It’s been 50 years since Graham Kennedy’s obscene version of his crow call was aired on live television in Australia.
Kennedy’s routine included interrupting promos for sponsors and would often call “aaaark” during Cedel Hair Spray presentations.
On 3 March 1975, he added an “F” to the interruptions and this drew thousands of complaining callers to Channel 9.
From then on the Australian Broadcasting Control Board deemed the previously-live show had to be pre-recorded. After an editorial dispute, soon after this, Kennedy walked away from television for two years.
And here we are today.
Fackham Hall (Fuck ‘em all) is the title of a British comedy which delivers laughs from its title to the final credits. The jokes are relentless.
The brainchild of Jimmy Carr and his much-younger brother Patrick, there has been oomph added to the writing by the inclusion of the Dawson Brothers (Steve, Andrew and non-sibling, Tim Inman).
The team has very deep roots. Steve and Andrew Dawson were the writers on Distraction (2003-04), a TV comedy-game show where Jimmy Carr was the host. Inman joined the group in 2005 when they wrote for The Friday Night Project (2005-08). Carr appeared in eight episodes in the first season.
It must have been a complete labour of love as this writing group sat around a table, creating the humour in Fackham Hall?
Lord and Lady Davenport (Damian Lewis and Katherine Waterston) live in a palatial mansion in rural England and are playing hosts to guests for their daughter Poppy’s (Emma Laird) wedding to odious cousin, Archibald (Tom Felton). Indeed, the perennial gag in Fackham Hall is the intermarriage of this – and one presumes all – British aristocratic families in the early 1930s.
Rose Davenport (Thomas McKenzie), aged 23, is the “dried up spinster” sister.
No cousin or other relly has shown any interest in Rose but the young lady falls head-over-heels for an artful dodger hero, Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe). He reciprocates within the bounds of his low station in life.
Eric is an orphan-thief paid to deliver a letter to Lord Davenport at the hall. Due to a misunderstanding, he joins the magnificently boot-licking staff as a hall boy.
Poppy runs away at the altar; Rose is told to substitute for her sister to save the manor falling into Archie’s ownership; the Lord “dies” twice while out shooting before accidentally impaling himself on a letter opener; Eric is jailed for the murder; but true love wins out at the end.
While this nonsense is happening the gags don’t stop, drawing comparison with the Carry On series (1958-75), Flying High/Airplane! (1980) and the first Naked Gun (1988).
Behind the main action sight jokes abound and the word play is a highlight.
You’ve got to laugh … and you do.
SIDENOTE:
Congratulations to viewers who spotted the signage of Fosbury and Sons, sitting above the soft landing Eric encounters after bouncing on a trampoline and “flopping” over a hay cart. It was just one of the clever writing associations in Fackham Hall.
Athlete Dick Fosbury could not clear 5 foot six inches in high school high jump but set an Olympic Games record at Mexico City in 1968 with his unique style, immediately dubbed the “Fosbury Flop”.
Search Original Fosbury Flop for a 2-minute You Tube film recording the man.
4
I WRIGHT 