Big Girl's Blouse

Last updated

Big Girl's Blouse
Genre Sketch comedy
Starring Magda Szubanski
Jane Turner
Gina Riley
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes9
Production
Production locations Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Production company Artist Services
Original release
Network Seven Network
Release13 October 1994 (1994-10-13) 
8 September 1995 (1995-09-08)

Big Girl's Blouse was an Australian sketch comedy program that was broadcast in 1994-5 on the Seven Network. It was written and performed by [Gina Riley]], Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski. Early versions of the trio's Kath & Kim characters, Kath, Kim and Sharon, appeared for the first time in the show, in several sketches based around Kim's wedding.

Contents

The phrase "Big Girl's Blouse" is a British English idiom meaning "ineffectual or weak, someone failing to show masculine strength or determination." This was the second of three sketch shows featuring Riley, Turner and Szubanski, following Fast Forward and followed by Something Stupid .

The show began as a one-hour special, screened in October 1994. [1] Critics lauded it (Ross Warneke in the Melbourne Age described it as 'crackerjack entertainment - pacy, fresh and wickedly funny'). [2] Its commercial success inspired the Seven Network to commission a series, announced in January 1995. [3] While the series was, like the original special, a critical success it was taken off air in April 1995 after three episodes had been screened as it was rating poorly against the drama ER . [4] In May, it was announced that the show had been shortlisted for a comedy award at the Rose d'Or in Montreaux. [5] The remaining episodes were shown packaged as one-hour programs. [6]

Reruns

In Australia, the show periodically aired on The Comedy Channel. In America it occasionally appears on the Sundance Channel. Many of the sketches are still available on YouTube.

DVD release

The show was released in its entirety by Shock DVD in Australia on 17 October 2003. [7]

References

  1. Jim Schembri, 'Big girlie serve of big girlie laughs' Melbourne Age 'Green Guide', 6 October 1994 p. 3
  2. Ross Warneke 'Drama delves into religious complexities' Melbourne Age 'Green Guide' 20 October 1994 p. 4
  3. Jim Schembri 'TV '95' Melbourne Age 'Green Guide' 5 January 1995 pp. 1-2
  4. Rachel Browne 'After the Laughter' Sydney Sun-Herald 9 April 1995 p. 22
  5. Jane Freeman, 'Teen mini-series gets the nod' Sydney Morning Herald 'The Guide' section, 1 May 1995 p. 2s
  6. Ross Warneke '"Correlli" wins timeslot reprieve, "G.P." paroled' Melbourne Age 'Green Guide' 29 June 1995 p. 4
  7. Big Girls Blouse . Retrieved 8 May 2021 via booktopia.com.au.