Ben Elton says sorry: “Yes, we got the mix wrong”
EXCLUSIVE: Ben Elton says viewers were right -his first live show was too smutty and he aims to strike the right balance this week.
- Published by David Knox
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EXCLUSIVE: Following a backlash from viewers Ben Elton admits his first performance of Live from Planet Earth on Channel Nine was too smutty.
In his only media interview since launching his new live comedy, Elton speaks to TV Tonight.
After Live from Planet Earth launched on Tuesday night, online, talkback radio and reviewers had branded it too rude and unfunny. The next morning the ratings bore even more bad news: it had averaged just 455,000 viewers.
Could the man who behind such classics as Blackadder and The Young Ones misfire so badly?
Upon reflection Elton agrees the mix of sketches was wrong, but says smut was not representative of the series. While preferring not to read reviews across his career, he is more than aware of the criticism that has been levelled against him this week, including the lessons that can be learned. But the level of vitriol has been widespread.
“I’m a little surprised,” he says. “Apparently the principal criticism is that it was too smutty, and to be honest I actually put my hand up to that. I do think we got the mix wrong.
“We got rather over-excited because we had a fantastic run through in front of an audience the previous Friday night and it all went terribly well. Everyone was very upbeat. Some of the sketches got huge laughs and inevitably they tended to be the rude ones. And I do think we got rather over-excited and slightly lost the balance of the show.”
It was during the first Dress Rehearsal that he realised the running order of final sketches had resulted in a dose of adult themes, but it was too late to address in a live show.
“I don’t think it reflects the general tone of the piece or my material, but it certainly reflects the first half of the first show,” he says.
“An all-live variety show with a brand new team is going to be a hard call and I personally am very, very proud of the first show. Apart from it being a bit tonally coarse I was very proud of it.”
Live from Planet Earth features an ensemble of comedy performers, some of whom are doing their first professional television gig. It has been a conscious decision on his part to uncover new talent (even Andrew Denton sent him a note congratulating him on this point).
But while viewers may have had a hostile reaction to some of the content, Elton says a show with so many new characters requires time to bed in, which in a Live environment doesn’t have the luxury of second takes.
“Imagine the first day of Little Britain or The Fast Show or Comedy Inc or Fast Forward. You’re basically saying, ‘This is a grower,'” he says.
“The Young Ones was slagged off at first, Blackadder was hugely slagged. We Will Rock You was on the front of newspapers as the most badly-reviewed piece in theatrical history. I’m not saying reviewers are always wrong, I’m saying it takes a moment for the public to decide their taste.
“I’ve written a lot of stuff that people have liked in the past and a lot of it has been initially greeted with howls of protest. If I’d given up on the first morning after We Will Rock You or Blackadder I wouldn’t have created other stuff that people have enjoyed.
“But you can’t expect to get something absolutely perfect -and something that you’re not even editing- the first time.
“If the main point is it was too smutty then I’m more than happy to say, ‘Yes I think the balance was too much.’ We put a live sketch show together, with a lot of sketches and frankly we probably over-burdened it tonally in that maybe it was a little bit too rude. But I reckon 20% back and it would have been great. None of the jokes were offensive, they’re all politically sound, they’re all on the side of the angels. Some of my routines when they deal with sex are actually dealing with sexual politics,” he insists.
“Anyone who knows my material knows it’s going to be adult. I deal with all sorts of issues including bodily ones. But I don’t think anyone in the past would ever have said that’s the nature of my work and it certainly won’t be the nature of my work in terms of Live from Planet Earth. Yes there will always be some rude gags on the side of the angels but there’s a big difference between empowering rude gags and non-empowering ones. Just because you mention a ‘fanny’ or a ‘knob ‘doesn’t necessarily mean it is in itself bad. I stand by all I did, I’m just saying I think we got the mix a little heavily-weighted.
“The objections people had with it are not reflective of how the show will develop and I’m sorry about that. Clearly that was something we got slightly wrong but it’s not endemic of our process, it’s just that two sketches, three sketches in a row with ‘fannys,’ what can I say –it was a mistake.”
Before the credits even rolled on Live from Planet Earth on Tuesday night, the Twitter-verse had spoken. With his long career in comedy, television, film and musicals, Elton is no stranger to a bad review. But the speed and anonymity of Twitter is changing the dynamic for performer and audience and new works may become its victims.
“It’s very difficult to open a play or a musical because the Critics are saying, ‘We’re trying to obey the rules but we’re being out-Twittered. There’s a hundred reviews on the internet and we’re expected to wait until Opening Night,'” he says.
“I think in terms of the ‘Twitterology’ of TV I really do hope that the mainstream media and indeed the more dignified new media get over analysing Twitter. There’s been Twitter forever and it was called ‘the pub.’ If you walked into a pub, you’ll always here someone saying ‘I thought that was shit,'” he says.
“In the long run most people don’t feel the need to Twitter. Frankly someone who half-way through the first section feels the need to tell everyone what they think is not really the opinion I think should be reported. It’s almost like reporting the worst opinion.
“We’re getting to a point where the loudest, bolshiest, most-trainspottering voices are the actually becoming the ones who are being heard. It’s like asking at the stage door what a show was like. The people at the Stage Door are actually, with the greatest respect, not the public. The public are the 2000 people who watch it, chat to their mates and go home.”
The show also represents GTV9’s first live show from the expansive Docklands Studios. While it may not be perfect for television comedy, Elton says he isn’t complaining about the room.
“In the long run what we’re really talking about is the camera. I think what came across on the camera was really good. I think it looked like a really slick, live professional piece of entertainment with the added frisson that we were doing it on the wing,” he says.
“But you get no previews, you get no second shots and I think for a first show we did bloody well and if we were a bit rude then fair enough, ok, I’m sorry.”
While the very busy Elton is solely responsible for the Creative of the show, he is open to material from the cast, noting Genevieve Morris was already adding a lot of improvisation in her ‘Elaine Front’ interview with Ruby Rose.
“The original idea was mine but she’s such an amazing performer that she’ll just get up and run with it. I have a couple of great guys in the office who throw ideas around but at the moment I’m writing it.
“I want the actors to start thinking of things and we’re open to anything, really. We don’t know what it is –it’s Live from Planet Earth!
“I’m writing it all but I’m very, very open. It’s not like me being a megalomaniac.”
If the show is given time to find an audience Elton says it could uncover new talent that will benefit all of the industry.
“If I find some good new people they’ll be on TEN and Seven next year, so that will be good for everybody. But apparently TEN and Seven program against Nine and Nine programs against Seven and TEN trying to kill new stuff. I think that’s incredible. This is such a small industry, so the idea that it’s not a good thing for anyone to have a success…they’ll be on the other channels next year and it will promote local writing and local acting. Otherwise it will just mean they get more American stuff,” he says.
Despite the tepid reaction, Nine has remained supportive of its new venture. The Elton vehicle, in conjunction with FremantleMedia Australia, is one of the network’s brash new offerings for 2011.
“They’d like to have gotten bigger viewing figures but I’d always warned them that I’m not really well-known in Australian commercial TV, I’ve always been more an ABC / BBC sort of thing,” says Elton.
“But they’re leaving us alone, which I think is terrific.”
This week’s show will include Tim Minchin, Circus Oz and surprise guests. And while he isn’t about to entirely retreat from his comic tone, he hopes to strike the right balance.
“I am no doubt going to do more bodily-function jokes and sexual politics in any way I want as long as I am allowed to do so by not being chucked off the network. But having said that the mix that appears to have been reflected, and I accept was on the screen… it’s not all about fannys and bums,” he insists.
“I’m very sorry if people were either disappointed or offended. All I can say is when they watch the next show there will be less.”
Ben Elton Live from Planet Earth airs 9:30pm Tuesday on Nine.
Kindly acknowledge TV Tonight blog when referencing any quotes.
60 Responses
It certainly got off to a rocky start but see how it goes from here (it could hardly get worse).
But despite the fact it can be of value, I think Ben’s comments about Twitter are pretty much spot on- an online community that is far too full of its own perceived self importance (to the point where it encourages laziness in other forms of media by just reporting it).
So amongst the vitriol and bad analogys maybe the point needs to be made that this show is a chance for new talent to gain exposure. Sure we’ve seen some before on questionable comedy showcases. Sure the host comes with so much eighties alt comedian baggage it seems to be encouraging pitchfork weilding amongst viewers. Sure the performances did tend to border on “shouty” but think on this: It’s a show on channel 9 and you’re complaining about smut? Really? Complain about a lack of punchlines, continuity or personal preferences but to complain about smut from a network that actively supports ‘The Footy Show’, Two and a half Men’, etc is drawing a very long bow. If you didn’t find it funny then watch something else but don’t be shocked by things you should already know to be true. Personally i thought there was enough to merit a second visit to Planet Earth. We’ll see if things progress.
Ben is delusional – I hope he reads these comments and perhaps gets in touch with reality – the problem with the show was that it was complete and utter crap. The balance wasn’t wrong – everything was.
His interview finally led me to watch it on nine’s iplayer – I made 9 minutes and 30 seconds before turning off – the alternative would have been to gouge my eyeballs out with a spoon. He compared it to Fast Forward – very apt except that FF was originally funny, this comic genius has managed to jump straight to the laugh free existence that show had in its last days.
I think nine should do the world a favour and not let it have another airing, it’snot going to get any better.
I agree with others – it wasn’t that it was too smutty, there were just simply no laughs.
Congrats on the scoop David.
As for Ben, he is as deluded as expected. If he thinks that the only problem with the show was his smutty talk, then I look forward to tuning into his train wreck final show this week.
Just as amazing: he’s entered a deal with a commercial TV network with seemingly no understanding of how one works.
I found this quote astounding: “Apparently TEN and Seven program against Nine and Nine programs against Seven and TEN trying to kill new stuff. I think that’s incredible. This is such a small industry, so the idea that it’s not a good thing for anyone to have a success…”
Ben, you work in a commercial environment. TV networks sell ads based on how many people watch their shows. If nobody watches your show there is no money. They are not about harbouring the talent of unknowns from WAPA, they are about making shows people watch.
Meanwhile, whatever your second passport says, every time you mention “American stuff” with your nose in the air, the majority of people are thinking but you’re English, you big hypocrite.
Not that you’ll read this, of course. (I hope, in that case, that the network has given you plenty of notes)
KFed: A bit unfair. Ben is a naturalised Aussie.
Wow, live from planet earth. Blooming marvalous. Thank god some things are 100% guarunteed. Ben Elton has not sold out, he is still the same brilliant man. Unfortunately, sorry to say Ben your genius might be waisted on the Ozzies.
The problem wasn’t the adult comedy, it was that the adult comedy wasn’t funny
Next show will be the worse…show…ever.
Not a great fan of Ben Elton (he sits just above Josh Thomas), but will give it a go this week. Looks like there are a few of the Comedy Inc folks involved and i quite like that so might be a bit of a saviour.
I though Ben Elton’s stand-up was more akin to the Ben Elton of old: aggresive & political and therefore seemed somewhat regurgitated. He did a great show on the BBC in the 90s called ‘The Man From Auntie’ where he had evolved with insightful comment about life. One particular comment about contraception and what a woman has to go through inserting a coil etc. still has my wife laughing and I repeating “But I love you and I don’t want to wear a Rubber Johnnie”. So not having seen much of him since then perhaps I was expecting too much?
Speaking of Benny Hill, Harry Enfield did a great parody of the end chase sequence entitled ‘Benny Elton’ that featured Ben Elton running aroung offending everyone to the Benny Hill music.
First the Arias and now this. Maybe Fremantle’s entertainment department is not up the task? Then again, who at Nine thought this would work? No amount of “fixing” or re-positioning can make an audience watch something that is wrong every way. If Adam Hills can get around 900 on his first night there’s clearly an audience out there looking for entertainment.
His contributions to Blackadder II, III, IV are much appreciated, and also The Young Ones… But Ben’s style of aggressive comedy has been over since the late 1980s.
Dear Ben, please just stop talking.
Ben Elton’s “genius” is overstated. I think his input on those shows for which he is famous is exaggerated, or was heavily modified by the performers, or the performers are of such class like Rowan Atkinson they made him look good. Look at the Young One’s, the scenes where Ben Elton cameo’s are woeful.
Take Filthy Rich and Catflap for example. It was hilarious, but the writing was awful with far too much fourth wall, dead end plots and inconsistencies. It was funny because of Nigel Planer, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson took the characters and made Bottom, which was far funnier and better written without Ben Elton.
What do you reckon? Will people slow down to watch the car crash? Or will everyone avoid it? Could all this negative publicity actually help the show?
I think it will. I reckon 600,000.
For me Ben Elton who I am a fan of was the problem his style delivery and jokes just turned me off straight away the sketches had potential and Elaine Front was the star. And how many times can one see teenage girl sketches I would think with social media and gaming generations they could of done more there are some obvious gags there. Lindsey Lohen, Charlie Sheen seem like comedy gifts that would keep giving
In this lengthy interview poor old Ben just confirmed he is both a fanny and a knob.
Here’s a radical thought – maybe we don’t want to watch Ben Elton.
i dont see why there was so much response about the show. there was hardly anybody watching it in the first place!
Like most of Australia I didn’t see the show’s airing last week, although I did see the Girl Flat and Elaine Front segments on You Tube. Genevieve Morris’ Elaine was very good. Girl Flat was probably more a case of a good idea being stretched out too long and in the end became tedious. Needed to be shorter.
@guanolad. I would have thought that in this age the one advantage of being live would be to incorporate twitter&facebook but now that Ben seems to have burned that bridge I agree it it totally unessesary. They are just doing things the hard way so that they have something to say they are special for. Ads nothing to the show.
Will be checking it out again, but after getting a handle on what the show is, I don’t really see the necessity for it actually being live,
Before it was on TV I thought it was going to be basically Ben Elton’s show in which he was there for pretty much the majority of the night, and it would be his version of something like rove live, Micallef Tonight, The Mick Molloy Show or Hey Hey, etc where almost anything could happen and would have various guests (ok.. this had one but just Ruby Rose) and performers, etc. Really though it’s just him popping up now and again in between a bunch of skits, not really gaining from being all that live at all as far as I can see.
“Just because you mention a ‘fanny’ or a ‘knob ‘doesn’t necessarily mean it is in itself bad. ”
Maybe not, but if you’re going to be crude in order to get a cheap laugh, you might want to write an actual joke. Saying fanny or knob isn’t funny in itself, and there isn’t much shock value in it either.
While most of Elton’s stand up was great, the first problem was putting two similar sketches on after each other – the Kylie Mole “like seriously” and then the entertainment report “OMG”. Both rather similar.
While some of the sketches felt dated, I can see how they could be because they may have been prepared some time ago, this week with a fresh new batch of sketches might make it more topical.
Elaine Front was definitely the best part of the show. I’ll give it another chance because Australians need to laugh and Nine can’t and shouldn’t just be the home of American laughter.
I hardly thought it was too smutty. It was too out of date! I was waiting for Poiter to make an appearance followed by Vizard’s gay steward!
We left that style of comedy behind a long time ago. Arj Barker was the only good thing about that show!