ABC Southbank Studio: Open House Melbourne

On Saturday, my dad and I went to the ABC Southbank Studio for Open House Melbourne this year.  This required booking (free) tickets ahead.  I heard them announce it on ABC radio on the day they were released.  I was very pleased.  

From as far back as I can remember the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) has been part of my life.  From Adventure Island in black and white as a small child to rolling around laughing at Fawlty Towers with my family, from watching Behind the News to singing along to Let's Sing at school, from learning about the excitment of pop music on Countdown to listening to ABC radio while decorating Christmas cake with my mum.  As a university student I loved 3JJJ while washing lab equipment and I was interviewed on 3LO by Doug Aitken about my Masters thesis.  As an adult I was first dazzled by Hugh Jackman on Corelli, had the company of Jon Faine on 774 radio while on maternity leave, I watched ABC kids with my daughter and I still listen to the Radio Melbourne while I work.  

I could go on and on about my favourite shows and people but let me tell you about the ABC studios.

When I met my dad outside the building, there was a long queue.  It moved quickly and before we knew it we were inside the building watching Matt Preston, Michael Rowlands and Catherine Murphy recording the morning's radio show live in the atrium.  The stars were not only on the podium but also circulating and chatting.  As I came in I met Brian Nankervis and reminded him that years ago as Raymond J Batholomeus I bought a book of his poetry and he wrote "we will always have Paris" on it.  My dad went to chat to Jacinta Parsons who does the Friday afternoon show with Brian.

So many great kids shows on the ABC: Sesame Street, Inspector Gadget, Danger Mouse, Mr Squiggle, Grange Hill, Peppa Pig, The Famous Five, Horrible Histories, Little Lunch, Gather Your Dreams, Miraculous, Seven Little Australians, Fireman Sam, Metal Mickey, Operation Ouch, I loved Playschool as a kid with John Hamblin, John Waters, Noni and Benita, and then again as a parent when my daughter loved watching Justine Clarke, Essie Davis, Rhys Muldoon, Alex Papps, Karen and Teo.  

So many good memories of Big Ted, Little Ted, Humphrey and Jemima, of the stories, the craft, the time on the rocket clock and looking through the windows.  I was excited to see all the familiar faces.  But where is Hannibal?  And those craft cakes remind me of all the things they made that I wanted to make.

Then we went and got a photo with Bluey and Bingo.  It saddens me that my daughter was born a little early to have Bluey in her childhood.  It doesn't mean that we can't watch it now.  That show is so delightful.  I love cheeky and curious Bluey and Bingo with their giggles and games.  Their parents are just the sort of people I would like to visit for the bbq on a deck.  But I suspect they would be such amazing parents that I would feel inadequate.

The ABC was all out on show.  I admired the dresses and asked what show they were from.  I was told Harrow.  It is a show I never watched but wasn't it contemporary?  These look like vintage dresses so I was confused.  

After all there are so many ABC shows I loved that could have had paraphernalia on display: Jack Irish, Back in time for dinner, Fisk, Grand designs, Dr Who, Miss Fischer's Murder Mysteries, Mother and Son,  Life on Mars, Midsomer Murders, the D Generation, Redfern Now, The Goodies, Paper Giants, Australia You're Standing in it, The Bill.

Television was launched in Australia in 1956, the year that the Olympic Games were held in Melbourne.  There was a display of cameras, spotlights, on air signs and even a tv from that year.  ABC radio started back in the 1930s but it is the start of television that is the glory moment of the broadcaster's history.

We went into television studio 31.  I don't know what I expected but it was not this.  Two sets were set up on different sides of the room.  On one side was Hard Quiz and on the other was Q and A.  I am not a fan of Tom Gleeson's comedy style which is filled with cynical disdain.  I have however come to enjoy his quiz show Hard Quiz.   

Tom Gleeson was not one of the ABC people roaming but it was interesting to  talk to people who work on the show behind the scenes.  We were told that Tom is actually a really nice guy once off the stage.  And it was quite fascinating to see how they had the two different sets quite close together and be told that this Hard Quiz set concertinas away once they have finished filming for the year.  It was roped off but I have always been curious about what is behind the doorway where the losing contestants do the walk of shame.  Sadly, this was not my opportunity to find out.

Then we went across to the QandA set.  I was delighted to see Patricia Karvelas (PK) was chatting to the public.  She always strikes me as a very interesting presenter - I love her combination of confidence and intelligence on current affairs shows.  My dad and I had a good chat to her about Collingwood's loss in the footy and also about Dan Andrews government and how change is inevitable in government.

We also talked to PK about how much of the ABC is recorded in Sydney.  This maybe why there aren't many shows on display.  Though quite a few of my favourite panelist shows are from overseas such as The Last Leg, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Would I Lie to You but there are still plenty of engaging local ones such as Spicks and Specks, Gruen, Insiders, The Glass House, The Drum.

It was fascinating to be told how they move the seating in and out of Studio 31.  Then we come around the corner and see these chairs packed away so neatly.

This picture looked like a background to a Melbourne current affairs program.  The next studio was a much smaller one.  It had a green screen set up for a news program so when we sat at sitting at the news desk and read the teleprompt, we could be seen on a screen with the news background behind us.  It was fun to see people trying this.

Next we headed upstairs to the radio studios.  We were told it was a 30 minute wait so we got in queue.  The time went quickly as radio presenters walked along chatting to us as we waiting.  Rafael Epstaein had a chat to my dad about the Carlton beating Collingwood in the footy the previous night (Raf was delighted).  Rochelle Hunt spoke about the logistics of her studio.  Meanwhile Trevor Chappell and Sammy J were chatting to others.  We also had plenty to watch with people like Charlie Pickering chatting to the cameras and a birds eye view of the activity in the atrium.  

 

 

 

We were also able to look into the fishbowl of the radio studios as we queued.  We could glimpse Virginia Trioli talking to people ahead of us.  From our side it looked like she was recording a program in front of the tour.

Before we knew it, we were in a group in the studio with Raf showing us show us how they view texts and fade out talk back callers.  The "tour" went very quickly and actually the queue was a lot more fun than being quickly shepherded through the studios.

When we went back into the atrium, Sammy J was enjoying playing the grand piano (with Countdown written over it).  Someone asked him to play a Taylor Swift song and he obliged with "Shake it Off", accompanied by David Astle.  I don't think it would make them many young fans but it gave me a laugh.

By then the recording had finished in the atrium.  The ABC staff were still chatting to the public.  It was impressive how much energy they put into the open house.  We were there 30 minutes after our allotted hour and ready to leave.  My dad and I headed out to lunch and agreed it was one of the best Open Houses we had been to over the years.

To see more of the buildings I have visited in previous years, look up Open House Melbourne in my Reviews and Reflections page.