History Series / TheGames

* EpicFail: The video designed to be an introduction to Sydney. It contained a fuckload of errors (such as referring to Sydney as the capital of Australia and the home of the world's most famous athlete, and contains even more visual errors, like shots of Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, the Bank of Melbourne, and a shot of the freeway in Queensland) and was too hilarious to be anything but a failure.

The series is heavily satirical of the corruption and wastage around the Games, and criticises SOCOG, politicians, opportunistic businesses, and the International Olympic Committee. At one point, John and Nicholas wonder aloud where their funding is going -- while they're having expensive gourmet food and wine.

* HilarityEnsues: The team have to deal with the Millennium Bug, and John is convinced that it doesn't exist. To prove it, he sets the date on every mechanism he can to January 1st, 2000, and HilarityEnsues.

* INeverSaidItWasPoison

* JerkassHasAPoint: In "4 Corners", John and Bryan claim the hidden-camera footage can't legally be broadcast because neither of them were aware they were being taped or consented to releasing the footage. Nicholas says [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion the public's right to know]] would outweigh that, but John and Bryan were right -- they were talking about the ''possibility'' of changing the tax system, not planning to change it, and while they could suggest that said system be changed, neither actually had the power to make such changes.

* [[NewMediaAreEvil New Media Are Banal]]: The games' website is relaunched, and they hold a big event to celebrate. But this being 2000, you can't really do much on the website, and John realizes the relaunch is just for show, to distract from organizational problems. (It's also their third website relaunch.)

* PoisonousFriend: Nicholas, quite often.

* AndThenWhat: In one episode, Gina is asked by the crew what the main stadium will be used for after the games. She's completely taken off guard and manages to say that it will obviously be a marvellous asset to the community.

-> "I want your word as an Australian journalist that that won't appear on television."

* [[NewMediaAreEvil New Media Are Banal]]: The games' website is relaunched, and they hold a big event to celebrate. But this being 2000, you can't really do much on the website, and John realizes the relaunch is just for show, to distract from organizational problems.

* EpicFail: The video designed to be an introduction to Sydney. It contained a fuckload of errors (such as referring to Sydney as the capital of Australia and the home of the world's most famous athlete, and contains even more visual errors, like shots of Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, the Bank of Melbourne (name in full view), and a shot of the freeway in Queensland) and was too hilarious to be anything but a failure.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In "4 Corners", John and Bryan claim the hidden-camera footage can't legally be broadcast because neither of them were aware they were being taped or consented to being filmed and releasing the footage. Nicholas says [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion the public's right to know]] would outweigh that, but John and Bryan were right -- they were talking about the ''possibility'' of changing the tax system, not planning to change it, and while they could suggest that said system be changed, neither actually had the power to make such changes.

* [[NewMediaAreEvil New Media Are Banal]]: The games' website is relaunched, and they hold a big event to celebrate. But this being 2000, you can't really do much on the website, and John realizes the relaunch is just for show, to distract from organizational problems. (Not to mention, it's their third relaunch.)

-> "We don't need to ''imagine'' we're running the Olympics and we've got problems, ''we are'' running the Olympics and we've got problems!"

** Subverted though, as the references are all in the guise that they're actually running the Olympics and this is a genuine documentary, so within the world of 'The Games' as a comedy series the fourth wall remains untouched.

* EpicFail: The video designed to be an introduction to Sydney. It contained a fuckload of errors (such as referring to Sydney as the capital of Australia, the home of the world's most famous athlete, and containing even more visual errors, like shots of Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, the Bank of Melbourne, and a shot of the freeway in Queensland) and was too hilarious to be anything but a failure.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In "4 Corners", John and Bryan claim the hidden-camera footage can't legally be broadcast because neither of them were aware they were being taped. Nicholas says [[ConvictedByPublicOpinion the public's right to know]] would outweigh that, but John and Bryan were right -- they were talking about the ''possibility'' of changing the tax system, not planning to change it, and didn't have the power to.

* [[NewMediaAreEvil New Media Are Banal]]: The games' website is relaunched, and they hold a big event to celebrate. But this being 2000, you can't really do much on the website, and John realizes the relaunch is just for show, to distract from organizational problems.

The main characters are in the UsefulNotes/{{Sydney}} Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). All use their real names. John Clarke is supposedly the "Olympic Supremo", and apparently a former Olympic champion (though he never says what in); Bryan Dawe, the head accountant; Gina Riley, the head of marketing; and Nicholas Bell is the Secretary to the Minister for the Olympics.

The series is heavily satirical of the corruption and wastage around the Games, and criticises SOCOG, politicians, opportunistic businesses, and the IOC. At one point, John and Nicholas wonder aloud where their funding is going -- while they're having expensive gourmet food and wine.

* GratuitousItalian: Gina uses a "$5 phrasebook" to angle for a job at the Turin 2006 games in "Job Search". Nicholas must have the same one, because both of them talk about Sydney's "grande ponticello" (big bridge).

* JerkassHasAPoint: In "4 Corners", John and Bryan claim the hidden-camera footage can't legally be shown because neither of them were aware they were being taped. Nicholas says the public's right to know would outweigh that, but John and Bryan were right -- they were talking about the ''possibility'' of changing the tax system, not planning to change it, and didn't have the power to.

* HypocriticalHumor: [[spoiler: In "Job Search" John repeatedly shouts at at Bryan and Gina for focusing more on future job opportunities instead of on the Olympics. It turns out he rigged the events of the episode so he'd get a job at Athens 2004.]]

* JerkassHasAPoint: In the 4 Corners episode, John and Bryan point out that the footage can't legally be shown because neither of them were aware that they were being taped or consented to it. Nicholas points out that the public's right to know would outweigh that, but John and Bryan were right- especially since they were talking about the ''possibility'' of changing the tax system as opposed to the ''planned'' change of the tax system, and neither of them had the power to implement such changes.

[[spoiler: --> '''John''': Well, because I think what you wanted was to create industrial chaos so you could teach the Minister a lesson you thought he deserved.]]
[[spoiler: --> '''Gina''': And yet I have, in the process, singlehandedly brought industrial stability to the Games, and saved millions of dollars in wage demands.]]
[[spoiler: --> '''John''': Yeah, so it would appear, Gina.]]

* HypocriticalHumor: One episode had John repeatedly shouting at Bryan and Gina for focusing more on future job opportunities instead of on the Olympics. And then it turns out he rigged the entire events of the episode so he'd get a job at Athens.

* SpringtimeForHitler:

--> '''John''': Well, because I think what you wanted was to create industrial chaos so you could teach the Minister a lesson you thought he deserved.
--> '''Gina''': And yet I have, in the process, singlehandedly brought industrial stability to the Games, and saved millions of dollars in wage demands.
--> '''John''': Yeah, so it would appear, Gina.
* StealingFromTheTill: Everyone souvenirs something in the final episode.

* BittersweetEnding: They got the Olympics on, but they couldn't fix the Closing Ceremony and all the cock-ups and over-budgeting means that they have to get out of there.

** In one episode, John and Nicholas continually wonder where their funding is going- as they're eating expensive gourmet food and wine.

''The Games'' was an Australian {{Mockumentary}} television series about the UsefulNotes/{{Sydney}} Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) on the run-up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. It had two seasons of thirteen episodes each, the first in 1998 and the second in 2000.

The main characters were:
* John (played by John Clarke), the "Olympic Supremo', and apparently a former Olympic champion (though he never said what he got his medal for)
* Bryan (played by Bryan Dawe), the head accountant
* Gina (played by Gina Riley), the head of marketing
* Nicholas (played by Nicholas Bell), the Secretary to the Minister for the Olympics

In one episode John Howard played himself. That's John Howard the actor, who is not the same person as John Howard (then the prime minister of Australia). In that episode John Howard [the actor] gave an apology about the treatment of indigenous Australians that John Howard [the prime minister] had been notoriously refusing to give. (Since then Kevin Rudd, the succeeding prime minister, has given the apology).

Season 1 of ''The Games'' was released on DVD in 2005, and Season 2 is now out in Australia.

In 2011, Channel 9 was going to air ''The Games: London Calling'', where the cast are hired to help with the London 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately, it got cancelled. The BBC produced ''Series/TwentyTwelve'', a series with an almost-identical concept (a group of hapless bureaucrats organising the London games), but denied stealing the idea.

* PunBasedTitle: 'The Games' refers both to the Olympics, and the psychological games played by John, Bryan, Gina and Nicholas.

In 2011, Channel 9 was going to air ''The Games: London Calling'', where the cast are hired to help with the London 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately, it got cancelled. There's a possibility that ''London Calling'' might get picked up by another network, though. Cross your fingers.

!!''TheGames'' provides examples of:

''TheGames'' was an Australian {{Mockumentary}} television series about the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) on the run-up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. It had two seasons of thirteen episodes each, the first in 1998 and the second in 2000.

Season 1 of TheGames was released on DVD in 2005, and Season 2 is now out in Australia.

* AustralianPolitics: It came cruelly close to what happens in real life politics (and not just in Australia).

* FridgeBrilliance: '4 Corners': The tape was leaked by Nicholas so he could force the three of them into his scheme. The complacency of the ABC staff? They never planned to air the footage, they already had their story and were using the tape to distract Nicholas.
* FridgeLogic: In-universe, the show often raised some interesting questions, such as 'Should a genetically engineered horse be allowed to race?' 'Can a transsexual still compete even though she can't defend her title?' and 'How do we deal with the media?'
** '4 Corners': Say Nicholas' scheme wasn't revealed and John, Gina and Bryan became part of the fictional department to bring in a republic. How could he pull it off? Eventually they'd figure it out when nothing happened.

Incredibly BetterThanItSounds and is highly recommended.

* WackyAmericansHaveWackyNames: Referenced in "IOC Man" when Bil Ten Eyck says his son is named "Bill, Jr.".