THE AUNTY JACK SHOW

ABC / 13x30m-e / 1972-73

Comedy. Often controversial sketch show starring the cross dressing Aunty Jack who would dress as a pantomime dame, wear one boxing glove and ride a motor bike, his/her catchphrase was “I’ll rip yer bloody arms off”. A special edition was broadcast on 1 March 1975 as an attempt by the ABC to introduce viewers to colour TV. The show began life as a couple of pilot radio shows for kids which the ABC considered too scary for children.

Graeme Bond said in a TV Week interview on 10 February 1973 that “the boxing glove? well that is sort of symbolic, Aunty Jack is bigoted, but she sees herself as a golden gloved fighter seeking justice”. There was a one off special following the series which was broadcast 8 June 1973 called Aunty Jack Rox On featuring retreads of some of the best loved sketches and also four songs from a put together band called Cool Bananas (in reality the group were headed by former Easybeat Stevie Wright and called Black Tank) There was a revival of the character for Channel 10 in 1982.

Cast: GRAHAME BOND as Aunty Jack / RORY O’DONOGHUE as Thin Arthur / SANDRA MacGREGOR as Flange Desire / GARRY McDONALD as Kid Eager / JOHN DERUM as Narrator Neville