Nyah Nyah (1997-98)

In the dark days of the late 1990s, Australian comedy was a wasteland. The golden days of That’s My Jumbuck and Bonza Sheila were long forgotten, and laughs were trading on the black market for upwards of $20 a chuckle.

But there was one group of renegades willing to give their mirth freely, one group able to bring a smile to the pursed lips of a crying nation, one group mixing metaphors like a rolling stone in the hand is worth a month of monkeys. One group that not only took the piss, but swilled it around in its mouth and spat it back out into the urinal of society.

Nyah Nyah.

A name full of child-like innocence, full of middle-class repressed anger, full of the word “nyah”. A name that perfectly expressed their raison d’sultana - the unbridled taunting of a nation that was still being dressed by its mother. This comic triumvirate broke the boundaries others skirted, took no prisoners in their prisoner-free routines (apart from the ones about prison of course), and said “cunt” on the radio a couple of times.

Warwick Holt – a man who broke all the rules (and was subsequently kicked off the team).
Matthew K. Sharp – a man who broke down when the tape deck didn’t work.
m. bLACKWELL – a man who broke his CAPS LOCK key.

Together they created 29 segments that shook the comedy world out of its nest of complacency to leave it, kicking and bleeding on the ground of complacency. In those heady days of 97-98, it was like the city would grind to a halt at around 11:36 and a half pm for somewhere between 10 and 17 minutes while its very fabric was tested.

Well, there was this guy with a tube in his head who rang up a couple of times and said he kind of liked it, which is good enough for us.

Nowadays of course it just sounds like a whole pile of D-Gen and Monty Python sketches acted and produced badly, but it’s removed from its context, dammit.

So, if you dare, dare. Enter the world of Laurie and Doris Binkley, the neighbourhood bigots with hearts of napalm, of Floor Noodleman – action… guy, of Gerald Straightman ("that's StraightMN!") and of all the other inmates of the Nyah Nyah asylum. Of, erm, love.

ORIGINALLY BROADCAST ON: PBS-FM, Melbourne, as part of A Dingo Stole My Punchline.

WRITTEN, PERFORMED AND PRODUCED BY: Matthew K. Sharp, Warwick Holt and m. bLACKWELL.

Episodes 4, 10, 15, 17 and 23 are available as MP3s by clicking on the episode number below.

#1 (19 Jun 1997): Pensive Paolo / The Binkleys / Sketch Not Set In A Bank Manager's Office / Nice Cuppa Tea / Bigot Time
#2 (26 Jun 1997): Talking Stock / In The Forest / Texta's Good / Hunting With Rex Fish / Carboot HiFi / Tooth Fairy / Finish Joke
#3 (3 Jul 1997): Hong Kong Gone Wrong / Real Radio / If You Enjoy Heroin / Darren Pistov - Tim Barry / Hold The Scales / Happy Meals / Moral Support
#4 (10 Jul 1997): Land Of Crap Ideas / Entrance To The Hypnotists / Off / The Binkleys #2 - Azaleas, Armageddon & Police / Marshall Boldstarr
#5 (24 Jul 1997): Floor Noodleman & The Russian Not Fish Shop... / Tree Book Club / Maybe John Burgess / Game Show Meeting / Special / Ticket In Tits
#6 (31 Jul 1997): The Binkleys #3 - Escape / Fuckin' Hardcore Man / Sick / The Phi Generation / Grux
#7 (14 Aug 1997): Seagulls 1 / Orbit For The Dole / Seagulls 2 / The Well-Titled Drunk Sketch / Fame / Seagulls 3
#8 (7 Aug 1997): Gooley's Gulch Gold / Casino On Safari / Still Pistov Live - Danielle Baste / Tram Driver / Violence On Film / Cryptic Crossword
#9 (21 Aug 1997): The Binkleys - Pay TV / Zaniest Real Bloopers Your Life - And A Half!
#10 (28 Aug 1997): Sir Slash Madam / Medical Classifieds / Post-Op Shop / Not Bad, How's Flu? / Tensed Mussels / Death Beds / Man Of Letters
#11 (4 Sep 1997): Arse / NVG / Statistical Fuff / Paw / The Satan Shuffle / The Binkleys - Umbrella Man / Lovey-Dovey
#12 (18 Sep 1997): Mr Funnyperson & His Kooky Pals / Poo Party / Cartoon Cracker / Teach Yourself Pornography
#13 (11 Sep 1997): L&D Binkley - Party / Moderately Frightening / When Ignorance Turns To Inspiration / Popeman / Excellent Form / Short Exponential Form
#14 (25 Sep 1997): Sex Vox Pops / Headline - Media's Fucked! / Unhappy / Floor Noodleman Returns (The Invasion Of The Flox)
#15 (2 Oct 1997 - Boot To The Head (Nyah Nyah) compilation): Miss Your Cue / The Naughty Emporium / Brutal Aerobics / Aboption / Aldous Blee & His Talking Tree
#16 (9 Oct 1997): Marshall Boldstarr - Driving Cattle / Fat Squad / Jacket Shop / All Is Calm
#17 (30 Oct 1997): Cost Cutting / Upgrade / Superior Intelligence / Spanking The Monkey / Don't Ask Me (Heads)
#18 (23 Oct 1997): The Binkleys - Mute Fucker / Mat's Got The Douche
#19 (6 Nov 1997): The Night Beat / A New Fruit / Film Fruit
#20 (13 Nov 1997 - Boot To The Head (Nyah Nyah) compilation): Rumpole Of The Zany / Keep Budgerigars In Mind / Moses / Blarf's No-Porridge / Deformed Elk
#21 (27 Nov 1997): All About Cowboys: Go West You Bastard / Sea Cowboy / Land Cowboy / Particularly Now, Foopy Podule / The Great Dirt-Rush Of '49 / Susie Token / Two Injuns / Ride Valquero Ride
#22 (4 Dec 1997): Pistov & Malcolm Live: Howard The Geek / Binkleys Interlude / Double Blubber / Binkleys - Malcolm Gets The Boot / Pistov Live - Internewt & Malcolm
#23 (11 Dec 1997): The War Of The Worlds
#24 (18 Dec 1997): Superheroes: Jack Shit / Blarf's HeroGel / Straight Man / Super Model
#25 (25 Dec 1997): Christmas Special: Pistov And Santa / Antichristmas / Floor Noodleman And The Daring North Pole Escapade / Everybody Died
#26 (29 Jan 1998): The Prophecies of Nyah / Sure / Jesus - Skate Punk / Mormon Enough / Binkley Enlightenment
#27 (12 Feb 1998): Record Fair / Another Beer? / Complete Video Package / Locked In
#28 (26 Feb 1998): In The Tradition Of... / To Be Taken Twice Dali / Barcelona (Huge Laugh) / No More Pea Soup For You / Conventional Constitution / Fuckin' French Sketch / The Star Trek Fan Scene
#29 (5 Mar 1998): Make The Moment Rule / Nightbeat - Dope / The Black Box / Still The Same / The Secret World Of The Humpback Whale / Binkleys On Safari / Troopers