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Hey Hey It’s Saturday celebrates 50-year anniversary with special hosted by Daryl Somers on Channel 7

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Stephanie McKennaThe West Australian
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Daryl Somers will host the 50-year anniversary show.
Camera IconDaryl Somers will host the 50-year anniversary show. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Hey Hey It’s Saturday is taking a walk down memory lane when it returns to our screens for a one-off anniversary special.

To celebrate 50 years since the much-loved variety show first aired, host Daryl Somers and some of our favourite people from the Hey Hey team will reunite Sunday night on Channel 7 for Hey Hey We’re 50.

While a generation of Aussies have fond memories of gathering around the TV with family or friends on Saturday nights, when the show first launched in 1971 it was aired on Saturday mornings.

The cast of Hey Hey It’s Saturday in its prime.
Camera IconThe cast of Hey Hey It’s Saturday in its prime. Credit: Supplied

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Somers, a triple Gold Logie winner, said the program was originally a “babysitter”, starting out as a kids’ show with Somers and Ernie Carroll, the man behind Ossie Ostrich, at the helm.

“We’ve survived all these different time spots,” Somers said. “Normally if the show doesn’t work, it’s moved to another slot and then usually then drops away. In our case, we had a 14-year apprenticeship on a Saturday morning, and then moved into night time.”

Big Bird and Daryl Somers on the show.
Camera IconBig Bird and Daryl Somers on the show. Credit: Supplied

In 1984 it was bumped to the 9.30pm-midnight slot on Saturday nights, but halfway through 1985, the show found its rightful prime-time home from 6.30-8.30pm.

“And then when we got into the 90s, the show really wound up, it was at fever pitch,” he said.

Daryl Somers with Jackie McDonald, Kylie Minogue and Ossie Ostrich in Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
Camera IconDaryl Somers with Jackie McDonald, Kylie Minogue and Ossie Ostrich in Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Credit: Supplied

The show’s popularity was unparalleled in Australia. International stars — including Tom Jones, Madonna, Christina Applegate, Clint Eastwood and Kurt Russell — wanted to be part of the madness and mayhem.

Even the chairman of Time Warner, Bob Daly, and Warner Brothers head of TV Steve Papazian, were enamoured by the unscripted format, a format that was decades before its time.

Plucka Duck, Jo Beth Taylor and Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
Camera IconPlucka Duck, Jo Beth Taylor and Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Credit: Supplied

Sunday’s special will revisit the trademark organised chaos of regular segments including Red Faces, Celebrity Head, The Great Aussie Joke, Plucka Duck and Chooklotto. But it just wasn’t possible to squeeze all the “pinch me” moments in, Somers said.

Sylvester Stallone and Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
Camera IconSylvester Stallone and Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Credit: Supplied

“My biggest task was, how do you fit 30 years into a 90-minute show. We can just scratch the surface,” he said.

Somers said the success of the show was down to the fact “so much of it was audience driven”.

“It was very much it was quintessentially an Australian show that reflected Australian values and humour,” he said. “The nature of the show was that it grew organically. It changed with the times.”

Plucka Duck, Jo Beth Taylor and Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
Camera IconPlucka Duck, Jo Beth Taylor and Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Credit: Supplied

Hey Hey It’s 50 Years premieres at 7.00pm Sunday, 10 October, on Channel 7 and 7Plus.

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