DAAS Kapital
DAAS Kapital is an Australian television comedy series written by and starring comedy trio the Doug Anthony All Stars with supporting cast members Paul Livingston, Michael Petroni, Bob Downe and Khym Lam. The title is a reference to the trio's acronym "DAAS" and Karl Marx's economic treatise Das Kapital.
The series premiered on 15 July 1991, in Australia on the ABC network, and the season finale aired 7 July 1992. DAAS Kapital aired in 18 countries including Japan, Britain, USA and Germany and was released on DVD 20 March 2013 with commentary by the All Stars and a new, original song. On 13 April 2013, the All Stars reunited for a one-off show celebrating the launch of the DVD set.
Format
DAAS Kapital was a sitcom that incorporated sketch show and variety show TV formats. For example, in each scripted episode, there would be cutaways to television shows and commercials—typically Shitsu Tonka News, Troy The Invincible and Wayne Kerr—along with guest appearances by Paul Livingston, Bob, Bob Downe and stop-motion animation sequences, along with original songs performed by the Doug Anthony All Stars. Ferguson described the show as "a cross between Land of Giants, Marine Boy and Jacques Cousteau on speed." Each episode's plot usually consisted of a very simple idea, such as a bug infestation on board or a Cinderella-style story mixed with all the above segments strung together with very quick jokes, narrative humour and stories told by the All Stars.Characters and casting
In addition to Tim, Paul and Richard, numerous other recurring characters appeared throughout the series. These included:- Flacco : a strange alien being with a high-pitched voice. He spends most of his time talking to his pet cockroach, Ross. Livingston also portrays several other characters throughout the series, such as the Marquis de Sade and the Pope, although the other characters have Flacco's mannerisms.
- Psycho Bob : an American serial killer and psychotic who has somehow stowed away on board. He usually has a ranting monologue to camera ending with his catchphrase: "I'm Bob, and I'll be back." Tim is the only member of the crew to have seen or encountered him, implying that he is a figment of Tim's subconscious.
- Thulgore : a giant monster who lives in the engine room.
- The Shitsu Tonka newsreader : the boys' only contact with the outside world is broadcasts from Shitsu Tonka's television network, including regular bulletins from a female Asian newsreader.
- Bob Downe : a cheesy cabaret singer who is a TV personality on Shitsu Tonka.
- Wayne Kerr : along with his sidekick pals, Spinner and Paddlefoot, are characters in the most violent program on Shitsu Tonka.
- Troy the Invincible : appears on Shitsu Tonka. Performs acts of violence on himself to demonstrate the invincibility of his working-class principles.
- Uncle Biff Happy : a used car salesman whose ads appear on Shitsu Tonka.
Scenario
The show itself takes place in the year 2006 as the All Stars are placed in a submarine with all the world's artwork and treasures and their "assignment is to catalogue history." Some time later they become lost, their whereabouts unknown and their existence is denied by the Shitsu Tonka Corp.
In the final episode of season 1, it becomes apparent that Shitsu Tonka deliberately sabotaged the ship, placing Richard on board as a robot implanted with a bomb. He was to self-destruct and completely destroy history. Instead, the blast propelled the submarine into space, providing an opportunity for more sci-fi based storylines and parodies in the show's second season. In the final episode of this season, the ship returns to the ocean.
Episodes
Season 1 (1991)
All episodes are named after the seven deadly sins.The episodes listed in the Season 1 scriptbook are in this order: Avarice, Sloth, Gluttony, Pride, Envy, Lust, Anger. Episodes in broadcast order below.
| Title | Plot | Songs |
| Lust | Tim and Paul are to attend the Rhino Ball, but alas Richard will be stuck at home cleaning... that is until his fairy godfish offers him a little help. | Living With Girls, Rhino Songs |
| Avarice | It's Paul's birthday, but it looks as though everyone's forgotten. | Mummy Dearest |
| Gluttony | It's Sunday, and everyone is bored... that is, until they decide to play a few 'games' to fill in the time. | Sunday Mornings*, Big Dirty Mongrel. |
| Envy | After a scout jamboree, each of the boys must go through their own personal journey of self exploration. Richard must overcome his demons to gain courage, Tim must find a brain, and surely Paul has a heart somewhere inside him? | Maria, Catholic Girls On LSD. |
| Sloth | It's Bastille Day on the Titanic II, and Tim and Richard finally decide to do something about Paul's alcoholism. | I Love The French, Mexican Hitler |
| Pride | The ship is infested with cockroaches and Paul sets out on a quest to fix the problem... However the Ferguson family curse starts to catch up with Tim as he slowly morphs into a cockroach himself. | Happy Endings, Bob Downe for Jesus |
| Anger | It's the last day on board the Titanic II, however there is a problem... one of the boys is a robot set to self-destruct before they can leave. | Cosmic Cowboys of Doom, Three Steps to Heaven |
Season 2 (1992)
All episodes are named after the seven heavenly virtues.| Title | Plot | Songs |
| Faith | Now drifting through space, the boys must fill out an official census. Meanwhile, Tim has decided to run for Shitzu Tonka World Leader. | I'm Sick |
| Humility | Earth has declared open season on jazz musicians, so the Marquis de Sade travels to space to avoid being killed. The boys decide to use their collection of jazz records to get back to Earth. | That's Jazz, Warsong |
| Felicity | After the boys discover a miracle, the new Pope pays them a visit, while Tim and Richard prepare for the corruption of the Brain of St Peter. | Bless Me Father, I'm A Psycho Killer |
| Chastity | When the Titanic II is confronted by a UFO, they discover that Paul is, in fact, an alien. Another alien asks him to help complete experiments on Tim and Richard, but can Paul go through with it? | Carnal Carnival |
| Charity | A mysterious 'comet' flies over the Titanic II on Christmas, leading the boys to find a baby in a manger. | Away In The Manger, Good Night Sweet Prince |
| Hope | A planned picnic on Friday the 13th results in the boys hopelessly lost, confronting gremlins, a witch and a prince. | Party In Hell |
| Patience | The boys discover they have ten hours until they are to be hit by a meteor shower. With the engine out of commission, they also must cope with a strange visitor. | Drugs |
DVD
On 1 November 2012, Tim Ferguson announced via Twitter that a DAAS Kapital DVD was underway and would be released in 2013. Ferguson then tweeted that the set would include audio commentary followed by a picture of the recording session, one of the DAAS Kapital crew as they are today and revealing that a new, original song was being recorded for the DVD set.The DVD was confirmed for release on 20 March 2013, with the group reforming for the official launch of the DVD set on 13 April. After lengthy discussion on the DVD set itself, the show and guests Flacco, Khym Lam and producer/co-director Ted Robinson, DAAS performed three songs: "My Girl", "Warsong" from DAAS Kapital and the last song the group recorded, the DVD exclusive "Saturday's The Day For Leaving."