Mister Brisbane: B is for Brisbane
The return of B105. Is it time for a new variety TV show? Does parking cost too much? Do you clean up before the cleaner comes?
You can’t keep a good radio station down. Five years after the brand was retired, B105 is back. Yes, as part of a network revamp, Hit105 has returned to its original name. The problem for its owners Southern Cross Austereo is that they did such a good job of branding the first time around that listeners continued to call it B105 even when “the B word” was forbidden around the studios. Reinstating the name clears up some confusion, but it must have been an expensive exercise to change all the livery and styling after what can only be described as a failed experiment. What it does prove is that local media isn’t dead yet, despite networking. For many listeners, the B in B105 stood for Brisbane, and changing the name was denying that heritage. Interestingly, the station’s ratings were holding up well under the Hit brand. Until surveys were suspended due to the coronavirus, breakfast stars Stav, Abby and Matt (above) and the station itself were never far from the No. 1 spot.
THE SPICE OF LIFE?
I was looking at an online image from a 1984 edition of TV Week magazine recently and discovered a listing for Hey Hey It’s Saturday, then known as Hey Hey It’s Saturday Night. What struck me, apart from it still featuring Brisbane’s own Jacki MacDonald, was that the show went for two-and-a-half hours. It would be unthinkable for a television network these days to screen such a long variety program in prime time. At its height, of course, Hey Hey was a cultural phenomenon, and its stars — Daryl Somers, Ossie Ostrich, Red Symons, John Blackman and Wilbur Wilde — household names. It was the go-to place for visiting celebrities. If there were such a show now, who would host it? And who would the guest stars be?
THE PRICE WE PAY
A survey shows that Brisbane has the fifth-most-expensive parking fees among 65 major cities, trailing only New York, Boston, Sydney and London. British car-servicing company Fixter says Brisbaneites face an average of $17.82 at airports, $16.88 at shopping centre car parks, and $46.43 for stadium parking per hour. An RACQ spokesperson described that as “highway robbery”. Those numbers do sound high to me, but I haven’t owned a car for a decade. In fact, I very rarely drive these days. I may be out of touch but, based on the data, and taking into consideration the cost of fuelling and maintaining a vehicle, let alone buying it in the first place, maybe I’m better off using public transport, ride-shares and hire vehicles. Of course, these are unusual times and I’ve not been going out as much, but I reckon I’d be hard-pressed to justify buying a car. The only advantage is convenience: the ability to jump in the car and go somewhere on a whim. And since that generally involves spending money, perhaps I’m better off not going at all.
ARE YOU ‘IT’?
Could the next big thing on television be the game sometimes known as tiggy? Ultimate Tag is coming to Channel 7 next year, and according to a network media release “it takes the universally known game of tag and elevates it to a level and scale never before seen. This fresh and unmissable new series will have the nation cheering on as everyday Australians try to evade elite Pro Taggers in what can only be described as the fastest game on Earth.” Seven and producers Endemol are casting now, and you can express your interest on their website. Are there any other games from your childhood you’d like to see made into a TV show? I suppose British Bulldog, a.k.a. Red Rover, is out of the question.
P.S. If you can’t wait until next year to see people running around doing stupid things, Australian Ninja Warrior has just returned to Channel 9.
BY DEGREES
I went out last Thursday, when the temperature was 16 degrees. Now that may not be cold for some people, but it’s probably the coldest I’ve been in a decade. Having lived in Thailand and the UAE for the most of that time, coming home to Brisbane only in the summer, I’m just not used to cold weather. However, I did once spend a week in Russia in November (above), and it reached -21 degrees. I used to say that I’d rather be in the cold than the heat — because you could always put on more clothes and there was a limit to how much you could take off — but now I’m not so sure. Which do you prefer?
CLEAN SLATE
Phil, a bloke I follow on social media, tweeted last week that he was tidying up before the cleaner arrived. “I think it’s a British thing,” he noted. Is it? I know people in Australia who do it too. I suppose it’s because we want our home to look good because it say something about us. Who wants to be judged for living in an untidy or dirty house? But, then again, who’d pay a cleaner to do a job that’s already been done?
MEANWHILE …
Here’s something to look forward to: QPAC has scheduled its annual Spirit of Christmas concerts for December 18 and 19, promising a “stunning line up with a full orchestra, choirs, and two of Australia’s leading musical theatre performers”. Bookings can be made on the QPAC website.
A little closer to now, Opera Queensland is planning COVID-safe performances in its Studio on July 31 and August 1. Bradley Daley will be singing the songs of Wagner and Strauss, and you can book on the company’s website.
FEEDBACK
Not too many people came to the defence of their suburb in response to last week’s item but, thanks to Bob, I did discover the existence of the village of Kooringal on the southern tip of Moreton Island, which is apparently a well-kept secret. Whoops. The big talking point was Rick Stein, my favourite TV chef. On social media, Bernie said: “I've been a big Rick Stein fan for many years ... he merges the joy and intrigue of travel with food and his easy-going manner and enthusiasm are winners.” Ann said: “Just watching the episode of him in Cadiz... love him!” Chris and Christine (not related) are also fans.