Ten years with Rove
Craig Campbell tells TV Tonight it was Rove McManus' warmth and ability to think on his feet that drew him to partner with the young comedian. 10 years later they are still making telly.
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Back in the late 90s it was Channel Nine employee Rob Brearley who first brought Rove McManus to the attention of director Craig Campbell.
“Rob saw Rove on Channel 31 and kept leaving me VHS tapes on my desk,” Campbell tells TV Tonight. “And I never got to watch them because of my workload. Finally I put one on and said ‘wow’ and watched another and another.”
That was more than ten years ago. Campbell, who now manages Roving Enterprises with McManus, was working at Channel Nine at the time.
Brearley started in the mailroom at Channel Nine before working as a segment producer on In Melbourne Today. Today he is a producer on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? and a Creative Producer at Roving. He has now been working with Campbell for 22 years. In a business where loyalty is easily traded, it is a measure of both Campbell and McManus that they still have so many long-term allies.
But then, McManus was the man who famously told Nine he wouldn’t dump his on-air sidekicks Peter Helliar, Corrine Grant and Dave Callan. All three return for tonight’s tenth anniversary of Rove, along with Ryan Shelton, Hamish & Andy, Judith Lucy, Kristy Warner, Dave Hughes, Meshel Laurie and Carrie Bickmore.
As the show celebrates ten years on screen (briefly at Nine, and mostly at TEN), Campbell remembers what it was he saw in the young performer.
“His warmth and his ability to think on his feet,” he recalls. “I saw instantly the reactive comedian. At the time I had been working with hosts who were very autocue bound, and probably took the role as actors trying to act the role as TV host. What I saw in Rove was someone who could think instantly and take an idea left or right.
“I thought ‘how cool would that be having someone who could double-think you and you’re double-thinking them?’ So I watched that stuff through until lunchtime and a mate rang me and said ‘I’m in town let’s catch up for a drink?’ But there was one catch. He said, ‘I’ve got to meet this other guy I’ve been working with, do you mind if he joins us for a drink as well?’ I said ‘Who is he?’ and he said ‘A guy called Rove McManus,'” he says.
“I’d just been watching him on tape all morning. The same day.”
More than ten years later, Roving Enterprises now has four shows in production, Rove, Before the Game, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? and The 7PM Project. It has previously produced the ARIA Awards, Skithouse and other projects for Hamish & Andy.
McManus’ first foray into commercial television was a variety show for Nine. But it was short-lived.
“We all ended up doing a pilot early in the following year, and while they were sitting on the pilot, which is about the time Nine signed Mick Molloy and not making a decision, I said to Rove, ‘You know what? If they don’t go with it let’s just get out of here. I believe in it so much that it’s got legs.’
“So at that point I became not the network guy but the Roving guy.”
Nine wanted to retain McManus but not his on air sidekicks.
As Campbell tells it, “Rove just went, ‘Nuh.’
Then the network offered other hosting opportunities in the booming lifestyle genre.
“They had weddings and parties, all these ‘great’ formats they wanted Rove to host. He just kept going ‘No not me, no not me.’ To his credit he kept saying ‘Thanks for the offers but it’s not what I want to do, I’m not here to take the money.’
“We sat out in the wilderness for the best part of 6 to 9 months until we started the show on Channel TEN,” he says.
As Campbell explains, it is important to remember the climate in the late 90’s.
“At the time Hey Hey had been axed, The Midday Show was gone, variety was dead officially –I think that was the headline. And here’s a guy that wants to do a variety show but dressed it up as an ensemble comedy piece. Because they didn’t dare want us to actually have guests come on and talk to them because variety was gone.
These days Roving has over 100 staff to run its four shows. The company sits in the same production realm as Working Dog and Zapruder’s Other Films.
Producing simultaneous television is a constant challenge, including nurturing newer formats such as The 7PM Project. Despite the network’s pledge to stick with the show until the end of the year, and the Roving’s tweaking of the format, there are those who are quick to tear down the show, or even McManus himself.
“I read it a lot on websites and blogs but I’m yet to meet anyone in person who says that,” says Campbell. “But Rove has grown a lot in ten years. When he started he was the guy who had toys on his desk. He was a big kid in a television shop, having a great time. But I think you’ll find Rove‘s grown up now –a lot. Even his style of humour has developed and is more sensitively attuned than ten years ago. So maybe people haven’t come back and sampled him, and have preconceived ideas of what he is.”
With McManus, what you see is what you get, says Campbell. He is guarded on his private life, frequently fodder for women’s magazines, criticised for his interview style, and derided Tall-Poppy-like for being successful.
“Tall Poppy? Yeah. Isn’t that the way?” Campbell poses. “‘Young guy gets successful runs his own company, oh that’s wrong.’
“He’s an incredibly reactive, incredibly generous performer. And to be honest the genuine feedback we get from overseas about Mr. McManus is incredible.
“I read with interest people having a go saying he rips off Leno, or he’s not as good as Dave or whatever. Those people might be very interested to know that there are people from those camps in America that think he’s amazing. People like Jay Leno are a fan. They think he’s got an ability that’s not seen in their country.
“They’re also amazed that he’s survived for 10 years in an environment that isn’t late night, but primetime.”
Rove Turns Ten airs 9:30pm tonight on TEN.
36 Responses
Rove needs to keep that unfunny guy Ryan Shelton from his program that’s for sure. What I learnt from last night’s 10 year special was that Rove’s supporting cast was far stronger 6 years ago than it is now – and it’s something that Rove’s team needs to look at for sure.
Maybe Ron Steward is dead.
loved the special, made me feel very nostalgic, i miss heaps of those old segments. the ones they have now are ok, they make me chuckle a bit but some of those old ones had me in hysterics i wish they would bring some of them back.
Congratulations Rove and team for reaching 10 years! Here’s to the next 10.
I just would like to know why there was no mention of Ron Steward the senior movie reviewer and Myf Warhurst?
Congratulations on 10 years Rove! I think Rove needs to reconnect his audiences & home viewers again which was success back then before he change whole show.
Like get the audience or home viewers be part of show again with those segaments he had. We are missing that part of show now. I used to laugh alot and it made me feel good and excited.
I love it when Rove does the show live outside of studio (in street/park and live at your place). That was really connecting to your audiences and giving so much fun for show to watch & excitement. Needs to do it more often, would be great if he did.
As much as I bag it on occasion, I am grateful the show exists and love Rove. But seriously, there is nothing wrong with pre-interviews. It would make the world of difference if it felt like the chats were going somewhere. It really works when guests – WIll Ferrel for example – come in with a “bit” already planned.
This is one of the few talk shows of the Non American Variety I don’t mind watching.
You look at rubbish like Dr Phil and Oprah How Boring and What Relevance do such programs have to Australians
Just a question David, What happened to Little Britain USA that was advertised for tonight?
Is it axed or moved or on hiatus for the rove special?
Lt Britain and Nurse Jackie back on Monday nights Sept 28 after GNW. Check Programming posts or show Tags.
keep your eyes peeled for me and the Pentagon of Probable Embarrassment – Breakfast Down Your Pants. I still remember the hilariousness of being a part of that sharing of a meal with Rove and Pete haha…
Rove is boring, he needs to allow the guests to talk more as they have some interesting stories to tell. Watch Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Leno, Letterman etc and see how they interview nice free flowing and interesting.
I’m pretty sure they filmed this last night., he had Peter, Corrine, Dave C, Hamish, Andy, Kristy, Ryan, Dave H & Carrie.
And also he tweeted that someone in the audience stole his camera! that would suck.
Correct.
Stealing other talk shows’ segments and jokes has paid off, congratulations.
10 years is pretty good in the tv landscape, over that time i would suggest that the show passed it’s used by date several years ago. I guess my sense of humour has changed, i didn’t mind the show in the early years, but became disenchanted with the way Rove operates. In some ways i think the show caters to the same audience age group, which leaves little room for those of us who grow up and find some things funnier rather than some others may percieve as funny.
Meanwhile some things that used to be funny several years ago…. are no longer funny although i still do find the humour in old sitcoms such as Cheers, Frasier, Seinfeld, Married With Children etc. Whereas i don’t have the same appreciation for comedic animation shows like The Simpsons, South Park (and never really saw what was so great about Futurama or Family Guy).
Despite several format changes i don’t think the show has evolved greatly.
And to make a passing comment on Craig Campbell’s remark on people on forums/blogs passing critism (be it on the 7pm project or Rove in general), i’d gladly discuss my critisms in person. I doubt i’d be listened to though!
what was with that pink jumper he was wearing aobut 2 weeks ago lol.
although not perfect, at the end of the day rove is a fun and entertaining show, i never realised how much he’s appearance has changed over the last ten years till i saw the ads.
looking foward to tonight ep
Rove’s a good guy. But the whole 10 years thing. That could be the problem. The public just may need a break from him, maybe a couple of years, come back with a new format, he’s still young.
I hate it when people knock Rove – he’s jovial and likeable, and his show, while not the pinnacle of all comedy, is fun and entertaining. Congratz on ten years on TV – many people have come and gone in that space of time but he and his show have managed to stay and evolve, which is a huge achievement. Looking forward to tonight ’10 years’ special.
@Nathan from The Extra Source – actually up until a few weeks ago Rove’s ratings have been good even before it had the huge MasterChef lead-in. And in the demos (particularly 16-39) the show is incomparable.
Well if Rove’s grown up a lot now, his style of humour has developed and he is more sensitively attuned…then I hate to think what he would have been like ten years ago.
and of all weeks, this is when Ten choose to bump him out to 9.30 at late notice.
Does he talk about how Rove’s ratings have been the worst ever this year and if things keep sliding he may have to fall on the axe?
…and stealing other peoples jokes and catch phrases.
Great interview David a very enjoyable read. I don’t get the negativity regarding Rove; I think he’s a good personality; I don’t frequently watch his show; but it is light entertainment and has value on Australian TV.
Can’t wait to watch the show, pity they didnt leave australian idol at 6.30 for this week
10 years is a lot of loyalty. Congratulations Rove, and Craig and Rob for recognising Rove’s talent. And congratulations David for another great interview!
Go Rove.