Thank God You're Here (2006–2023) User Reviews

One of the best comedy sketch shows out there

[RenegadeKnight · 8/10 · 12 July 2006]

I didn't see the first episode of Thank God You're Here. My father did, and he told me he enjoyed it, and found it amusing. My father finds many things amusing, but I decided to watch it on the station it began on.

I fell in love.

Thank God You're Here brings out some of the best of Australian comedy. It brings out some of our greatest comedians and let's them take a scene and run wild with it. It is full of great improvisation, and it's definitely material for a thoroughly entertaining evening.

The concept of the show is marvelously simple: a contest gets dressed up in a costume, then walks through a door, completely unaware of what scene lay beyond. They then do their best to improvise the scene before them, frequently answering questions provided by the actual crew of the show. The costumes are great, sometimes a little bit iffy, but it just adds to the hilarity of the show.

One of the flaws of the show is it's Judge, Tom Gleisner. I can quite happily say his role is completely unnecessary, and, in choosing the winner, and criticising the contestants, he is always saying positive things - never a negative thing spills from his mouth. Rather than a judge, Gleisner appears to be what I'd call a "feel-good" instructor - because that's all he seems to actually do.

Regardless, watch the show, and just mute it whenever Gleisner speaks. You'll be much happy that way.

A good show with only a few flaws.

[Matty_01 · 8/10 · 8 June 2006]

Australian TV has been (and probably will be for some time) quite lacking in the comedy department. Which is why shows like Thank God You're Here, are such a pleasure to watch. This show takes a comedian/actor (all Australian) and puts them in a random situation where they must interact with other supporting actors (who know what the scene is and have questions ready to throw at the actor when it's suitable) and improvise to fit in the scene. The supporting cast will ask the actor questions or say something about their character to which the actor must do their best to improvise. After all the actors have performed individually, they perform together in the one scene and after wards a judge will decide which one of them wins. Although his decision can sometimes seem incorrect, it's best to not let this ruin the show for you. The judge does tend to repeat himself but he makes enough funny jokes to keep his place in the show.

There is one main flaw with the show and that is to do with the situations. Sometimes the actors will fit perfectly in the situation and you can just sit back and enjoy it. In other situations though, the actors will seem very awkward and that takes enjoyment right out of it. One thing that tends to make it awkward is the little control the actor has over the scene. When the supporting cast are the main one's talking, it makes it less entertaining. Sometimes this is the own actor's fault in the sense that they don't try and take control of the scene but in others, the supporting cast and the scene itself make it too hard for them to take control. For example, if they were to put the actor on a talk show, rather than having the actor be the host of the show, they will put them as one of the guests therefore meaning that if the actors want control of the scene, they must work for it.

Even with the flaws however, Thank God You're Here is a greatly enjoyable show which can sometimes be hilarious. As of yet, there haven't really been any 'bad' performances, however some are far better than others. If you get the chance to watch this show, don't hesitate!

Absolutely funny!

[wliia · 9/10 · 17 July 2007]

This is Australian comedy at it's best.

Now currently in it's third season, Thank God You're Here (TGYH) gives four guests a costume, a set, a few props and only one thing is missing... a script! Put into a costume, they must improvise their way through the scene.

After the individual performance, they gather together for one final showdown: the All-In Group Challenge, in which they must improvise together in a scene.

This is why I love Aussie comedy. It's fresh, original, and absolutely brilliant. While the US version didn't go as well as the Australian version, it's still a great show to enjoy!

Great concept, excellent show!

[sarah_m_ward · 10/10 · 7 June 2006]

Living here in Australia, settling down in front of the television each night is a somewhat tedious task, knowing you have to chose to watch either a repeat of CSI or another damned reality show! To turn on the TV one Wednesday night I was shocked to see that a new show had appeared - all the cast had Australian accents and the show was actually funny! It's basically an hours worth of improv acting - 4 guest stars (who have also dabbed in comedy) have around 4 minutes to turn sheer terror into comedy. They walk through a blue door, and are greeted by an ensemble cast member (usually unknown) and greeted by the tag line "Thank God You're Here". There are all different scenarios which the actors are greeted with - medieval times, cruise ships, Cleopatra, circus etc. Its just an awesome show to sit back and really watch the actors struggle or have a great time. And the actors are actually funny which is a real change from those sometimes boring American sitcoms. Some of the regular cast members are Angus Sampson, Peter Rosethorn, Akmal Saleh, Shaun Macalif and Frank Woodley. Ten out of ten, an awesome show! Bring on Season Two!

Most original TV show in over a decade.

[dashfashion · 10/10 · 29 July 2006]

I don't think I can say any more than what people have already said about this show. It is groundbreaking, the best show on TV. It has an appeal for absolutely everyone. I have no doubt that in a few years' time the concept will be picked up by networks from other countries.

One thing I'd like to comment on is everyones' attitude towards the "judge" of the show. Now, is it just me or is this aspect merely another part of the comedy? Tom Gleisner is there simply to send up the Reality TV concept of a judge and to inspire more laughs. He's not a real judge. It's not a real contest. This is a sketch comedy show, pure and simple. Perhaps the closest thing to it is "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" Even then, it's in a genre all its own.

And, damn, it's funny.

A great improv show

[atomius · 10/10 · 11 July 2007]

Thank God You're Here is a improvisational sketch comedy show where four 'contestants' compete with their improv acting/dialogue skills in tricky scenarios. The four are always celebrities and all meet in a final 'group challenge'. The judge has a red buzz button to buzz when he feels appropriate to end the sketch or when things get too tricky. Players compete for a small see-through trophy, the 'Thank God You're Here' trophy. This is a very enjoyable show and merits go to the opening credits where each star interchanges bodyparts and costumes, and the sets themselves which are very good. Much effort has been put into the sets and its no wonder the Americans copied us with a spin off. Its about time we made THEM jealous for once. This is a great comedy and deserves a good long run. Much of the humour, considering the stars are mostly TV/radio personalities, is very good and funny.

Best show I've seen in years!

[notalwaysweak · 10/10 · 20 August 2007]

I stopped watching TV when 'The X Files' finished, but was instantly hooked by 'Thank God You're Here'. Shane Bourne is an excellent host, giving audiences some background details on each of the guest stars without detailing their entire acting resume, and it's obvious that he really enjoys his role.

The entire ensemble cast are brilliant actors in their own rights, managing to keep the flow going if the scene seems about to be utterly derailed, but without losing the improvisation that is the key to the show. Given that they often have to appear in almost all the scenes each show, rather than just two, they deserve far more recognition than they get on screen; I think they got thanked once at the end of Season One and that was it! Nicola Parry deserves mad props for being picked on so often (she SO doesn't deserve it). Heidi Arena deals with whatever twists the guests throw at her with perky aplomb. Dan Cordeaux plays his prickly roles very naturally (I'm sure he's a lovely bloke, but he's scary when he's playing a grumpy one!). Ed Kavalee is smokin' hot, particularly when wearing just a towel.

As for the guest stars, though it's easy to pick those who are consistently hilarious (my ideal team would be Frank Woodley, Shaun Micallef, Hamish Blake, and Cal Wilson), there's rarely a real clanger amongst them. Tom Gleisner's judging may not always pick the audience's favourite as the winner, but if it did the same people would win every time and then nobody else would want to appear on the show and then it would get axed and that would be tragic... so maybe we're better off with Tom's judgment occasionally seeming WAY off target.

Can't wait til Season Two comes out on DVD on the 23rd of August!

Great concept that is well executed (most of the time)

[hardgroove2001 · 6/10 · 5 October 2006]

Thank God You're Here is a great concept for a show and it's obvious that a lot of work goes into its preparation. It's good to see such a broad range of Australian talent having a go at this kind of improvisational comedy. The episodes with Shaun Micallef are exceptionally funny.

One of the things that I don't like about the show is the lack of creativity when it comes to involving the guest into the pre-written script that the ensemble cast are following. There is a little too much of the fill-in-the-blanks kind of thing happening in which the ensemble cast member starts a sentence, and then stops before the end so that the guest can complete it.

Here's a few examples of what I mean, from the segment Dailan Evans did as co-host on a "The Movie Show"-style film review program:

Ensemble Cast Member: "We're also looking at a great new Australian Classic, The Story of..." (turns to guest star to fill in the blank) Ensemble Cast Member: "At Canne this year it didn't win the Palme d'Or but it did win the..." (turns to guest star to fill in the blank) Ensemble Cast Member: "Which goes to the film for..." (turns to guest star to fill in the blank)

Very unimaginative. To make the show more believable (and more funny) they could perhaps leave it more open for the guest to do a little more improvising by means of starting and finishing their own sentences instead of just adding the punchline to something that's already been scripted.

Great show otherwise and I'm sure we'll see it improve immensely as it evolves.

One of Australias best Comedys

[dobbin-4 · 10/10 · 8 July 2007]

Thank God Your Here is an awesome Australian comedy that is original, clever and bloody hilarious. The plot of the show is 4 famous Australian Comedians step in to a room in to a situation they know nothing about. The shows originialty is enormous and is a laugh a minute show (literally). The show is good probably because of the people on the show which is kinda nice as they have people like Frank Woodley, Glenn Archer and many more. Overall I think that this show deserves a lot of praise and I will rate it 96%. So I recommend watch it on TV buy it if you will because you will not find many better Australian Comedys.

Bloody Brilliant

[eldariceberg · 10/10 · 9 December 2006]

Thank God You're Here represents the absolute best of Australian comedy and theatresports.

A completely original comedy idea, TGYH is being copied already in many countries including Germany's 'Gott sie Dank, du bist sind hier!'' The general idea of TGYH is to send a completely umprepared Australia comedian/writer/actor/radio host into a situation he or she has no beforehand information about.

The performer or performeress (note the use of original word)have to answer questions fired rapidly from members of an ensemble cast. . .for example, a performer might find themselves as a book writer being interviewed on morning TV about their book. . .which of course, they know nothing about. Questions to the point,( such as, ''So what is this book about/ Why did you write it?) are asked and also questions more off the point,(such as ''I have heard their is a new man/woman in your life. .tell us about him!'' or ''I heard that your dog died of a mysterious disease, can you tell us about that?'') The performances are judged by resident judge Tom Gleisner and a Most Valuable Player is chosen at the end.

Some performers feature regularly on the show, such as actors Josh Lawson and Angus Sampson, comedians Hamish Blake and Akmal Saleh and also a variety of guests, such as foreign comedians currently on tour in Australia and Australian TV celebrities.

Standout performers and performances include: Josh Lawson playing the head of a local firefighting force.

Angus Sampson playing a Radio Show host 'DAVO!!' Matthew Newton in maybe the most famous TGYH episode. He played a young driver who had crashed his car into a second storey apartment.

If there is anyone out there yet to experience the amazing TGYH xperience. . then please tune in!

This Show Makes Me Angry

[review-catapult · 1/10 · 8 September 2023]

I don't know whether this is just a problem with the latest season but most of the people in the scene (except of course the select comic) are literally reading from a script, meaning they decline most offers that the improviser makes, so there's very little actual room for improvisation and it ends up unfunny. For example, in the episode with Marty Sheargold, his character is asked for his name and he says he's Tommy. The other performers then shoot that down and say he's being silly and his name's Nathan. Like why??? It doesn't make sense. Cannot even be compared to Whose Line, which is actually great.

Great laugh

[laurinadaley · 9/10 · 15 August 2021]

Its mix of different guests is clever ,Adam hills is a genius host .Just full of great ideas ,good laugh never get sick of it.

Funny arse show, shame about the judge's decisions though

[Alligator_80 · 5/10 · 7 June 2006]

The problem with Australian's television industry is that too much American crap fills up the channels. With the arrival and well deserved success of "Thank God You're Here", it may not have overcome OZ TV crisis, but it did help and in a time where Australian TV comedy was at an all time low. Another new comedy show has premiered, "The Wedge"- It's Australian, but it really sucks, so watch Thank God... instead. The best "bullsh*ters" as such would have to be Akmal Saleh, Peter Rowsthorn, Angus Sampson, Frank Woodley and Josh Lawson (the equivalent of what John Wood had been for 9 or 10 years, great but never winning any prizes).

Which brings me to my next point, the incompetent judge Tom Gleisner. He always says to the guests that it was a "fabulous performance" despite some guests not being really funny-mediocre at best. And with the exception of the first one or two episodes, the winner Tommy has selected was not the right decision, leaving the performers ACTUALLY WORTHY OF THE PRIZE going home empty-handed.

Therefore, I leave you with this. "Thank God You're Here" is a really funny show (most of the time), but has its really dud and good but not great performers, and if you feel like spitting the dummy at Mr Gleisner, then I can't blame you!

Amateur hour proves we laugh at anything

[sswren1 · 1/10 · 21 August 2023]

Compared say to "Who's line is it anyway" this garbage is proof that Australia lacks in comic talent massively.

Improv separates the amateurs from the pros and comparing this shite to overseas alternatives is embarrassing.

Ironically, we seemed to have more comic talent in this country in the 60's 70's and 80's then we do now. To think that morons like "Hughesie" who's voice would make a KGB agent scream for mercy, is highly paid and revered, is an indicator that we have no class, subtlety taste or talent. The "stars" look completely at a loss and you'd see better at a high school muck up day.

Couple this garbage with gogglebox and you have a national embarrassment.

2023 season bombed

[azeemghafoor-56057 · 1/10 · 27 September 2023]

Used to be a great show. Latest season was trash. With the exception of a bare few, the bulk of the performers were horrendous. Topping the cringy, hard-to-watch list were Emma Holland and Geraldine Hickey. Their responses were one dimensional and were dry as a bone. Virginia Gay was trying way too hard, needed to step it down a notch or ten. The worst performances turn out to be the winning performances - it's like the 'we feel sorry for your embarrassment' award. Few decent performances but nothing like the old seasons with Akmal Saleh, Shaun Micallef, Hamish, Angus Sampson, Carl Barron and others.

Thank god it's finished!

[blakemonkey · 5/10 · 5 October 2023]

I thoroughly enjoyed the ensemble cast and all the prop decor rooms but omg what is going on with comedians these days? Most of them are just not funny and can't deliver a joke line to save themselves. Also why oh why do gay people have to continually inform us of their sexuality - either by their behaviour or by their puns and innuendo's? Not funny.

There were a few very funny comedians on there - Julia Zemiro was brilliant as was Virginia Gay. Lloyd Langford and Aaron Chen were also quite funny. I can't even remember any of the others.

Bring back the old version of comedians who are not self-centred and embarring to watch.