Cheering Up By The Telly

The other Christmas ritual is upon us; bring on the carols, the specials and some laughs, writes Bridget McManus.

IT SOUNDS like a performers nightmare - giving up Christmas Eve with the family to sing Away in a Manger without pay at a Sidney Myer Music Bowl full of overtired children. But each year so many singers want to be part of Carols by Candlelight that Channel Nine has to turn them away - and not just the ones that could do with a little Yuletide publicity.

"We get a lot of members of the public who write to us saying that theyve always dreamed of performing on Carols," says producer Margaret Bashfield.

"Unfortunately, because we produce this program as a fund-raising event for Vision Australia, we have to sell tickets and we need the big-name artists. But members of the public can audition for the Carols by Candlelight Choir."

The biggest name in this years cast is prodigal daughter Delta Goodrem, who joins regulars Marina Prior, Denis Walter and Hi-5. Patti Newton will sing with Bert for the first time in the events 27-year history. Other carollers include Anthony Callea, David Campbell, Daddy Cool, Dannii Minogue and Goodrems old AFL grand final rival, Silvie Paladino.

Ms Bashfield says theres a warm fuzziness between the performers that is lacking at other times of the year.

"Performers will come to us and say, I was thinking about whether I could sing this or that, and well say, Yes, that sounds good, and then we need to change it and inevitably theyll say, Oh thats fine, if its for so and so, theyll do a great job. You wouldnt normally get that."

The Opera Gala with Anthony Warlow will ensure the ABC is a carol-free zone after 8.35pm on Christmas Eve. Filmed in October at the Sydney Opera House to celebrate 50 years of Opera Australia (and co-incidentally Dame Joan Sutherlands 80th birthday) the event is "Opera with a capital O", according to ABC producer Paul Clarke.

"I normally do Spicks and Specks, so Im more at the rocknroll end of the bus. Ive filmed Metallica and AC/DC but when you get that Wagner song, Lieberstod, that Elizabeth Connell does, its about as powerful as anything Ive ever seen. It was up there with Highway to Hell. And Peter Coleman-Wright just tears it down doing this Beethoven song. Theres some wild moments."

One highlight that didnt make the final cut was a tribute to Sutherland.

"The house went dark and then we just heard her voice and you could hear Alan Jones cooing, Ooh, its Joan Sutherland! Everyone stood up and started to cry and then they sang Happy Birthday."

And on Christmas night, like a ghost of comedy shows past, The Panel mysteriously reappears on Channel Ten. Not since 2004 has the show screened throughout the year, but come Christmas, Tom Gleisner, Kate Langbroek, Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro and Glenn Robbins take their places at the plush red bench and the conversation flows so easily its like theyve never been apart.

"We all bring a plate with a few ideas," says Robbins. "Its probably going to be a train wreck at some point because we dont rehearse. But its all in the right spirit."

Surprise celebrity guests are all part of the festive fare - last year a tabloid-scarred Shane Warne popped in for a good-natured giggle - and Robbins says its all about catching the right person at the right time. This years line-up includes Triple Ms Fifi Box and the Australian Idol loser most likely to succeed, Bobby Flynn.

Spontaneity may be the name of the game, but even the most seasoned guests can dry up on the night. "Sometimes you can see in the commercial breaks that (some guests) are slightly timid. Were certainly not up there to attack or use them for leverage for a pissy joke."

But even the best-intended jokes can go horribly wrong, such as the time Robbins, a tad tipsy on the "certain drinks" the Panellists sip from their coffee mugs ("just to take the edge off"), cheekily suggested that George Foreman of the fat-free grill fame had made a few faces into hamburgers.

"He looked at me and Im going, oh, Ive gone one too far! After we finished the segment we did some publicity shots and I remember him getting me in a headlock and thinking, hed love to pop me one right now."

The Panellists figure Christmas night is when people need cheering up - whether theyve overindulged in family festivities or theyve endured a lonely Christmas. Revenue from the show is donated to organisations working in the field of homelessness, loneliness and isolation.

"On Christmas night, you can relax and let us do the conversation for you," says Robbins.

Tag Cloud

External Information

Additional Information

Where Am I?