Tonight Live with Steve Vizard reunion

 

“The world’s oldest cameraman” Jack Degenkamp with host Steve Vizard.

EXCLUSIVE: Former cast and crew of Tonight Live with Steve Vizard held a reunion on the weekend, to celebrate 25 years since the show first went to air.

Around 75 people joined host and producer Steve Vizard including Mike McColl-Jones, Shane Bourne, Richard and “Grubby” Stubbs, Philip Brady, Jack Degenkamp, Kate Dunstan, Sally Flynn, Steve Gilbert,  Melissa Mohr, Leanne Mounter, Megan Jones, Sally-Anne Wilson, Tony Rickards, Di Rolle, Graeme Wright, Bob Valentine, Karyn Wood, Deb Sharp, Valerie Nelson, Selina Nelson, Barry O’Brien, Jon Olb, Alan Pentland, John Rothfield, Ian Chaplin, Ross Daniels, Peter Beck, Steve Bedwell, Dane Clarke, Jenny Fitzpatrick, Margaret Esakof, Sally Corbett and more.

The late night chat show ran for 4 years on Seven from 1990 – 1993, remarkably outputting a Live show 5 nights a week.

Veteran writer Mike McColl-Jones tells TV Tonight Vizard reminded him of working with Graham Kennedy.

“The show came about when Channel 7 management figured that because Nine was winning 6.00 till 7.30PM so well each night…if they could find something that would draw viewers late night, it might negate the stranglehold Nine had,” he said.

“It sure did! The show created new rating and revenue records.

“Starting at 10.30 at night proved to be no barrier against getting studio audiences. The show was booked out for months.”

A cavalcade of guests swept through the show including Steve Allen, Bob Hope, Audrey Hepburn, Peter Allen, Sir Peter Ustinov, Tiny Tim, Olivia Newton-John, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, Oliver Reed, Bob Geldof, Diana Ross, Burt Reynolds, Barry Humphries, Tom Jones, Martin Sheen, Kirk Douglas, Shirley MacLaine and more.

“It made money for the network, for Steve and Andrew Knight. It made money for the staff, it even made money for an enterprising man who opened a hot dog stand outside HSV-7, and cleaned up five nights a week.

“As a result of the success of Tonight Live Seven started winning the odd night, then the odd week, and then complete surveys.

“It also meant that Channel 7 could charge bigger rates for advertisers because the show was out rating anything else.

“It was so popular, Kerry Packer tried to get Steve and the show to move to the Nine network.”

McColl-Jones recalls the some of the great Live TV moments, including some of the stuff-ups -all of which kept viewers talking.

“Doing shows from London, New York, Barcelona, Great Keppel Island, on board a Manly Ferry on Sydney harbour, from a Cadillac convertible car showing a Japanese honeymoon couple the sights of St Kilda at night, a “work experience show” with school kids “shadowing” the major stars of the show, a dinner party hosted by Steve, a week at Mt Hotham in the snow, a show where some of the guests, crew and audience were nude.

“A show featuring “Mr Lifto” who would lift weights with a hook and chain attached to his “manhood”, a show with Steve at home in bed when he had the flu, we did a show backwards.

“When Nine had Wimbledon and it was rained out so we did a show that was “rained out” like the tennis, Rex Mossop and Julian Clary nearly came to blows on one edition, Steve left Lynch’s restaurant one night after a nice dinner, came back to do the show….asked the first guest (Prue Acton) a question and promptly fell asleep at the desk, a new shower recess was built in Steve’s dressing room, so we got the heavies from the network to come down and cut a ribbon officially opening it, we stood our own candidate for the senate in the 1990 election (Mitchell Faircloth) and many many more….

“It only lasted four years, but, gee what a ride it was!”