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Gallery: Lights, Camera, Party!

TV Tonight was there as Nine reflects on its glory days at GTV9's final live variety programme.

GTV9’s farewell bash Lights, Camera, Party: Television City Celebrates! was a time to remember some of the faces and the shows that have lit up our screens for 55 years.

Veteran stars mingled with emerging performers and network staff in Studio 1 for the live two hour event on Saturday night.

TV Tonight was on hand to remember them all -well, most of them anyway!

Bert Newton and Eddie McGuire hosted the evening without an autocue, a mark of their experience and Nine’s history in variety performers working without a script.

Trusty warm-up man Michael Pope worked the room for applause and atmosphere as stars swapped stories and reminisced about their days at Television City.

There were game show girls, early current affairs presenters, actors, producers and directors.
Jimmy Hannan was a crowd favourite simply for turning up. Glenn Ridge missed his moment on air. Ding Dong was regularly leading the cheer squad for veteran stars.

Producers put together some classic clips, including some we hadn’t seen in a long time. The segment with “the misses,” “politically incorrect moments” and Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush were great inclusions. And it was fitting to have Pete Smith as the final guest -the man never ever left the network.

One of the more intriguing invitees was Jeannie Pratt, who was one of the presenters on the all-female team on 1970s daytime current affairs show, No Man’s Land.

Daryl Somers hosted a Hey Hey party for cast and crew at the same time as Lights, Camera, Party.

But did anybody remember to acknowledge Kerry Packer?

22 Bendigo Street Richmond will continue to function as a television centre through to the New Year, including recordings for Hot Seat and Warnie, but the event was the last live variety event on site.

Nearly all of Nine’s stock including props, wardrobe and even framed photos on the corridors will be sold for auction (possibly online) at a date to be determined.

Photos:
Phillip Brady, Pete Smith, Denis Walter.
Ernie Sigley, Denise Drysdale.
Brodie Harper, Shura Taft.
Greg Evans, Derryn Hinch.
Sam Newman, Gary Lyon, James Brayshaw.
Peter Hitchener.

Catriona Rowntree.
Game show models.
John Blackman, Pam Barnes.
Jimmy Hannan, Barbie Rogers.
Lorraine Bayly, Reg Gorman.
Maria Venuti, John Burgess.

Rhonda Burchmore, P.J. Lane.
Bruce Mansfield.
Tottie Goldsmith, Jeremy Kewley, Kate Kendall.
Ray Martin, Livinia Nixon.
Ted Hamilton, Gerard Kennedy, Terry Donovan.
Carole-Anne Aylett, Terry Gill.

Micki de Stoop, Tracy Grimshaw.
John Chaplin-Fleming, Wendy Mooney.
Patti Newton, Max Morrison.

‘Lucky’ Phil Lambert.
Hey Hey crew.
Eddie McGuire, Bert Newton and Nine Publicity / Marketing.
Nine Security.

27 Responses

  1. David congratulations for not buying into the tawdry style of journalism that the Herald Sun sullied their pages with, as regards Jo Beth. It takes an extra special brand of bottom feeder to exploit the honor of being there for a page of unmitigated garbage, without mentioning anything else from the event.

  2. OMFG! All these years I’ve thought they were the same person. And being a TV addict this is extremely embarrassing to admit. My humble apologies….. : (

  3. wow !wendy mooney you just improve with age looking goooodddddd girl ,miss seeing you on tv it must be time for a comeback pleaseeeee lol xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  4. Saaaaaaaaale of the Centuryyyy, and here is your host Glen Ridge (Tony Barber).

    Ah what a great show Sale of the Century was a true quiz show which required brains. I watched it at 7pm on weeknights. I don’t remember Tony Barber’s version but do fondly remember Glen Ridge’s version very good and professional, plus the co hostesses were very attractive Nicky Buckley and then Katrina Brown quite exquisite i must say. When Temptation was on it didn’t feel the same. I agree with those who said that Kerry Packer should have been noticed more considering he had a hand in bringing some of the best shows to the 9 network. Kerry had a real love or passion for TV, which is more than i can say for his son, but things go on. The clips were a good way to reminisce about the glory days of the 9 network which is a shell of what it once was, i know that people will not want me to say it but i will its just not the same without the great and late Kerry Packer.

  5. It was good to do that show, but it felt unsatisfying in the watching, because it was rushed too much and was too short. Presuming it wasn’t shown live, they should’ve done a longer 4 hour version on GEM, at 7.30 pm. Jimmy Hannan didn’t look well – he’s 76, but looked 86.

  6. I had forgotten how much fun Toothbrush was. Tim Ferguson was brilliant in that show. Had a big grin on my face as that package was played. Always regretted not getting an ep or two on tape. Nine should re run it on a digital channel.

    Andrew, while Coast to Coast was based out of TCN Graham and John did do a week of shows out of their hometown at GTV and the film reviewer did his segment from GTV. I believe “The Greek Lesson” was from that week of shows.

  7. Was a good show.. I never really understood why Don’t Forget Your Toothbush left though. I really loved it (and Tim and Miss Wendy) at the time, and I thought it was a great success for 9. Yet it only lasted a year? Would love to have it back again with Tim Ferguson and Wendy Mooney, but not so sure how possible that is.

  8. They partied well into the night too – saw someone in a Channel Nine shirt getting onto a train at Southern Cross at 2pm yesterday arvo, and he looked like he hadn’t slept since Friday night.

    I’m from Wollongong, but I thought this was a great night, especially seeing Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush. Wish they’d bring that show back.

  9. Great collection of photos there! I thought it was a good show although the inclusion of Ray Martin was a bit puzzling given he was more closely associated to TCN rather than Bendigo Street, although I realise they did present Midday from Melbourne on several occasions. And some of the footage was clearly not from Bendigo Street, i.e. ACA (the Corey Worthington clip), Graham Kennedy’s Coast To Coast, Bandstand. But overall it was a good show and a nice send off from the old building.

  10. The show promised a lot but seemed a little like the Arias which was a real dissapointment. I’m sure it was much more fun at the studio.

    In the picture of the John Burgess and the ever fabulous Maria Venuti is that the Veronica’s at the front of her !!!

  11. Lovely pics and wrap. Glad to read that Denise was such a presence at the event.. one of the most moving on the telecast for me was her and Ernie’s duet on Hey Paula. Jimmy Hannan’s moment albeit brief brought back lots of childhood memories of his various game shows, and those teeth! Lots of great clips and guests. PJ Lane looked in mixed emotions as his father’s montage rolled. Loved the Division 4 and Sullivans actores. So many great moments.

  12. Loved Bert’s opening comment: ‘This is a very emotional time for me because as I look around the room tonight I’m seeing so many people I thought had died’. hahaha

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