★★★★★ 0/5

TV Burp may yet regurgitate

Contrary to some rumours, Ed Kavalee's show has not been axed. Could it return to late nights?

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Ed-KavaleeLast night was the final episode in the current block of TV Burp, Ed Kavalee’s local version of Harry Hill’s TV Burp.

While the show hasn’t exactly set the ratings world on fire, it’s not without its fans or indeed its charms.

The show has also had no less than three timeslot changes in its short life: 9pm, 8:30 and 9:30.

Contrary to some rumours, the show has not been axed.

TV Tonight hears Seven is interested in returning the show, potentially in a later slot, but there are some production issues to address first. One is the expense it takes for researchers / writers to source material. They deserve a medal for sitting through some of that crap in the hope of finding a moment to add to the running sheet. Editing would also be a big factor.

And then there’s the question of whether it really needs a studio audience.

TV Burp is the kind of show that could settle nicely into a late night slot without so much pressure, and might be worth repackaging without the need to be such a punchline show.

The more expensive Double Take on the other hand doesn’t seem to have offered anything particularly new in the sketch comedy genre. It may well have scared commercial networks off taking a similar risk for some time…

51 Responses

  1. TV Burp is by far one of the funniest shows on TV right now – I could not stop laughing at last night’s edition, and Ed is just hilarious.

    I stayed around to watch Double Take, but quickly got bored. So happy it now airs after TV Burp. And I really hope TB stays around for a lot longer.

  4. only started watching burp after reading all the bad posts about this show, i watched it and think its very good light hearted entertainment, will continue to watch, i liked double take as well

  5. I was actually surprised to learn this show even has a studio audience, given the canned laughter is so obvious.

    I don’t mind the format, but can only think how much funnier it could be if Shaun Micallef was doing it.

  7. It is nonsense tv and it does not pretend to be anything else. DT on the other hand tries to be funny which it ain’t. TVB, I like, 30mins where I can turn off and not have to think. Hopefully it comes back after being tweaked. So much for 7’s no lemon policy in regards to DT.

  8. @Selma

    the show needs to go to one of the breaks (maybe the first or middle one) with the “fight” sequence of the UK Burp, that is a big part of why the show is a success in the UK, it also involves the studio audience shouting “fight”

    TV Burp fight videos in YouTube pretty much shows the set up and “fight” sequence

    Should be noted that in the UK we only have one ad break in the show, so we only need one sequence like this to go into the break

  9. I thought it was great. I’ve always been a big fan of Ed Kavalee since discovering him on Get This with Tony and the late, great, Richard. I think they should just get rid of Double Take – surely that must cost so much more to make, and invest in this show, there are a lot more laughs (I didn’t laugh once through the 15 minutes of Double Take I watched last night, but laughed all the way through Burp), the format works – it just needs to find a consistent timeslot and the audience will hopefully follow.

  10. I’m really hoping it returns for another season. In terms of cost cutting, axing the studio audience is a no-brainer, and maybe getting rid of the guest appearances at the end of the programs (e.g. the singing life guard).

  11. Some tips for TV Burp if it returns (which it almost certainly will not):

    1. Drop the canned laughter (Yes, I know the show has a studio audience, but you can still have canned laughter with a studio audience – ie. Rove US edition, Glass House, The Panel etc. etc.).

    2. Improve the set – it looks so cheap.

    3. Go to each break with a TV trivia question rather than a lame throw-away like “We’ll be back after this break”.

  12. I really wanted to like this show, but Ed just seems to put on a character, if it was delivered a bit more naturally, I would watch, but as it currently is the delivery just puts me off…sad because I quite like Ed’s work, quite like the concept, but just wish he’d drop the character!

  16. i dont mind this show actually, its very hit and miss, the good moments are laugh out loud funny but when it falls flat its so cringeworthy that you want to hide behind a cushion…I agree with taking away the audience…it cant be to expensive to produce so would be good if seven stuck with it, could make good late night or even early saturday evening fodder..
    Given the format is licenced from the UK though, i wouldnt think seven would be allowed to make wholesale changes to it though.

  17. The material in TV Burp is quite good and clever. However, the overall look is awful! It feels very very cheap. A little more production quality would make the world of difference. Just look at Talk Soup. It is quite successful in the US.

    I think Ed is a great host of the show and I love the randomness of the guests. Every week, I hold out to see who they’ve got coming in. The best guest would have to be Andrew O’Keefe with his 99 Luftbalons. Brilliant. I do hope the show comes back for another season.

  18. Did TV Burp really have a live audience, or was it just laughs in a can? I was convinced after one airing that it was just Ed at a desk all alone, with a laugh track over the top. Not once has there been a shot of the audience, and I don’t understand why they would want one?? Doesn’t seem like the sort of show that really benefits from it?

  19. Thank God these crap shows will be off the air!!

    TV Burp has a staff of writers??? Geez, I could write better one liners myself.

    Never laughed during either show. The sketch show is dead and buried.

  22. I loved this show, but after it was on at 8:30 1 week and then wasn’t the next I assumed it had been cancelled. Didn’t realise it went to 9:30. So I missed a few eps. Damn!

  23. Fingers crossed Channel 7 can find a spot for TV Burp on their schedule. The first season had it’s up and downs but was one of the more enjoyable Aussie comedies to have come along in a while.

  25. does it need a studio audience? I know the UK version thrives on it, but the Aussie version is missing a few key features which require a studio audience, the fight sequence for example.

    Whilst the aussie version does not make use of the an audience, maybe that itself is wrong, and having the audience to feed off of might help Ed who can be a little bland at times.

    I do actually think that this version works better in the later timeslots, im not sure why that is, but there a few points I would like to make at this stage

    1) More recurring gags, last series Harry Hill had “knitted character” and “ride the jelly” as recurring gags, the comedy getting better & better each time we saw them. Ed does start to make some but never really manages it.

    2) Aussie TV is clearly a very different market to the UK one, hence why this version features so much US & UK shows, but please stop featuring shows from the 70s, that is just not right.

    There is some good stuff in 7s TV Burp, but its not up to the same standard as the UK version.

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