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Airdate: The Roast of John Cleese

Aussie entertainment toast and roast a British comedy legend.

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Comedy special The Roast of John Cleese, filmed last year in Melbourne, will screen on Seven in March.

Roastmaster Shane Jacobson is joined by  Tom Gleeson, Joel Creasey, Christie Whelan Browne, Steve Vizard, Lehmo, Alex Lee, Lawrence Mooney, Damien Power, Stephen Hall, and Rhonda Burchmore, firing good-natured insults and jokes at the guest of honour.

Produced by Ocean View Entertainment for the Seven Network.

7.30pm Tuesday, 12 March on Seven.

11 Responses

  1. I understand Joel Creasey being featured in this lineup. Ever since appearing on “Show Me The Movie” and “Take Me Out Australia” his career has sky-rocketed. Not sure though if Shane Jacobson and Tom Gleeson belond in the same league.

  2. From all accounts of people who worked on it this didn’t go well. Who knew that a roast would go better if the subject actually knew the roasters? It’ll be interesting to see how well it’s been edited but surely someone could’ve come up with a better idea to work with Cleese.

  3. Just utterly cringe-inducing. Most of those people have the nerve to call themselves “comedians” in the same breath as Cleese? You’d think that they’d be inclined to use the “funnier” parts in the promo too.

    The idea of watching the funniest man in the room getting “roasted” by some of the least funny people in this country is not my idea of a good time. Poor old bugger must be desperate for the cash, so I won’t hold this against him, but it’s a pretty depressing sight to behold all the same.

    1. Hang on. What comedian would turn down the chance to meet and roast a comedy legend? I get that some of them will be unfamiliar to Cleese and a British one would be more apt. Cleese obviously agreed to it during his Australian tour, when he wasn’t being outraged….

      1. I can’t imagine that any network-approved “comedian” in this country would pass on paid work, irrespective of the involvement of an international comedy legend.

        And I had already alluded to Cleese predominantly agreeing to do it for the money, and he has been quite forthright about his financial struggles over the years (and I suspect is playing a significant part in his otherwise uncharacteristic decision to revive Fawlty Towers as well).

  4. I don’t mind a roast, but it does feel odd to do one on John Cleese (a British Comedy legend) being roasted by mostly Aussie comedians.

    I think for the roast format to work, it needs to feel a little more personal, with a friends and people involved with the guest of honour involved.

      2. Preach on Lawrence Mooney

        I try not to be one to knock people on their taste – there’s several comedians I don’t find funny, but I can at least see what qualities appeal to their fans.

        But with Mooney, I don’t see the quality that his fans appreciate in his comedy.

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