One part comedy, one part drama, and one part documentary, the Hard Knock Knocks comedy school has launched episode one and two of ‘Is This Thing On?‘, a show about learning stand-up comedy.
The brainchild of the Hard Knock Knocks Comedy School co-founder, Morry Morgan, and partly funded by the Hard Knock Knocks alumni, this six-part, 30-minute TV show transforms ten budding stand-up comedians into confident performers, with the help from seven iconic stand-up comedians.
But it’s not all classrooms and comedic catchphrases. The ten nervous novices go on daily excursions to expand their repertoire, which, includes nude painting, dealing with hecklers, and even skydiving!
And throughout the stand-up comedy journey, the cameras kept rolling – capturing the emotional roller coaster of each of the students, as they battle the stresses of learning joke writing and performance, as well as dealing with some personal baggage – extracted by the very persuasive Stig Wemyss, director and founder of Mezzanine Films and Steve van Aperen, known as the ‘Human Lie Detector’.
Viewers of ‘Is This Thing On?’ will recognise the consistent comedy coach that shares the journey with the comedy students. Glynn Nicholas, famous for his role on the Big Gig and later his own ABC program, the Glynn Nicholas Show, is there every step (and jump) of the way, ensuring that no student is left behind, and introducing the class to the guest comedians – Brad Oakes, Mayumi Nobetsu, Elliot Goblet, Chris Franklin, Joe White, and Greg Fleet.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you might also learn how to craft your own original joke. Watch all six episodes by clicking here.