nervous about meeting my comedic heroes. 239 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 4: I invited my parents, like my whole family came along, 240 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 4: and we're in the audience that night because he was 241 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 4: going to be there. 242 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 5: And he walked in and like, there's a minute before 243 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 5: the show starts, and he walks in and shakes the 244 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 5: hand of every single person in the audience, and he's 245 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 5: just having They're rolling around laughing just while he's doing 246 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 5: that and saying hello to everyone. He sits at the 247 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 5: desk and he minutes before we did the show. He 248 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 5: insisted on hanging around for the show, so he wanted 249 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 5: to do the interview and then be making jokes about 250 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 5: the news as well. 251 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 4: And the interview was amazing. Years ago, one of the 252 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 4: first times I was in Afghanistan. 253 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: I looked over there was a group of Australian Special 254 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: Forces guys sitting on a field truck smoking rom and 255 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: It's diesel. 256 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:10,199 Speaker 4: And then after the show. 257 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,719 Speaker 5: Had the like the kindness to actually say, like compliment 258 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 5: me on my jokes and what fun we were having, 259 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 5: and it was just one of the most amazing moments. 260 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 4: So that one stands out. The other thing that comes 261 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 4: to mind was. 262 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 5: We somehow did a big promotional deal with Anchorman two 263 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 5: when the movie was coming out, and we did an episode. 264 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 4: Of the show where for the first half. 265 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 5: And co anchoring that week was Ray Martin because we 266 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 5: were filming it out of Sydney, So Ray Martin's at 267 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 5: the desk for the first half hour. Will Ferrell is 268 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 5: Ron Burgundy at the desk, and they start telling stories 269 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 5: that are completely made up. 270 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 6: Yeah, I respect you, I respect you, and I respect 271 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:01,439 Speaker 6: you as well. And we had so much fun. I 272 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 6: don't know if you remember in nineteen seventy four at 273 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 6: the International News Conference, You're down in Madagascar and it 274 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 6: was you, Me, Cronkite and Kylie Minogue and Ray took 275 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 6: his shirt off and all bets were off and we oh. 276 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 5: My gosh, they're not fluffy guns. 277 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 4: They're not. 278 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 6: They weren't back then and they aren't today. And we 279 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 6: drank a gallon of kalua and shot flair guns into 280 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 6: the local coral reefs and let's have the best time. 281 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 5: And Ray's going along with it one hundred percent and 282 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 5: just playing along with it. 283 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 4: And it is and you know, it's. 284 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 5: Just one of those moments where you just go the 285 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 5: comedian is desperate to get a laugh, but I'm just saying, 286 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 5: just sit back and just watch this. 287 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 4: It's the best thing. 288 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 5: Ill eve it like, even to this day, I can't 289 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 5: believe I got to have those experiences. That was one 290 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 5: of the things that the project was capable of, was 291 00:13:55,200 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 5: actually for creating moments that were genuinely incredible television. 292 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: What about your least favorite? 293 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 2: Guess there must be a few, Is there one that 294 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 2: stands out in your mind is like, oh, no, thank 295 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: you, you don to do that again. 296 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 5: I'm sure at the time there were people I really 297 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 5: didn't like, But in hindsight, I prefer to be. 298 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 4: A little more forgiving. 299 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 5: I remember having a rocky interview with Jennifer Hudson, okay, 300 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 5: and I suspect I just had her on a bad day, 301 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 5: and then I met her in the green room beforehand, 302 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 5: and I have a feeling I had something of an 303 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 5: Australian sense of humor that she didn't understand in some way, 304 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 5: and maybe she just decided that we didn't click or 305 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 5: whatever it was. But I remember coming out going, oh, 306 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 5: that's that was hard, you know, that's I just remember that. 307 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 5: But like it's not a slight, that's not. 308 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 4: A slot on her. Sometimes interviews just don't go well. 309 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 2: Well, there's one interview in twenty thirteen which I will 310 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 2: never forget. You had Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols on. 311 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: He was incredibly rude. I'll just play some of that now. 312 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 2: Well, I begin to get your thoughts on Margaret's actually. 313 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 3: The hey, hey missus up, go for it. Shut up, 314 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 3: shut up, shut up. Now listen when a man who's talking, 315 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 3: do not interrupt. There was a break I thought you 316 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 3: had finished. Please go on there. You sound like one 317 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:32,359 Speaker 3: nam dreadful loud birds. I don't like. Okay, it's really elsive. 318 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 3: So are you? When you do that? You've got to 319 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 3: learn what manners and respect is. 320 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: Charlie, do you remember that interview because he seemed like 321 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: a dick. 322 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 4: Well, yeah, this was what was disappointing here. 323 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 5: The vibe of someone who would be sharing pro maga 324 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 5: articles on Facebook with you, you know, like as in 325 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 5: like a middle aged, late middle aged man who's not 326 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 5: that happy that well that that white middle aged men 327 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 5: don't run the world anymore was the vibe that I got. 328 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 5: And I just remember like I found it amusing at first, 329 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 5: and I thought he was putting on a bit of 330 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 5: an act and being funny, but then I realized very 331 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 5: quickly he was just being extremely rude and dismissive to 332 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 5: carry and I think he was very gendered in the 333 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 5: way that he did it and to carry his credit 334 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 5: and always very good at doing this. She's stuck up 335 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 5: for herself, yeah, and stuck up for the show. I 336 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 5: think my one regret was that I didn't do more 337 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 5: in the moment to stick up for her. 338 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 4: But to be honest, Carrie always had that coverage. She 339 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 4: never needed me to take care of her in any way. 340 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: Stick around. 341 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 2: In just moment, Charlie's going to tell us how he 342 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 2: feels about the project being axed and if he's going 343 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 2: to make a cameo on the show before it wraps up. 344 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: Welcome back. I am chatting to Charlie Pickering. 345 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 2: Now, Charlie, how did you feel last week when Channel 346 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 2: ten announced that it was acting the project. 347 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 5: It's very sad, and not just because I still there 348 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 5: are people I worked with who still work there and 349 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 5: are incredibly good at what they do. And I think 350 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 5: it's sad that there's a lot of very creative, smart 351 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:07,479 Speaker 5: people who are now looking for a job and they 352 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 5: will all get a job, because I know for a fact, 353 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 5: I don't think there's a harder job in TV than 354 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 5: the project. What you have to turn around at the 355 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:19,919 Speaker 5: production value that they do, and that's sort of a 356 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,639 Speaker 5: thing that you know, maybe it's the inside baseball or 357 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 5: inside TV attitude of like I've seen the sausage made 358 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 5: on this show, but also you look at it on 359 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 5: TV and you can compare it to the breakfast shows, 360 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,919 Speaker 5: and the production value that they achieve on the project 361 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:37,920 Speaker 5: is something else like it. 362 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 4: It's so much better. 363 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 5: It's esthetically sets a much higher standard than I would 364 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 5: say any news or current affairs show on TV. Maybe 365 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 5: sixty minutes is at the same sort of level of production, 366 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 5: and I don't think it gets enough credit for that. 367 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 5: And I also think it has been. 368 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 4: I will say, as a. 369 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 5: Comedian, been a great platform for some of my colleagues 370 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 5: to get a national audience and have them see what 371 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 5: they do and promote what they do and build their 372 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 5: careers from one spot on the project or one night 373 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 5: sitting on the desk, And so that is a real 374 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 5: shame that that won't exist in the same way. And 375 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 5: also it was the best place to learn how to 376 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 5: make TV. In my five years, I think I hosted 377 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 5: something like thirteen one hundred or fourteen hundred hours of 378 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 5: live TV. I got to anchor live election coverage twice. 379 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 5: I got to report live from election night at the 380 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 5: Obama headquarters in. 381 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 4: Chicago, And. 382 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 5: It was a place where I learned so much and 383 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 5: I would not have been able to do the job 384 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 5: that I do now. There would have been no other 385 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 5: way for me to build those skills so quickly, and 386 00:18:58,800 --> 00:18:59,360 Speaker 5: that it was. 387 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 4: The same for so everyone. I remember while Lead. 388 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 5: While Lead and I first bonded, he was a guest 389 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 5: talking about terrorism as an academic in our first season, 390 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 5: and I got his phone number for a producer and 391 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 5: I had some just questions I wanted to ask to 392 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 5: understand things better, and we came to know each other 393 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 5: quite well, and he ended up being like filling in 394 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 5: for me when I went away, and then he. 395 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 4: Ended up being a Gold Lodi winning host of that show. 396 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 5: It's just one of those things that what is missing 397 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 5: now is a place where young talented people can get 398 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 5: the opportunity to learn to have long careers in broadcasting. 399 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:40,640 Speaker 5: But I also like, sixteen years is a long time 400 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 5: for anything in television. Yeah, and it's a mighty achievement 401 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 5: as far as I know. I'm pretty sure it made 402 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 5: money since the first episode, Like they somehow managed to 403 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 5: keep costs of that show down regardless of how good 404 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 5: it looked. That show made that network a lot of money. 405 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 4: And I think television is a hard business. And I've never. 406 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 5: Said that I am a programmer or I know how 407 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 5: to run a network, but I would say that the 408 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 5: challenges for Channel ten are not because of the project, 409 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 5: and I think it's possible that it's sadly the project 410 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 5: that ultimately has to pay the price for. 411 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: That last question. 412 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 2: The project, of course, will air for the final time 413 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 2: on June twenty seven. Do you think you'll make an 414 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 2: appearance on the show before it wraps up? 415 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 5: If I am asked, I will absolutely be there, although 416 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 5: I'm not one of those people that would just rock 417 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 5: up and invite themselves, though that would be funny. But 418 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:46,199 Speaker 5: I absolutely I am available, and I've been delighted to 419 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 5: be back in. 420 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 4: The studio one last time. 421 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 5: I have such wonderful memories and have I just had 422 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 5: such a fun time working on that show, so I'd 423 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 5: love to be back and be a part of that 424 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 5: of what he is a genuine celebration of a wonderful 425 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 5: achievement of everyone who's ever worked on that show. 426 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,239 Speaker 2: If you want to see Charlie's latest week, you can 427 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:11,880 Speaker 2: check out The Weekly with Charlie Pickering on ABC iView. 428 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:13,719 Speaker 2: Charlie Pickering, thank you so much for chatting to from 429 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: the Newsroom. 430 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:16,159 Speaker 4: Always a pleasure, Andrew, thank you. 431 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: I love Charlie Pickering, I love the project, and I 432 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,479 Speaker 2: am so sad that that show is coming to an end, 433 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 2: but so delighted that I got to hear Charlie's memories. 434 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. I'll chat to you 435 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 1: again tomorrow. Follow us, Subscribe to from the Newsroom wherever 436 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,880 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.