Rove McManus is still saying hi to his mum, only this time he’s sending her a postcard from Los Angeles.
In his new US-based chat show, Rove LA, McManus slipped back into the TV spotlight with ease.
It’s been nearly two years since he left the regular grind of television to pursue US opportunities. After nothing permanent had eventuated the former TEN host forged a win / win deal with Foxtel. He gets to reside in the US and Foxtel gets a new chat show with US guests.
Following on from Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year, it’s the second show in recent months to locate in the US but broadcast for the Aussie market. Unlike his former castmates, McManus is a lot more comfortable bantering with guests and his audience than filling his show with pre-recorded segments.
This time there is no desk, merely a couch and coffee table, in front of an intimate audience. There’s no band, no sidekick, no guest act. When McManus arrives in front of an audience made up of both Australians and Americans, his three guests are already seated on the sofa, where they remained throughout the show.
McManus chatted to all three across the show in a group discussion. Unlike Parkinson, there was no focus on a single guest -although Jerry Ferrara had to work to be heard above Kathy Griffin and Lisa Kudrow. Both were old pals, as demonstrated by some dodgy footage of the two acting in a scene together before they were stars. My how they’ve changed.
The sole filmed segment to an adult expo (we’re in LA after all) produced a bizarre woman whose butt-cheeks, when suitably shaken, made an audible clapping noise. Only in America. McManus gave photos of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to a bisexual woman asking who she preferred. The less said about the “fiery bush” reply, the better. Seriously.
There were spontaneous moments with the studio audience, including SLiDE actor Brenton Thwaites watching on.
Getting Jerry Ferrara to taste Vegemite was about as cliche as they come -but even the host conceded it.
Just as his return to the cameras after the death of Belinda Emmett reminded us, McManus’ is a performer at home with an audience. He is often maligned for his interviewing skills, but he has a great rapport with his guests and the ability to work off script. On FOX8 you get the feeling the show is something of a private affair, it’s not being seen by anybody other than those who pay for the privilege. And that may well lend itself to some candid, off-Broadway moments that serve it rather well.
Rove LA airs 8:30pm Mondays on FOX8.
Pls somebody put Rove and Ashton Kutcher on a slow boat to anywhere but a television or movie studio. Both are try hards and perhaps need to move on to a day job.
Rove is hilarious !!
Why do you people have to put your sad remarks on here! You have to have the same humor as Rove to understand, I love his new series he should’ve done it years ago! He has done the absolute right thing !! Shame on you people
I love Rove no end and watch him as much as possible ..however was disgusted in the other night when he passed the helium balloons to his guests and they sucked in the helium …this is so dangerous ..now im a helium sucker from way back ..but now i work with helium and suffered the migraines from busting balloons ..and BOC have trained us using the gas ..it causes death at one stage it was the 4th. highest suicide .it causes a drowning effect and was appalled to see Rove do this ..sending out the wrong message …
i tried but i couldn’t keep watching. The show is lame and unoriginal surely it won’t last. Rove tries way too hard to be funny with most of his ‘jokes’ falling flat and the gimmicks (vegemite, post card to mum etc) cringeworthy. Somehow he manages to steer the interviews in a direction that becomes all about him and not his guests. Sorry but Rove LA is doesn’t cut it.
I like this kind of show, and was an OK performance by Rove, but essentially it was just lame and cheesy, not as bad as Hamish and Andy, but still surely there is someone in this country that doesnt polarise an audience as much as Rove, nor tries so hard to be funny. Until that person comes along Ill continue to watch.
I seriously don’t get you “die hard aussies” (Mel West) don’t get me wrong I’m Australian as well but to feel embarrased by the way Rove is supposedly portraying Australia/Australians is pathetic! get over it it’s our own fault that we’re seen the way we are.
Morgan i totally agree… cringeworthy to the max.. I am ashamed he is aussie with those lame, try hard jokes that nobody even laughed too.
It was good. Still to Much of the old Rove Format in their for my liking but I do like the Grame Norton style get everyone on the couch for more than 5 minutes style.
Thisconfirmed that Hamish and Andy are doing it wrong, I’ll watch again but I hope the disjointed feeling of it goes away and Rove finally kills of the last reminants of the old show and embraces the new look Rove (muscle mania) and LA format.
As someone who works within the Australian TV industry, I have long been impressed with the comic talent that comes out of this country: Jason Gann, Chris Lilley, Phil Lloyd, Kath and Kim to name but a few – real ground-breakers who have carved their own path. Sure, they don’t suit everyone’s taste, but any objective television observer can acknowledge a level of excellence in their work and – more importantly – admire the way some of them have cornered certain areas of the market.
Australia really knows how to punch above its weight in all areas of this industry (taking into account population, budgets, audience, risk and exposure).
But I have never fully understood how Rove McManus has managed to extend what should only have been 5 minutes of fame for over ten years. I can subscribe to his methodology (Rove Live – make it safe and unchallenging so stars will happily appear to display their wares) and also to the business model (produce his own shows as to retain creative control and higher margins). As a businessman, we should all acknowledge that he – and his team – have done fantastic things. And for that he should be congratulated. He is a millionaire several times over.
However, on watching him operate both on Ten and now Fox8, the same fundamental problems with his onscreen performance remain. He isn’t clever or funny in his joke-telling (something his guest comedians were able to cover for him 2 years ago). His interview technique, at best, is cringeworthy and uncomfortable. And his segments are evident of something we Australians already know…he tries too hard.
i liked it but it why would they about the adult films on the first ep
The postcard to his mum bit at the end was a complete rip off of Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Thank You Notes’. Other than that it was good to have Rove back on the box. Will be watching next week.
How can this dross possibly pay for itself? Who does Rove have photos of naked at Foxtel to get them to stump up $ for this shite? What is the point? OK I understand American celebrity type people don’t like coming down under, but really – B Grade celebs sitting around wirh Rove is hardly innovative tv. He is not funny! Geez – I am so embarrassed this is our #1 tv host.
@Jaye I’d rather see Kathy Griffin and Lisa Kudrow than anyone you mentioned.
@Jaye – I hate bad spelling and punctuation so much.
*in sight (2 words)
*when
*blatant
*Graham’s
*Geoffrey
Sorry, but your huffiness was irresistible.
I hate Rove so much. What a total lightweight and not an original idea insight. I can remember whe he used to dress like Ellen in high tops and a vest. Lame.
As for his bltant rip off of the Graham Norton set, the last time I watched Grahams show he had Geoffery Rush, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga and Jason Byrne in the studio.
Who did Rove get? Kathy Griffin and Lisa Kudrow…enough said.
@Craig yeah forgot about that. That didn’t work.
Graham Norton rip off.
There is only One Grahan Norton & Rove is Not.
I thought it was good until the very end when he wrote on his postcard to his mum, that made me cringe… He was doing well just bombed at the very end!
Absolute embarrassment to all Australians. You ridiculous little man. Have some respect for your country, you utter, utter moron. We can only hope Americans don’t associate this idiot with the rest of us. Sigh.
Somebody stop him.
I agree with all the points in @Charlie Kelly’s critique.
Having said that, I felt a little ‘flat’ after watching it – a feeling I don’t register after watching The Graham Norton Show.
Maybe it needed a bit more in-studio hype such as a sidekick or at least a guest act/band.
Given (with some qualifications) I’m a fan of Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year, I thought it odd that since the title of the show is ‘RoveLA’ – I didn’t get a sense of the unique nature of doing a show for Australia from LA.
I’m not suggesting a travelogue, but shouldn’t there be some exterior segment(s) that show the wacky side to LA.
Even the Adult Expo segment had no visual/geographical reference shot to indicate where it was.
I enjoyed it and will watch again.
Especially seeing the next episode is Hugh Jackman and Steve Carrell. That’ll be very strong and work very well with the show. I have no doubt it’ll be better than the first episode.
The approach was very Graham Norton, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I think it’s a good thing though.
The issues were,
I thought the opening monologue and jokes were quite weak. They just weren’t funny and seemed lazy. However honestly, I was never a fan of this part of Rove’s previous show. Which was only a show I occasionally watched.
The adult expo was not funny enough to be worth while. Wrong for the Rove show and a bit odd they did it. When Howard Stern has some of his people interview people at porn conventions, it works because they can ask really out there questions and let the porn stars say out there stuff. You can’t find that middle ground Rove was aiming for. You either need to Louis Theroux approach, or the unrestricted Howard Stern approach to work.
Ummm, the guest should be brought out after the monologue like on Graham Norton.
The Vegemite thing actually happened organically so I won’t fault them.
On Rove, he’s likable but a few places he seemed to cut off the guests moving along with the script and should have been more willing to let the guess free form it. Like he cut of Lisa Cudrow before she answered his question about what she got from the Friends set. It’s minor, but it’s very noticeable. Just needs to be willing to be a bit off script. Although Maybe it just seemed this way due to editing.
As a first show it was good, can’t get everything right, there was nothing majorly wrong. I have series linked the show and will keep watching. As I said, I did enjoy the show.
However I probably won’t watch if there are guests I have no interest in. That’s to be expected though.
I thought it was apt that the screen went to black between ANTM and Rove Live took this opportunity to change channels
I don’t have Foxtel and haven’t seen this. But having all the guests on the couch and no desk etc. Reminds me of The Graham Norton Show.
Either way I still think its a shame that a FTA don’t have the rights to air this.
It wasn’t perfect but they maintained interesting conversation for the entire show. It certainly fared better than Hamish an Andy on it first episode.
The part where Kathy was talking about working in a pie shop and Lisa couldn’t stop laughing had me in tears.
Julian: yeah I know but it was hard to word in a past tense, so given he wrote a postcard to his mum it seemed to fit…
I enjoyed Rove last night disappointed at the vegemite segment but thought the rest of the show was good for a first time can only get better. Unfortunatly I missed the first 10 minutes being on satelite I lost the the signal due to the heavy rain
Good to see Rove finally wearing a suit and tie! Remember the days of untucked shirt and open collar?
He’s not saying “hi to his mum”, he’s saying “hi to your mum for me”
Sadly Rove’s show has the ‘Ugh Cringe’ factor. Yawn
I liked the way Rove seemed so relaxed with the guests and the time flew which is a good thing.Kathy Griffin is coming to Australia layer in the year is the best news I’ve heard for some time.
I’ll watch the show each week as Rove comes through as very likeable.
He also has great guests that you cannot get in Australia.
It is a pity we don’t see Rove on Jay Leno (please Comedy Channel show this this show) where he does “Roving” segements across the USA and you can tell Jay Leno likes him very much.I watch Jay Leno on the NBC website.
OMG i watched the show for 5 minutes.. can anyone say Cheesy
After watchin this trainwreck I realised this show may have tremendous appeal in watching how awkward/bored Rove can make his guests of the night with his terribly bad comedy
I enjoyed the format of having the guest’s for the whole show , if the producers get the right mix of guest’s each week it is a nice way to spend a Monday night. Lisa and Kathy were two examples of the right combo, sure Jerry was a bit left out but was still a good guest choice.
IMHO, Rove is not that comfortable interviewing guests nor has he the ability to work off-script that well (in fact he appears very script-reliant), but he is the best we have currently, so I give him full credit for that and wish him well.
Just a shame that someone with the good interviewing skills and lightning-quick wit of legends like Kennedy, Lane or Newton has not yet come to light this century.
P.S. In case you are wondering, I am under 40 – and not an old fogie just yet!
Showing again today (Tuesday) at 1pm if, like me, you missed it.
It’s great to have Rove back. Show has a really good vibe. The set is pretty cool. Glad he still signs off saying ‘say hi to you’re mum for me.’ Hope it rates. Guess it’s under less pressure on Foxtel.
How did the Americans get tickets to Rove LA when the show is not broadcast locally?
I’d taped it and read a couple of people pan it on the Twitterverse… but I liked it. Great to see him back on the screens. I’m sure non-Foxtel viewers would love to see it, but he’s got a certain free-reign being on Pay TV.
Id love to see this but don’t have Foxtel,is there any other way i can watch this, like throught the internet?