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Ed Kavalee & Sam Pang hoping more people find TEN quiz

"We're not The Voice," admit Ed Kavalee & Sam Pang. But Have You Been Paying Attention? still has its believers.

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2014-06-08_2108Ed Kavalee concedes that the ratings for Have You Been Paying Attention? may not be hitting their target yet, but it just needs more people to sample it.

“I reckon if people watch it, they’ll probably come back and watch again. I’ve been noticing more people tweeting to me and talking about it, on the street and around the place. I hope there’s enough faith in the idea of it that it sticks around and can find an audience,” he says.

“We’re not going to be The Voice.”

Fellow panelist Sam Pang agrees.

“It’s a different type of show to The Voice and The Block and House Rules. We’re just over here having fun on a Monday night. Like Ed said, the people that see it generally say ‘I really like that show. It was funny and I got the news of the week.’ But they have to find it,” he acknowledges.

In the punishing game of television ratings last week the show pulled just 186,000. Just how much is impacted by airing on the under-performing network itself is anyone’s guess.

“It can’t go on forever. Other networks have been in this position before. Then they get a couple of shows that are flagships and it helps bring people in for all other things,” Kavalee suggests.

“I hope we can help ride it out. There are other good shows on TEN that just need to be found.”

2014-06-08_2109The mix of news, comedy and competition fits these two well. They are regulars on the Tom Gleisner-hosted show, throwing out the punchlines seemingly without effort.

Kavalee insists the gags are spontaneous, but it helps when Mick Molloy, whom he chats with on radio, then pops up as a guest.

“I do a cross with Mick every day, so sometimes he will say something and then we’ll be talking about one of the stories that comes up (later on HYBPA?). So I think ‘That’s like something he said to me and now it’s come up again.’ So there’s a joke I can make there and when that happens I’m very happy.”

“If you know the news of the week then you kind of know some of the stuff that’s coming,” Pang says.

“But there’s plenty of questions where I just don’t know.”

Molloy is on tonight’s show along with Celia Pacquola and Dave Hughes, filmed before a studio audience. The show is now an hour long in an M-rated timeslot, allowing for more liberal comedy, some of which still has to be edited.

“That’s why it’s good having the audience and the other 4 people, because I like hearing a bunch of stuff I never would have thought of. Even if I had 3 weeks to think of something I would never have come up with the same as Sam or Dave or Mick,” says Kavalee.

“Because you know there are some things that will be cut out you just go ‘Nahh I’m going to do this. It’s popped into my head, this’ll be fun.’”

The pair are fans of the format which allows for gentle ribbing. Kavalee is quick to point out that Sam Pang is yet to score enough points to win a single episode.

“People in airports, colleagues, even my mother-in-law, everyone gets a look on their face and goes ‘Why don’t you let Sam win?’” he explains.

“‘And I say, ‘It’s not about letting him win.’

“He’s never come second! He’s like Steven Bradbury but without everyone falling over.”

Pang doesn’t take it quite so seriously.

“This competitive streak has obviously served Ed well in life. But it is just a game. The fun-nest game I play every week.

“There’s Celia Pacquola, Dave Hughes, Mick Molloy, they’re some of the funniest people in Australia and they’re on this show, and all three are repeat offenders.

“They come back because they like doing the show.”

Have You Been Paying Attention? airs 9:30pm Mondays on TEN.

22 Responses

  1. I watched the first episode and didn’t last until the first commercial break since it was so bad. Especially painful coming off how fun the Santo, Sam and Rob Sitch quiz was on the podcast.

    But I decided to record this week’s episode and watched it last night and quite enjoyed it. Guests were all great except for Ed who’s been underwhelming ever since the first Get This show in 2006. It seems I’m not the only one to feel this way.

  5. I agree that my namesake is arguably he most boring, in that he seems to get far too competitive and always wants to win rather than sticking to the comedy aspect.

  6. I really like this show…not many shows make me genuinely laugh out loud…and this one does.

    And tonights show was the best one yet. The panel was perfect. Celia, Sam and Mick are fantastic. Ed is the weakest…and why does he always win??

    I hope it finds an audience and continues. And yes…it probably does work for over 35 year olds.

  10. i like this show, but i can see how maybe it just doesn’t appeal much to the under 35’s. The other problem nowdays with some shows is too many ‘encore’ editions, i get confused between which ones are first run & which ones encore, so i don’t tune in if i think i’ve already seen it. If they can’t put it in a sensible timeslot (ie no Mondays!) in the first place they may as well not bother.

  11. I really like HYBPA. A couple of episodes ago it was the funniest TV I’d seen in weeks! There really hasn’t been a dud guest, either.

    I hope it can weather the ratings storm and gain the audience it deserves.

  12. I’m one of the few that has found it on Monday nights and it has become a must watch for me. It’s rare for me to find something on FTA that really makes me laugh these days, but this show certainly does. Love Ed and Sam, they are doing a great job. Also been enjoying Sam on Bounce. Would like to see more of him on Fox Footy.

  13. Perhaps if it was funny people might watch it. Same old faces, same old contrived gags and obvious editing.

    As for people not finding it.. it was given more than a fair go on Sunday nights and nobody watched it. It’s been given a few outings on a Monday night and nobody watches it. Seems Working Dog can just keep serving up the same tired old and unoriginal formats and Network Ten just rolls over. Bad Dog. Truly bad!

  17. I think that Ed Kavalee is the problem. He looks a bit stiff as if he has spent all afternoon polishing the pearls he drops. I usually watch as its on after 24 but I dont care if I miss it.

  19. Really enjoy this show in it’s 1hr format, but Monday nights are just not working. Needs to be later in the week IMO. I hope more people find it too, so it stays on air.

  21. This gem is wasted on Monday night. The type of people it appeals to watch Q&A or Rockwiz at 9:30. TEN should repeat it on weekends and change timeslot to Friday night 9:30.

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