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Vote 1 Norman Gunston

If you think Logie campaigns are new, think again. Garry McDonald tells TV Tonight how Norman Gunston did it in 1976.

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If you think Logie campaigns are new, think again.

The last time an ABC personality won the Gold Logie was in 1976.

That’s when Norman Gunston -the character- won the Gold Logie as Best Male.

Garry McDonald tells TV Tonight, back then he was able to aggressively campaign for votes, something that the ABC Charter now effectively inhibits for ABC personalities.

McDonald’s campaign caused an uproar within TV Week.

“I totally campaigned! I had the Logie voting page on the screen and my name was in every category. Best Documentary Norman Gunston. Best Female Artist Norman Gunston. And that’s how people sent it in!” laughs McDonald.

“They tried not to give it to me apparently, but (TV Week’s) Frank Crook said ‘You have to give it to him.’

“They said ‘He campaigned, and it’s not a real character!’ But Frank said, ‘You’ve got to. Look how many votes he got!’

“So they gave it to me, and then I asked (Female Gold Logie winner) Denise Drysdale if she had to sleep with anyone to get where you are tonight -and I don’t mean the bus driver.

“There was terrible drama about that!”

Classic stuff.

5 Responses

  1. I honestly think, that they should look toward inducting the Norman Gunston character into the Logies Hall of Fame in the next couple of years.

    Even though Garry McDonald is already a Logies HOF member, I’d say Gunston deserves his own separate spot, purely because of that 1976 Gold Logie win.

  3. It wouldn’t surprise me if Carrie wins the way The Project has been shoving how to vote details down our throats every 5 minutes. They’ve even used her Grandparents in their campaign for her.

  5. Haha, love Norman (and Garry). That says a lot about the Logies process that’s still true today. Frank Crook also has to be congratulated for having the integrity to honour the voting results.

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