Gallery: Rove retrospective

Just ten episodes of Rove aired on the Nine Network in 1999.

Rove McManus had been brought across to Nine after being lured across from Channel 31 by then-director Craig Campbell.

He brought with him his mates Peter Helliar, Corinne Grant and Dave Callan. But Nine wanted the fresh-faced host to abandon his pals on air and tried to offer him game shows. As Campbell recently told TV Tonight, “They had weddings and parties, all these ‘great’ formats they wanted Rove to host. He just kept going ‘No not me, no not me.’ To his credit he kept saying ‘Thanks for the offers but it’s not what I want to do, I’m not here to take the money.’”

Some time later the show resurfaced as Rove Live on TEN, where it has aired ever since.

In that time it has welcomed a number of other regulars including Meshel Laurie, Dave Hughes, Carrie Bickmore, Hamish & Andy, Ryan Shelton, Judith Lucy, Kristy Warner, Hayden Guppy, Nick Maxwell.

Visiting international stars have been a “who’s who” of showbiz, music and politics. While McManus famously chased PM John Howard around the country for a (never granted) interview, PM Kevin Rudd has appeared on the show several times.

But it is famous segments that viewers will long remember Rove for: “What The?”, “Flick the Switch” (which got Kirribilli House to flick its lights on and off, even though the PM was out), “My Charader”, “Live List”, “Petespace”, “Hughesy / Help Me Hughesy / Hughesy Loses It”, “20 Bucks in 20 Seconds”, “Sex Office”, a regular radio play parody and the punchline question “Who Would You Turn Gay For?”

The show has broadcast from suburban homes to New York City, but mostly from its three production studios in Melbourne at Nunawading, South Melbourne and Elsternwick. The show ended with a cast bbq in the studio car park.

McManus, who has plentiful Logies for both the show and himself, also rested the show for several months, most notably following the death of his first wife Belinda Emmett. His return to television won an outpouring of support from viewers.

Rove has shifted from a traditional Tonight show format to a comedy-variety with supporting players. Recently McManus paid tribute to the late Don Lane, who along with Steve Vizard, was one of his regularly watched programmes during his youth.

Last night Rove told viewers he hoped to return to on-air performing at some point, following a break. Having established a successful production house, Roving Productions will continue to produce The 7PM Project and Before the Game for TEN next year.

“Say hi to your mum for me,” became his signature catchphrase.

Additional photos: Rove Online