Shane Bourne

I don't know who Shane Bourne is.

I don't even know if he is a she...or she is a he. I always thought Shane was a male name, but then I learned about Shane Gould.

Okay. Well, Lord Wiki says this Shane is of the male persuasion.

I've actually seen his work. He's the host of Thank God You're Here. This should be a fun post because it will give me a good excuse to see more clips from that. I've seen several but only ones featuring Hamish Blake.

Baby Shane was born in Melbourne on 24 November 1949. He's a few months younger than my dad. And his birthday is two days after mine.

That's about it for Lord Wiki. I'm going to waltz over to IMDb.

In 1980 and 1981, Bourne played Mr. Randal on the Australian version of Are You Being Served?

Lord Wiki says the Australian show was like the British one, except all the characters were given new names.

The show is about people working at a department store.

An interesting thing is the show has not been repeated/shown since the early 1980's. It's hidden from the world, I suppose. In 2007, someone put two episodes on YouTube. They were quickly yanked off.

It looks like people can get episodes from The National Film and Sound Archives.

Oh! This is cool. I assumed you'd have to be Australian to use their services, but it seems you can be from any country. It's probably not cheap, though. I can't say I'm THAT interested in seeing Are You Being Served, but there might someday be something that I'd pay to see.

How would our world change if we knew for sure there was life after death, and it was easy for our dearly-departed to talk to us via the Internet?   

The Dead are Online  a novel by Dina Roberts 

Between 1980 and 1983, Bourne guest-starred on three episodes of The Prisoner. Each time he played a different character. The most substantial appearance was probably the one in 1983. This is the only time his role actually had a name. He played Joe Landis.

It seems like Bourne disappeared from TV and film for a few years. Maybe he did theater. Maybe he rested. Maybe he just couldn't find work. I don't know.

Then in 1988, he started appearing in Hey Hey It's Saturday. Lord Wiki says this show was on from 1971 until 1999. That's a pretty long run.

It was a Saturday morning show for kids.

This is something I'd love to discuss. In my American childhood experience, Saturday morning programming was a huge deal. There was much less recording capability, and you didn't have these channels that provided all day children's programing. So it was exciting to have our Saturday shows. I don't remember much of what I watched. The Smurfs...definitely. Maybe some Scooby Doo?

Was it the same way in Australia?

I have no idea what goes on Saturday mornings these days. Is it a big deal for any kids? Maybe it is for those who don't have DVRs and cable? Are there still good kid shows on Saturday morning?

Lord Wiki says that in 1984, Hey Hey It's Saturday moved from the morning to the evening. I wonder why.

The show became very popular in the 1980's.

The segment that Bourne did was called "Great Aussie Joke".

Here's a clip from the show. It made me laugh almost immediately. I'm glad. After yesterday's post, I was a bit worried about my sense of humor.

Although after the one cooking joke, I didn't find much else funny. Maybe I HAVE lost my ability to be easily amused. Wouldn't that be sad?

Anyway, Bourne did the Saturday show up until 1994.

In 1993, he starred in a comedy called Bingles. That's a cute name. It would be a cute cat name. One of my friends is trying to come up with a name for her new cat. She wanted me to help her. I don't think I ended up being very useful.

Speaking of animal names, here's a potentially weird story. Yesterday another one of my friends was posting stuff on Facebook about animals that need a home. Tragically, a woman died of he flu, and she left pets behind. Although I feel so sad about the situation, I do NOT want more pets. I especially don't want a dog. I'm not really a dog person. My feeling is that they're great...when owned by someone else. I'm not a person whose heart is tugged when I see doggy pictures. But my friend had this picture of a dog, and it immediately called out to me. I just wanted to reach out and cuddle it. Then I read the detailed message next to the picture. The dog's name is Sidney.

I'm thinking of two possibilities.

A) it's just another sign from the powers-that-be that my heart belongs in Sydney....although the spelling was a bit off

B) My eyes saw Sidney before my conscious brain fully registered the information. I was attracted to the dog BECAUSE of the name.

Well, hopefully the dog will find itself a new owner. Otherwise, I'll feel I should take it, and I DON'T want it. Maybe I can ask my sister. Their dog is getting a bit up there in age. They might need a new one soon.

Back to Bingles. An American IMDb user says the show was played on PBS in 1997. I guess I missed that. He says it's about an auto mechanic shop. Interesting.

In 1995, Bourne was in a TV movie called Cody: The Burnout. I can't find much about that.

In 1996, he hosted a game show called Blankety Blanks. Lord Wiki says it was based on the American show, The Match Game. I can't remember that one. Did I watch it?

The game show was actually actually on in the 1970's. The version that Bourne was on was a revised new version.

Here's a clip of the old show. I want to watch it. I'm curious about what it was.

I find this show is a bit spooky. I don't know what it is. I guess it's the way the contestants talk. They almost sound like they're in a sort of trance...kind of like pod people. They're a bit subdued.

Malcolm Fraser has something floating in the bath. Okay? What are the contestants supposed to do with that?

Oh, it's a fill in the blank type of thing. One person says it's a wallet. Another person says it's a rubber ducky.

Well, Lord Wiki says the object of the game is to match what the celebrity comes up with. I think. I'm a bit confused. It doesn't sound familar to me, so I guess I probably didn't watch The Match Game.

In 1998, Bourne was in Home and Hosed. It lasted for only six episodes. I'm not quite sure what the show was, and I'm not easily finding an answer. Maybe I'll run into information later.

There's a Triple J Home and Hosed. Maybe that has some connection to the Shane Bourne thing? Although IMDb says that the Bourne thing is a comedy. The Triple J thing looks more music than comedy-oriented.

From 2002-2005, Bourne starred in MDA. It's actually a drama not a comedy. Jason Donovan was on the show. I've heard of him. I think he did Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at one point....and one of the big Aussie soap operas.

In 2003 and 2005, Bourne won an AFI award for the show.

Lord Wiki says the show was about medical defense. What?

Oh. Okay. I got it. It's about lawyers who defend doctors. I was thinking of defense...like military. I was picturing a TV series about people who come up with biological weapons.

In 2006, Bourne had a role in a movie called Kokoda. It's about Japanese and Australian soldiers fighting each other in World War II. Bourne played a doctor. Since his character didn't get a name, I'm guessing it wasn't a huge role.

Here's a trailer for the film.

I'd like to learn more about this Kokoda stuff someday. This post is probably not the place for it. I wonder if this was what was in John Birmingham's science fiction books....the Axis of Time trilogy. I remember fights with the Japanese. Some were on ships, but I remember land fights as well.

Also in 2006, Bourne hosted a short-lived TV show called How the Hell Did We Get Here? It was about baby boomer stuff. It sounds like one of those nostalgia programs.

From 2006-2009, Bourne did Thank God You're Here. This is an improv TV show. An actor is given a costume and props. Then he walks into an unknown scene where he's greeted with the line, Thank God you're here.

In 2007 the show won a Logie for most outstanding comedy program.

Actually, now that I see it on YouTube, I remember that I watched more than just the Hamish Blake episodes. I think I preferred the Blake ones. I didn't really like the chef one.

Here's one I might not have seen yet. No. I've seen it. It's the Miss Universe one.

It's pretty funny.

I think I've seen this one too. This might be the firefighting one. I think it made me laugh. It might be less humorous to people recently affected by fires. Or maybe not. Maybe it would be comic relief to them.

Well, I think it's funny. I'm laughing.

I like this Josh Lawson person. He's very clever. I'm going to watch another scene with him. I guess this one is a play on Richard Branson.

I don't know how the other actors manage to keep a straight face.

Before I move on, I'm going to have to re-watch one of my favorite Hamish Blake ones.

I love that...especially the last line. I laughed so hard I even had a little tear. And we know what laughing does to our bladders. That plus tea....I need to take a trip to the toilet.

When I get back, we shall continue......

A few months ago, Tim and I watched this video treasure. Crap. Now I can't find it. I thought I saved it to my favorites. It was this funny introduction to Australia. In one part they mentioned a new crime drama which stars someone who used to be on a children's show. I wondered what they were referring to.

It's Shane Bourne. He now stars on City Homicide. I'm so mad I can't find the video. Maybe YouTube took it down?

The show is filmed in Melbourne, so I guess this is where Bourne lives now.

In 2008, the show was nominated for a Logie. Who did it lose to? Well, it lost to a TV movie about John Curtin.

Here's the beginning of an episode from season two.

Well, that's a lot of blood!

Yeah. It is weird seeing the host of a comedy show acting as a detective.

I don't think these detectives are taking the missing-child situation seriously enough. But thanks to Richard Heene....that's probably what many families will encounter in the future. How many families in REAL dire situations are going to be laughed at and/or ignored?

Oh crap. Now I'm going to have to watch the rest of this so I can know if this psych patient is guilty or not. Maybe I'll skim a bit..... I'll do that while looking at other stuff about Bourne.

In 2006, Bourne was on Talking Heads.

Bourne's daddy was in show business. He was working on becoming a star on the Gold Coast, and wasn't around much as a father. Then he died of a heart attack. Shane Bourne followed in his footsteps.

Bourne started out as a stand-up comedian.

This City Homicide show is full of suspense. I hope they find the kid.

Bourne is asked to share a joke (on Talking Heads, not City Homicide). He shares a kid joke he heard. Why do dogs have cold noses?

So they don't burn the other dog's bums!

I like that.

Here's another kid joke I like.

Why was Piglet looking in the toilet?

He was searching for Pooh!

All right. Here's some Bourne childhood stuff.

As we heard before, he grew up in a theatrical household.

His grandmother was a performer...an actress. Bourne says she was in some early Australian movies. His aunt was in show business as well. Mommy Bourne was a model.

His father sought fame. He rushed off to Queensland to find it. His family followed. Bourne says, though, that his mother later took them back to Melbourne.

Bourne's own first performance occurred when he was eight. He did a Elvis Presley thing. It brought him lots of cheering. He loved that.

For University, Bourne went to Monash. He says he was most interested in the social aspects of the whole thing. He liked seeing the visiting bands. He says the only subject he passed was politics. Bourne thought that was funny, because he considered himself apolitical. That can make sense,  though. I like studying religions, but I'm not religious. I don't know if that's a good comparison though.

At one point he worked for McCann Erickson's Advertising. Bourne says, I started off as a mail boy and clawed my way to the middle.

Shit. City Homicide had a very sad ending. I wish I didn't watch it. I thought everything would end up being okay. I am hating this murderer guy.

It was during Bourne's time at the advertising agency that his father died. It seems like the death hit him pretty hard.

Bourne talks about his parent's splitting up. The mother left the father and took the kids with her. Bourne says, I think if we had stayed together there's no way I would have gone down the path that I have because I think I would have been kind of...developed an aversion to it. You know, seeing that kind of side of the life.

Who knows. I don't really think it works that way.

It's like all things with parenting. My parents smoked through all my childhood and teen years. Smoke was all around me. I don't remember ever having a desire to smoke. It just seemed uninteresting and disgusting to me. But I remember working with a teacher who smoked, and she said her kids ended up smoking.

Tim grew up in a household where TV was very limited. He LOVES TV now. He watches tons of it.

My parents watched a lot of TV when I was growing up. I can't say I watch as much as Tim, but I do watch a fair amount. Being overexposed in my childhood didn't prevent me from liking it. And being underexposed didn't prevent Tim from liking it.

My bet is if Bourne spent his childhood immersed in the show business life, he'd still end up attracted to it.

Bourne later says, Look, I still think it's in the genes and the blood, whatever.

Yeah. I think it is. I think we're often destined to like certain things. Although I think environment plays a part too. Maybe then some kids are influenced more by abstinence, and other are influenced more by immersion. It's kind of like how some talented people push forward because, people praised and encouraged them. Others push forward because people told them they'd never amount to anything.

Bourne says his father's death was very hard on him because at the time they had just started to reconnect.

In the early 1980's, Bourne traveled to Los Angeles. He found it to be lonely place. I get that sense when I read about Hollywood. Maybe it's stereotypes I'm seeing, but I feel everyone is out for themselves there. It's all about rising to the top. People become your friends, because you can help them get work.

Next Bourne went to India. He says seeing the poverty there helped him put things in perspective.

That kind of reminds me of my high school days. I was devastated because my parents announced we were moving to Tennessee. This meant I'd have to spend my last year of high school in a new school. I had that awful drama going on. Plus, I had a mind-consuming crush on this guy(who flirted with me once and probably soon forgot I existed).

Then my sister was hit by a car. One minute my life is Sweet Valley High drama, and the next it's TV movie of the week stuff.

We all need to put stuff in perspective sometimes. Hopefully, we don't have to get this by having one of our close relatives massively injured. Reading the news might help. Watching a depressing and terrifying episode of City Homicide can also do the trick.

Bourne says, To witness the daily struggle to survive certainly put things in perspective. By comparison being heckled in a comedy club in Sydney or Melbourne was certainly no big deal.


There you go.

Oh. And I have another perspective story. Before I fell in love with Australia, there was talk of us moving to Washington D.C. for Tim's job. Now my parents have this STRONG desire for all their daughters to live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We knew they wouldn't be happy with the idea of us moving across the country. So we joked that we should do a perspective trick on them. We'll tell them we're moving to Australia. Then when they get upset, we'll later tell them we're just kidding. We just want to move to D.C. In comparison, D.C will seem so close! But as the story goes, I later ended up wanting to REALLY move to Australia. My parents were not happy about that at all.

The other joke we had was that Tim wanted to do international travel. I felt we should wait until Jack was older. I couldn't imagine him doing a long plane ride. We joked that we should do Australia first. Then afterwards, every other plane ride would seem short. It's all about perspective.

We got our passports for a cruise. Tim jokingly asked where should we go...well, since we now had these nifty documents. I gave him a look (ha ha. You're so funny) A few days later, I finally faced that music which had been singing to me for a couple of years. We ended up with plane tickets to Australia.

Oh, I'm going off in tangents.....

Let me get back on track.

Bourne says The Road Less Traveled was important to his life. I've heard of that book, but I don't think I've ever read it.

Bourne says he read it while his marriage was breaking up. I guess it helped him.

He says reading the book led him to reading Eastern philosophy. Bourne sums up what he learned. .... just the simple philosophy of attempting to be in the moment, not dwell on the past or the future and be kind to your fellow travellers, I suppose.

I like that a lot. I don't think we should ignore the past and future. But I do think we should give most of our attention to the present. I especially like the part about being kind to our fellow travelers. Too often, we're absolutely nasty to each other.

Anyway, I think I'm going to quit. I want to play on this fun website I found yesterday. It has a bunch of trivia quizzes....including a ton of Australia ones.

Read my novel: The Dead are Online