Mike Willesee interviews Graham Kennedy about IMT
During an interview with Mike Willesee about his recent return to radio with 2Day FM in Sydney, Graham Kennedy recalls some of his memories of working on In Melbourne Tonight (IMT). He discusses the frequent attempts by GTV9 staff to blow him up and drop objects on him during the show. He also expresses a genuine love of working with sketch comedy.
Content warning: this clip contains blackface and racist stereotypes.
This excerpt is extracted from a longer interview, originally broadcast on Seven Network current affairs program Willesee '81. It features archival footage of IMT sourced from the Nine-produced 20 Years of Television special made in 1976.
Graham's face-pulling stunt at segment's end was a further example of his attention to detail and awareness of the program on which he was appearing. Though admitting to nerves during the interview, he once again displayed his innate comic timing and delivery while playfully sparring with the usually serious host. Himself a voracious television viewer, a life-long discipline in prior preparation before any engagement enhanced Graham's ability to extract maximum humour from otherwise banal moments.
Notes by Simon Smith