Countdown Revolution - the infamous on-air protest (1990)

[80sOldSkool]

What happened to the video clip to Madonna's Vogue at 3:49 ?? That's not Madonna, it's someone mimicking her?? WHY?!!!

[tNJippoes]

Great find.........I was living at the Horden Pavilion at this time every Sat night so saw next to no television. I had no idea this happened. Thx for the post!

[mappyhappychappy]

I watched this at the time and never really got the gist of what was going on. I must have changed channels when it all got too chaotic and (seemingly) pointless, because I don't remember how it ended. Watching the video didn't really help but because of the sackings, afterwards, I discovered what it was all about.

Anyways, this show was on its last legs. Its eventual demise didn't come all that much as a surprise, just a bit longer than I was expecting. I'd stopped watching by then anyway.

[its4it]

I remember this. I thought the show was good when Andy, Dan and Lisa were hosting but then these two took over and IMHO it jumped the shark because Mark especially was so over the top and seemed unable to stop shouting and Tina was never even funny. This was the absolute nadir for me and I was glad when I found out they were fired.

[naedsukram]

Everybody with half a brain knew it was all mimed, I don't see the big deal, they still mime today on a lot of shows.

[chriswalski]

Anyone know if Countdown Revolution was filmed at the ABC Elsternwick Gordon St Studios?

[bluejeckett]

I think the thing to remember also is that the show didn't end on the 22nd June, it was only those hosts who were removed, Revolutions continued on until the end of the year, that's another 6 months after the protest

Countdown was never a serious music program tho in any case it was just lightweight pop for teenage girls and really by 1990 kids wanted more than that and the formula that had been acceptable in the 70s had long become outdated and that in any case by then kids wanted grunge

[bluejeckett]

I'm a little confused really, I thought it really was just them taking the piss but I doubt the ABC would've cut it off like that if it wasn't genuine and they certainly wouldn't have ended the program early but I'm still left wondering if it was genuine how come the ABC allowed the two hosts to carry on for so long in the opening segment, surely the powers that be would've been onto that straight away, cut them off totally and play an emergency program, not alloww them to flash station numbers

[2010pies]

I remember how much this show sucked.

[DarrenGlen]

i always thought Countdown Revolution looked on TV like an unorganized shambles. It just didnt seem regimented enough. The camera swung around like it was tied to the head of some drunk from St Kilda. Im not surprised it was axxed in the end. It just ddnt take music or its audience seriously enough. Tania was hott tho i woulda loved to have gone there hehe

[Swampdog36]

Ha the host was the crook on neighbours... ended up loving bouncer!

[bluejeckett]

@Swampdog36 he wasnt a crook, it was Joe Mangle, father of Skye Mangle

[pandaeyes42]

Countdown Revulsion!

[pnnews90]

like guests were ever not going to mime on this show? The most I ever saw on countdown was live vocals with a backing track. What's the point of even protesting this when the show had been doing it for 15 years at that point? The music scene sucked then anyway, it's all pretty pointless.

[slamfxproductions]

hate to tell y'all but this was totally staged. they knew they were getting axed and decided to be tureds about it.

[frogmeena]

I feel I need to set the record straight. It wasn't staged. In fact we were encouraged to do this kind of thing. However, we weren't counting on those who encouraged us, selling us down the river. Neither Mark or I believed for one second we would be fired and at the time we put on the mock strike, there had been no talk of the show being axed. Best Regards, Tania Lacy.

[AustralianYouthMedia]

Good onya Tania!

Glad you've come to set the record straight and not allow some people to make up their own stories.

[80sOldSkool]

Tania, this show wasn't "axed" until December 1990. Did they give you two the flick straight after this? And if so, who replaced you? And was this show done live - I'm guessing obviously, otherwise they would have never shown it?! On another note, I remember watching a show called "Infinity Limited" with Mark - and they were called Vortex and Plankton!

[frogmeena]

Yes, we were fired by fax (how 80's) a few days after the mock strike. Two of the other hosts, whose names escape me, were in the make-up chair before we had time to clear out our lockers. What we found out after the strike and our sacking was that the show was in fact going to be axed. The powers-that-be decided to keep it going, many theories abound as to why. It ran until December with a succession of different hosts.

[80sOldSkool]

Thanks Tania, ABC should find a new spot for you on tv today! Maybe even a stint at Spicks and Specks. I was always a fan of Countdown Rev. when yourself and Mark hosted. I even have a Countdown Rev. "production crew" t-shirt, black with white and red print. It is my favourite t-shirt still to this day.

[ClassicVideos80s]

@frogmeena You say it wasn't staged, then you say it was a mock strike and you were encouraged. Sounds like they were trying different things to boost the ratings because it was about to be axed.I'd say someone set you two up.

[francis1971]

@frogmeena Nice to hear from you.

I have to admit to watching this, and I thought when I saw this that this was unnecessary. However, looking back at all the facts, I think you had a very good point to make.

It's obvious you're still "persona non grata" at the ABC, because I would've loved you to have been on Spicks and Specks when it was on.

[80sOldSkool]

But...... this is not the final show, so it was n't axed at this point, which is 22/6/90.Countdown Rev. still aired until December 1990... (and you spell turd without an "e")...

[fiendishfilms]

i have memories of tism playing on countdown revolution, doing the history of western civilization.

one of the members would run up to the screen and mime the first bit and then run back and take an instrument and the other band member would run up and "sing" his bit while everyone switched instruments behind him.

the fiend

the protest was about a week/month later...

[AustralianYouthMedia]

I remember TISM doing that song on the show!

[cowleyj1]

I wish I'd seen this when it happened - fantastic!!I'd should have been done decades before this. Countdown was always crap

[80sOldSkool]

compared to what exactly?

[Hornsbybaby]

I saw this episode when it was playd on RAGE. I wanted to know what the hell was going on. But now I know.

Thanks ofor the video

[countdownlanes1]

was this the final? well ABC tv 2 is brining a new programe intertainment every friday nights on ABC-2 you will need digital to watch this live abc2 second channel FTA for free.

the new music show will be apearing live on stage in the studio. If your ecall COUNTDOWN 1980's well you have something to gues. stay tune in mid 2009

[BobbieDevlin]

It's funny seeing this many years later. CR was produced by some great people, who were not afraid to promote local, alternative bands at the time (Eden and Ollie Olson's band No spring to mind) - something the original CD never did. Clubs had discovered a new sound, and Nirvana and the rest were just about to break, yet CR ended up having to play the shittiest chart music that had ever been foistered on 12 year old girls. As awful as mosts of the hosts were - at least they went down punching.

[insipod]

Another uprising crushed by the oppressors.

[dakilla4life]

And then Tania's ass was canned forever. What terrible end to her career.

[blusennent]

Yep, I remember watching this episode, and from memory the whole incident died down very quickly along with Tania's bike shorts.

[GroovyBlackCat]

Countdown used to have people play live but stopped because the performers complained it put too much pressure on them (especially as they were usually hungover on Sundays).

[80sOldSkool]

The "live" show bits on Countdown weren't recorded on Sunday's. They were recorded on week days. The show, most of the time, was all pre-recorded.

[krazynite]

And then came GRUNGE....!!!!!!

Bands would not mime for shows....hence the TV show RECOVERY!!!

[80sOldSkool]

Recovery was a great concept show, the enforcer, jane gazzo and of course dylan. It was a lot of fun! (but only the first few years).

[dvscorp]

Um, what were they protesting? They didn't seem to get their point across very well.

[AustralianYouthMedia]

being cut off wouldn't help them explain the situation. they just didn't want their guests to mime to recorded tracks... but instead, play live.

[80sOldSkool]

@dvscorp No they didn't did they? What it they were protesting was the fact that bands/singers had to mime to their songs sung live in the studio, as was the case with Countdown prior to.

[80sOldSkool]

@dvscorp Particularly apparent with the plackards they hold up with "TV is a Lie" and "Lip Service". In reference to miming.

[bruzie]

What's with the home made Madonna video? Did the puritanical Aussies get a stink about Madge's nippleless covered breasts?

[MooBoo1979]

After this stunt, both Mark Little and Tanya Lacey (the presenters) were sacked.

[xj6001991]

And disappear of the TV for ever!!!, no channel picked them up ever again.

[AustralianYouthMedia]

Tanya Lacey was on Neighbours last year as was Mark Little a few years ago.

[MooBoo1979]

Who was Tanya Lacey playing?

[AustralianYouthMedia]

I don't know the name of the character - although I think her website gives name to the character on the show. All i know is that she was playing a horny hard-nose lawyer.

Hmmmm... a horny Tanya Lacey.

:-)

[MooBoo1979]

Ah yes...Toady's nemesis. Thanks for the info, you obviously have an excellent memory!

[DevoAl]

god what idiots