In episode 28 of This Week in Comedy, hosts Morry Morgan and Lily Geddes welcome comedian Danny McGinlay for a loose, wide-ranging conversation about stand up, sport, television and Australian culture. Danny reflects on writing the Western Bulldogs’ famous AFL banners, especially the 2016 preliminary final line about the club being formed in “blood and boots, not in AFL focus groups.” The group joke that AFL banners might be the peak of Australian culture.
The news section begins with Monty Python’s Spamalot returning to Australian stages, prompting riffs on Eric Idle, John Cleese, punchline suburbs, musical theatre and Danny’s love of The Holy Grail. They also discuss How to Talk Australians, Only Murders in the Building and Aaron Chen’s new Technology tour, with Danny praising Chen’s quiet, hypnotic comic presence after working with him on Fisk and Have You Been Paying Attention (HYBPA).
A major thread is television comedy. Danny talks about his warm-up work while highlighting Sam Pang's behind-the-scenes work as a writer, producer and warm-up figure. Danny praises Pang as generous, hard-working and ruthlessly efficient with jokes, comparing his style to classic roasters like Don Rickles. He also highlights Ed Kavalee and Tom Gleisner’s skill in keeping Have You Been Paying Attention sharp and generous.
The beer review features Love Shack IPA, a 6.8 percent, 375 ml can described as citrusy, tropical, stone-fruity and “subtly boozy,” though the hosts joke that two standard drinks hardly feels subtle. Danny sits out because he has a gig later, explaining that one beer tells his brain the workday is over.
The history segment marks Stan Laurel’s birthday, leading to talk of Laurel and Hardy, silent comedy and Danny’s belief that Buster Keaton was funnier than Charlie Chaplin. Carl Barron, Ross Noble and Flight of the Conchords also get mentioned before Lily’s bizarre fact about daredevil Bobby Leach, Morry’s Bunnings sausage story, and Danny promoting his upcoming recorded comedy specials.
Love Shack IPA: Click here
Be in the audience of Danny McGinlay's recorded special: Click here
","author_name":"The Rubber Chicken"}