''Open Slather'' is an Australian
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
television series which first aired on
The Comedy Channel on
Foxtel
NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...
on 24 May 2015. The 20 episode series is executively produced by Laura Waters and Rick McKenna. After the first ten episodes aired, the series experienced a hiatus while new episodes were in production. Replacing new episodes were 30 minute 'best of' episodes titled ''Open Slather Reopened''. The second block of ten episodes began airing on 6 September, and concluded on 8 November 2015.
On 31 December 2015, it was announced the show had been cancelled.
Cast
* Holly Austin
* Hannah Bath
*
Shane Jacobson
* Jay K. Cagatay
* Dave Eastgate
*
Gina Riley
*
Stephen Curry
Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Chef Curry", he is widely regarded as the ...
*
Ben Gerrard
* Laura Hughes
*
Demi Lardner
*
Magda Szubanski
* Ben Lomas
*
Marg Downey
* Miles O'Neil
*
Glenn Robbins
* Ilai Swindells
*
Jane Turner (11 episodes)
*
Emily Taheny
*
Michael Veitch
* George H. Xanthis
Guest
*
Franklyn Ajaye (1 episode)
Special guests
*
Mark Holden as himself (1 episode)
*
Hamish Blake as God (3 episodes)
*
Dave Lawson (9 episodes)
*
Gerry Connolly as
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
(1 episode)
*
Sting as himself (1 episode)
*
Paul Hogan as Cardinal (1 episode)
*
Peter Rowsthorn (5 episodes)
*
Amy Schumer (1 episode)
*
Bill Hader (1 episode)
*
John Flaus (3 episodes)
*
Jane Hall (1 episode)
*
Colin Lane (1 episode)
*
Eddie Perfect (3 episodes)
*
John Wood (2 episodes)
*
Ronda Rousey (1 episode)
*
Nick Bracks (1 episode)
*
Geoff Morrell (3 episodes)
*
Christie Whelan Browne (1 episode)
Parodied characters
* Hannah Bath —
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark,
Kirstie Allsop
* Jay K. Cagatay —
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
,
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
,
Jon Snow,
Johnny Depp,
Redfoo,
Calum Hood,
Harry Styles
Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture.
Styles's musical ca ...
,
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
,
Russell Brand,
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange ( ; Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of News leak, leaks from Chels ...
, Hamburglar, Steve Baxter, Pete Evans,
Jonathan Ive
* Marg Downey —
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008 and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
*
Ben Gerrard —
Donatella Versace
* Gina Riley —
Liz Hayes,
Gina Rileyano,
Anna Wintour,
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
* Magda Szubanski —
Angela Merkel,
Gina Rinehart
* Jane Turner -
Julie Bishop,
Grant Denyer
* George H. Xanthis —
Don Draper
Writers
* Holly Austin (episodes 5, 9, 11, 15, 20)
* Hannah Bath (episodes 3, 8, 10, 17, 19, 20)
* Jay K. Cagatay (episodes 2, 5, 7, 9, 11)
* Paul Calleja
* John Campbell (episodes 1, 3–14, 17–20)
* Bryan Cockerill (episode 18)
* Mark Conway (episode 3)
* Lucas Crandles (episodes 13–17, 19)
* Stephen Curry (episodes 1–8, 10–18)
* Des Dowling (episode 7)
* Marg Downey (episodes 7, 10–13, 15, 16, 19, 20)
* Dave Eastgate (episodes 17, 18)
*
Ben Gerrard (episodes 4, 8, 17, 18, 20)
* Happy Hammond (episodes 1–8)
* Jess Harris (episodes 10–13, 15, 17, 18, 20)
* Tegan Higginbotham (episodes 2–11, 17–20)
* Angus Hodge (episode 13)
* Laura Hughes (episode 3, 8, 9, 11, 15, 19, 20)
* Rhett Hughes (episodes 3–8, 11–14, 16–20)
* Shane Jacobson (episodes 1–3, 6–8, 10–12, 16)
* Dan Knight (episode 8)
* Demi Lardner (episodes 4, 5, 11, 13, 18)
* Dave Lawson (episodes 3, 4, 10, 11, 13–18)
* Ben Lomas (episodes 4–6, 8, 9, 14, 15)
* Brendan Luno (episodes 1–14, 17)
*
Doug MacLeod (episodes 2–7)
* Shannon Marinko (episode 6, 9, 10)
* Cameron Marshall (episodes 2, 6, 9, 12, 14–20)
* Ray Matsen (episode 8)
* Zoe McDonald (episodes 8, 9, 11, 14, 18)
* Maggie McKenna (episodes 1, 2, 4, 11)
* Lauren Merolli (episodes 11–13, 16)
* Steve Mitchell (episodes 5, 13)
*
Tony Moclair (episodes 1–7, 11, 13, 15, 18)
* Nick Musgrove
* Timothy Nash (episodes 13–17, 19)
*
Dave O'Neil (episodes 1–8, 10–17, 19, 20)
* Miles O'Neil (episodes 6–9, 12, 13)
* Mark O'Toole (episodes 1–14, 18)
* Nick Place (episodes 7, 12, 15)
* Anita Punton (episodes 1–18)
* Amanda Reedy (episodes 4, 8, 14, 18–20)
* Gina Riley (episodes 1–8, 10–12, 14–18)
* Glenn Robbins (episodes 1, 2, 4–9, 11, 12, 14–17, 19, 20)
* Peter Rowsthorn (episode 10)
* Adam Rozenbachs (episodes 1–15, 17, 18, 20)
* Joel Slack-Smith (episode 14)
* Ilai Swindells (episodes 7, 11, 15, 19)
* Magda Szubanski (episodes 1, 7, 11–13, 20)
* Emily Taheny (episodes 7, 10, 11, 15)
* Richard Thorp (episodes 17, 18)
* Nathan Valvo (episode 19)
* Lory Vecchio (episodes 3, 15, 20)
* Michael Veitch (episodes 4, 5, 15)
*
Paul Verhoeven (episodes 2, 6)
* Eric Walsh (episode 8)
* Michael Ward (episodes 3, 6–9, 11–15)
* Tom Ward (episode 18, 19)
* Nick Weller (episodes 4, 5, 7)
* George H. Xanthis (episodes 3, 7, 9, 19, 20)
Head writers
* Nick Weller
* Phil Van Bruchem
Episodes
Reception
Ben Nuetze of ''
Crikey'' wrote "''Open Slather'' is an apt title for Foxtel's brand new sprawling sketch show...In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a sketch show which is so eclectic and disconnected in terms of style. In moments it wears its politics on its sleeve; in others it sets about satirising Australian society, and it often picks up on the classic parody style of ''
Fast Forward''. There's really no singular idea holding all of this together, and the show seems to have no real focus and no clear reason for being...And yet, it's often surprisingly excellent."
David Knox of
TV Tonight
TV Tonight is an Australian-based website which features reviews, news and programming information related to television in Australia as well as OzTAM ratings information.
The site was started by television critic David Knox in 2007 after li ...
commented "On the positive side, there were some great laughs to be found in ''Open Slather''....A strong cast of emerging comedians....slipped in with ease alongside ''Fast Forward'' veterans in this mix of popular culture, social and political humour. On the less-positive side some of the sketches struggled.....whilst others made me uneasy that they were trying to recapture ''Fast Forward'' magic with a tone stuck in the 80s."
Notes
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, 4582410, Open Slather
2015 Australian television series debuts
Australian television sketch shows
Australian English-language television shows
The Comedy Channel original programming
Cultural depictions of Angela Merkel
Cultural depictions of Hillary Clinton