It’s a controversial statement but Aussie TV was just better in the 00’s. You thought I was gonna say the 90’s, didn’t you? Look, the 90’s were good if you liked being a terrified child, but the true gems really came to the fore in the 00’s.
Neighbours had that iconic Izzy/Karl hookup storyline. Home & Away had people falling down wells and Noah/Hayley, still the best couple on TV. So You Think You Can Dance started and should never have stopped SOMEONE PROPERLY REVIVE THIS SHOW.
It was just fucking good, OK? And one of the best shows that had you racing to the lounge room, roast dinner in hand, was Rove Live.
Look, I haven’t re-watched copious amounts of Rove Live to write this feature (do you think all we do here is watch YouTube videos? Because… we do) and I’m well aware that most variety shows from the 90’s and 00’s are now riddled with problematic shit – we all remember the reboot of Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday and it’s very ill-advised Jackson Five skit.
But I have re-watched some great ‘What The…?’ clips, undisputedly the best part of Rove Live. And for the most part they absolutely hold up.
For anyone unfamiliar (read: a child), What The..? was basically people sending Rove weird shit they’ve found and him explaining it to the audience, then saying “what the?”. I know, we were very odd in 2001. Here’s an example for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md6y9H3dBb0
It’s not even that he’s that funny. Like, Rove pls stop making noises behind the bread, you know?
But there’s something so wholesome and stupidly hilarious about the whole concept. And yes, some of the What The’s are genuinely hilarious. 0:57 on this one, mates:
Even though What The…? went on for years, it just never got shit. Look at this segment from 2002.
The capsicum tongue. I CAN’T.
Rove, you’re absolutely reading this so can you bring back What The…? I’d really appreciate it, thanks mate.
