Standing up in front of a national audience on live television – where anything can go wrong – is enough to put off most people. But comedian and presenter Rove McManus thrives on it so much, he welcomes the chaos.
After a 10-year run as host of Rove Live, which earned him three TV WEEK Gold Logie Awards, Rove has continually switched it up while keeping his signature cheek intact.
The entertainer has a knack for finding a gap in the TV market and giving the audience what they want – which brings us to his latest foray, Saturday Night Rove.
The six-episode series, which launched last year during 10’s Pilot Week, aims to mix humour and hijinks each week as Rove puts some of our beloved comedians to the test. They may come for a chat, but will stay for the never-ending laughs.
“It’s been almost a year since we launched [during Pilot Week], so we’ve had a while to think about it and tweak a few things,” Rove, 45, says of the project.
“We wanted to give off the feeling that we’re hosting a party and everyone’s invited. We have a rotating spot available for people to visit – they won’t just sit down and have a chat – they’ll join in the fun. We had Delta Goodrem working in a hardware store last year, so it’s more than coming in to do an interview.”
For most of Rove’s career, he has taken inspiration from those before him. Saturday Night Rove is no different.
“I liked Hey Hey It’s Saturday, but as I got older, I watched The Late Show, the Working Dog production,” he says. “I’d be out at a party, and you would go into the other room and watch it. In most things I’ve done, I’ve tried to emulate that feeling of hanging out with your friends, having a laugh.”
Series regulars Alex Lee, Alex Jae and Justin Hamilton will be on hand to help (or hinder) the night’s events, as well as Judith Lucy, who will be the unofficial voice of reason – in some form at least.
“Judith is our opinionated voiceover, and she calls the shots. Judith is the puppet master!” Rove confirms. “She’s like our resident heckler.”
Forget about heading out for the weekend, this party is happening in your living room!
