Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation
Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. It is hosted by Shaun Micallef.
History
Original run
The first series ran on Network Ten for 18 episodes, with the original production order extended due to the success of the show.A second series of 26 episodes began airing from 7 February 2010. Series 2 had a planned hiatus after episode 10 on 18 April 2010 and returned to finish its run on 1 August 2010.
Series 3 began on 8 February 2011.
On 27 October 2011, Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation was renewed for a fourth series. On 22 January 2012, it was announced that the show would begin airing Series 4 on 1 February 2012 in an 8 pm timeslot.
First cancellation
As of mid-2012, the show was cancelled after 72 original episodes on Network Ten.Revival
In September 2017, it was announced that series five would be revived on the Nine Network for 8 episodes with Micallef returning as host. In October 2017, the series was officially confirmed for revival set to air in 2018, as well as the announcement of the series captains. Generation X will be led by Robyn Butler, Generation Y will be led by Andy Lee and Generation Z will be led by Laurence Boxhall. It has a new set and it also changed its graphics including new logo and as well as fonts, sets and theme song and primary colours. The primary colours are red, yellow and blue. The show was once again filmed at Docklands Studios in Melbourne. It is recorded in front of a live audience of 500 people.In October 2018, the series was renewed for a sixth season at Nine's upfronts with Micallef returning as host and Lee, Butler & Boxhall returning as series captains. The series premiered on 1 May 2019.
Second cancellation
Nine has not renewed Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation and is yet to announce any Hamish & Andy project, as Andy Lee has joined the team in Seven Network's The Front Bar.Format
Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an hour-long quiz show testing the popular culture knowledge of teams from three different cultural generations. The generation team captains are Amanda Keller, Charlie Pickering and Josh Thomas. Each team captain is joined by a different guest each episode who is part of their respective generations. However, on occasion there have been guests not actually part of the generation they represent on the show. Generally guests aged up to 30 are placed in the Generation Y team, guests aged 30–40 in the Generation X team and guests aged 40 and over in the Baby Boomer team.Typically, each episode features six rounds with the three teams competing in various themed games which feature wordplay-based names such as What's A Doodle Doo?, Name That Tee and ¡chronoloco!. One point is awarded for each correct answer, though in practice points can be awarded or deducted at Shaun's own discretion. The first three rounds involve the contestants buzzing in first to give their answer. Games played in these rounds can involve identifying missing television characters from a cast picture, identifying a company name from a partially constructed logo, or identifying a catchphrase and its origin from a T-shirt.
The fourth round sees teams choosing from four categories from the main display, and often involves their participation on the studio floor on their part. Games include matching up celebrity pairs on the screen, ransacking a period setting to identify anachronistic items, and performing charades. From 2018, it' was used in the third round.
The fifth round, called "Your Generation" and later Yo-Gen, sees all teams quizzed in turn on themed questions relevant to their particular generation and based on a certain topic or Yo-Gen Subject. In this round, one point is awarded for each correct answer and two points are lost with each incorrect answer. In 2018, the fourth round was used. In 2019, it was part of the magic window.
The final round, called End Game, sees all teams trying to complete a physical task, usually to be judged by Shaun. The number of points up for grabs in this round is usually determined by the number of points that separate the first and third placed teams at this stage of the game; therefore the winner of the End Game is the winner of the episode.
The winning team is presented with a secondhand trophy donated by Shaun, viewers, as a vanity prize. During the second series, a specially made TAYG trophy was presented to the winning team; the trophy featured three people raising a flag pole with a TAYG flag on top.
From series 6, Pete Smith provide the voiceover with the winning present and at the end of the show, an announcer sign-off for example "This is Pete Smith speaking."
Team captains
Original series
- Amanda Keller
- Charlie Pickering
- Josh Thomas
Revived series
- Robyn Butler
- Andy Lee
- Laurence Boxhall
List of games
- What's a Doodle Doo? – In this game, contestants are shown different company logos but are shown one 'doodle' at a time. Five 'doodles' make the logo and points are awarded depending on how many doodles have been revealed.
- As Quick As – In this game, contestants are asked a series of questions. They must buzz in and answer as quickly as they can as they are racing a boiling kettle. Time is up when the kettle whistles. In some episodes, the kettle is replaced with another item such as dynamite or a woodcutter. Australian illusionist Cosentino appeared in one episode with him escaping from a straight jacket.
- You Say Various Things – The game begins with Shaun explaining that they would usually be playing As Quick As, but has decided that they will be playing a new and complicated game in which the title and rules are explained in one very simple song. Shaun then sings the You Say Various Things theme song only for the phone to ring and Shaun explaining that they don't have time to play this game as the theme song was too long. They then play As Quick As.
- Ad Hoc – In this game, the contestants are shown a frame from a commercial and they must buzz in to try and guess what the product is in the commercial.
- Befuddled – In this game, the contestants are shown a movie poster that has been pixelated by the Befuddlo-Mesh screen. They must then guess which movie the poster is for. If no-one can guess the Befuddled image, it is the Defuddled once. If they still can't guess, the image is Defuddled a second time. An image is only Defuddled a maximum of five times before it is completely revealed. Points are awarded depending on how many times the image has been Defuddled.
- Nobody's Business – In this game, contestants must guess the names of fictional products or businesses on the Magic Window. They then have to guess the film or TV series from which the product or business is from.
- Chicken or Egg? – In this game, contestants are shown two things, events or businesses and they need to figure out which one came first.
The Magic Window is the large screen in the background of the TAYG set. The teams pick one of four buttons from the window which are labelled with the genre of game that is featured in that button and later, things or people relating to a certain subject.
- Trust Me – In the earlier uses of this game, a button was labelled with the Trust Me logo. The game featured would result in one of the team members being covered in food if the other team member incorrectly answered questions. Each question was worth quadruple points. In later episodes, Trust Me was hidden in one of the four button on the Magic Window as no-one would pick it when it was clearly labelled. In one episode, Trust Me was hidden in two of the buttons on the Magic Window.
- What on Earth was that? – In this game, six common items from the past and present are concealed behind a garden wall and then crushed by a steam roller. The team must then identify the item by looking at the debris left behind and the era it was from for one point each.
- Watch Your Mouth – In this game, the guesser must try and guess the celebrity their partner is portraying on the "magic window". That contestant must give clues to the contestant without saying any of the verboten words/phrases shown on the "magic window". One point is awarded for every celebrity the guesser is able to identify correctly.
- ¡chronoloco! – In this game, the team has to order a certain number of things of a certain theme in the order they were first introduced. One point is awarded for each item placed in the correct place.
- Third Drawer Down – In this game, items appear in the third drawer down and the team must be able to identify the item. One point is awarded for each item identified correctly, and another point for correctly identifying the era of that item.
- Era Error – In this game, a scenario is created at a certain era and contestants are to identify six items that don't belong in the era within the given time-frame. One point is awarded for each item that is identified in the wrong era.
Episodes
International broadcasters
Reception
Ratings
The first series of the show, which aired at 7:30 pm Tuesday night, was very successful ratings-wise with the show considered a surprise hit. The premiere episode of the show debuted with an average of 1,648,000 viewers, coming in first for the night and fourth for the week. The subsequent episode drew in 1,599,000 viewers, coming both first for the night and the week. The highest rating episode was the eighth, which averaged 1,754,000 viewers. The 2009 Christmas special aired at a 6:30 pm Sunday night timeslot. In comparison, it drew in only 1,060,000 viewers.The second series of the show debuted in the 7:30 pm Sunday night timeslot, with the series premiere drawing in 1,323,000 viewers. After sixteen episodes the show returned to the 7:30 pm Tuesday night slot to make way for the broadcast of Junior MasterChef Australia on Sunday nights. The ratings figures for the second season were generally behind the high figures set during the first series. The season finale, which also doubled as the 2010 Christmas special, drew in 1,450,000 viewers.
Awards
The show was nominated for both the Most Popular and Most Outstanding Light Entertainment awards at the 2010 Logie Awards. In addition Shaun Micallef was nominated for both the Gold Logie and the Most Popular Presenter awards for his work on the show. The show won in both categories it was nominated for with Shaun Micallef winning the Logie for Most Popular Presenter alongside. He did not win the gold Logie. Team captains Josh Thomas and Charlie Pickering were also nominated for the Most Popular New Male Talent Logie.| Year | Nominee | Award | Result |
| 2010 | Shaun Micallef | Most Popular Presenter | Won |
| 2010 | Talkin 'Bout Your Generation | Most Popular Light Entertainment | Won |
| 2010 | Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation | Most Outstanding Light Entertainment | Won |
| 2010 | Shaun Micallef | Gold Logie | Nominated |
| 2010 | Charlie Pickering | Most Popular New Male Talent | Nominated |
| 2010 | Josh Thomas | Most Popular New Male Talent | Nominated |
| 2011 | - | - | - |
| 2011 | Shaun Micallef | Silver Logie Award for Most Popular TV Presenter | Nominated |
| 2011 | Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation | Most Popular Light Entertainment Program | Nominated |
| 2011 | Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation | Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Program | Nominated |