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Happy 75th Bert!

TV only has one Bert, still king of the ad-libs and comic timing.

172-bert-newtonCongratulations to Bert Newton on his 75th birthday today (do you get a telegraph from David Gyngell for that?).

TV only has one Bert, still king of the ad-libs and comic timing.

He has worked on all 3 commercial networks and appeared on numerous shows including In Melbourne Tonight, The Don Lane Show, New Faces, Ford Superquiz, Family Feud, 20 to 1, Good Morning Australia, The Bert Newton Show and the Logie Awards.

This Saturday Nine screens a one hour special to honour his life and career.

Happy 75th Bert: Celebrating a TV Legend will look back on an incredible life and tell the story of the man Australian viewers have known and loved for decades.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Bert began his career as a radio announcer on 3XY at the age of 15 and went on to work across radio, television, film and theatre for another 60 years.

In March 1959, Bert joined former television rival Graham Kennedy at Channel Nine and they forged an historic partnership on In Melbourne Tonight. From 1975 to1983, Bert worked with Don Lane on the highest rating national tonight show in Australian history, The Don Lane Show, The Don Lane Show. He has compered his own tonight shows and spent 14 years as the face of morning television on Good Morning Australia.

The 18-time Logie winner has been at the centre of some of the most memorable moments on Australian television, all of which will be relived in this special presentation.

Today, Bert shows no signs of slowing down, having recently trod the boards in local productions of Wicked and Annie, and he is set to continue performing in Grease later this year.

A dedicated professional, Bert was acknowledged with an MBE in 1979 for services to the performing arts. In 2006, he was awarded an AM, Member of the Order of Australia, for service to the entertainment industry.

Happy 75th Bert: Celebrating a TV Legend will feature Bert’s wife of almost 35 years, Patti Newton, his friends, including long-time colleagues Pete Smith and Lisa McCune, and many more celebrities saluting an enterainer who has kept us laughing and earned a special place in the hearts of Australian audiences.

Join Eddie McGuire, Jules Lund, Rove McManus and other personalities as they share their favourite memories of Bert throughout the years.

Saturday, July 27, at 6.30pm.

7 Responses

  1. Think you mean Telegram David not Telegraph?

    Why the likes of Philip Brady & Bruce Mansfield haven’t been included astounds me and shows that this special has been put together by some young kid based in Sydney.
    Besides Patti no one knows Bert better that Philip.

  2. @Benji77 – Bert was at his best 30-odd years ago. He was extremely fast, witty, urbane, very funny (without being obscene) and was just such an obvious talent. He was often a sidekick (to Graham Kennedy) but he was the one who got the laughs. I can’t think of any so-called ‘stars’ of today who can even remotely approach him for professionalism or raw talent.

  3. @TVScene – I agree. I would like to hear from his true friends and people who have worked with him for a while. I don’t want to hear someone telling me about the time that they saw him on TV.

  4. Why does a show about a TV legend have to have grabs and anecdotes from people who would hardly know Bert, let alone have worked with him? Lisa McCune and Pete Smith are very good friends. Bert has worked with them and they remain close. But Jules Lund?? Seriously?

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