Fast Forward was a Seven Network sketch show which aired from 1989 to 1992. The show was presented as if the viewer was channel surfing, with static appearing briefly between each sketch. The sketches themselves varied from parodies and take thats of contemporary (and not-so-contemporary) media to sketches based around certain characters, who would appear once an episode. It was replaced in 1993 with Full Frontal.
The series featured many great Aussie comedians of the era, including Jane Turner, Magda Szubanski, Marg Downey, Michael Veitch, Gina Riley and Steve Vizard. However, much of the material has been dated so badly that it doesn't air on television often.
This show contains examples of the following:
- Abhorrent Admirer:
- Viktor of the Good Morning Moscow sketches towards his co-host Svetlana. He is a spineless Casanova Wannabe with some awful pun-filled pickup lines though, and she is sharp-tongued enough to keep him in line.
- There's also a creepy couple (named Bob and Cheryl Ugly and played by Peter Moon and Magda Szubanski) that enjoy spying on and luring young couples into their home for orgies.
- Mary McGregor makes some very blatant come-ons towards her camera man Gordon.
- Animals Hate Him: In the song parody Noise Pollution, the band Midnight Oil is attacked and driven off by the local wildlife, including Magpies, a Galah, a Kangaroo and a growling Wombat mid-performance.
- Ate the Spoon: Brent Smythe & Barry were once tasked with selling what was essentially toxic waste. They suggested marketing it as popsicles, only to be told that it eats through wood and plastic. Their solution? Sell it on metal sticks.
- Athletically Challenged: The character Berylina Stump played by Jane Turner is portrayed as a famous Australian sportswoman, only she is utterly dreadful at every sport she attempts. Nonetheless, the footage of her performances is accompanied by glowing commentary.
- Awesome Aussie: Subverted in the Solo ad parodies
, where the hero is revealed to be quite wimpy when he's out of character. - Bad Boss:
- Brent Smyth of Brent Smyth & Barry, and Roger Ramshett of Roger Ramshett and the Forty Thieves Carpet Cave, both of whom are performed by Steve Vizard. Their underlings, Barry and Abdul (both played by Peter Moon), sometimes bring it upon themselves, though, especially Barry with his awful advertising schemes.
- Magda Szubanski as Chenile the hair removalist. According to her, she used paint stripper to do something to a 14yo work experience kid that caused the loss of six layers of skin, she pays her assistant of 12 years $2.60 an hour, disapproves of personal calls and takes money out of the assistant's purse to pay for them.
- Blackface/Brownface/Yellowface: Due to having an all-white cast and being
produced in Australia in the late 20th Century, all three are used pretty liberally here. - Boob-Based Gag:
- One sketch has several young women wearing old-fashioned bras that make their breasts look like spikes. It gets to the point where a man is shown terrified of being stabbed by them.
- A Tina Arena parody focuses on her generous cleavage.
- In Rampant Stupidity, Magda Szubanski's cleavage is referred to as "The Abyss!".
- Breakout Character: In-series example: Pixi-Ann Weatley (as played by Magda Szubanksi) remained in the series after the Eyeball News original cast is dumped and forgotten. She continued interviewing famous sportspeople of the time.
- Camp Gay: The flight attendants, and the "Solo" drink advertisement actor.
- The Cast Show Off: Gina Riley performs just about all of the song parodies, due to the fact that she's a professional singer.
- Character Catchphrase:
- Roger Ramshett: "I curse the day I married your sister, Abdul."
- Svetlana: "Oh Viktor, you are a very unattractive man."
- Chanille: "Just look for the pair of legs with (insert odd spectacle)".
- Comically Cross-Eyed: The news anchor Bobby Battista (played by Jane Turner) is portrayed as this, in addition to frequently being shown as visually impaired, tripping around the studio, not facing the guests she's interviewing or the camera properly, and once walking out of an airborne helicopter.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Exaggerated with the "Money Matters" sketches. All the guests care about is flaunting their wealth or discussing how to ruin the public and/or the planet for even more riches.
- Double Entendre: In one of the flight attendant skits, Michael Veitch's character says he's bored with his regular routes. "Route" in Australia is pronounced "root", which itself is slang for having sex. Dots can now be connected.
- Everyone Has Standards: Brent Smyth & Barry will advertise almost anything, no matter how heinous or dangerous. However, they will balk at particularly abhorrent products ...
until offered enough cash. - Funny Foreigner: Arabic Roger Ramshett & Abdul, along with Scottish Mary McGregor being the most frequent. The ambiguously European SBS presenter also provides a lot of Anti-Humor.
- Gratuitous Spanish: The legal disclaimer at the end of every L'Iar and DeShonke segment.
- Heh Heh, You Said "X": Michael Veitch as an obnoxious Manchild who manages to find a double entendre in everything.
- Hilarious Outtakes: Curiously, these are sometimes inserted in the middle of episodes.
- I Ate WHAT?!: One series of sketches features a travelling host visiting a rundown and disgusting restaurant establishment. While he is eating the dish at the end he asks the chef what he used as black garnishes on the potatoes. They're blowflies. The host turns to the camera, grimacing, and grabs his drink.
- Infomercial: "Chanille's Institute de Boutique", which tries selling "beauty" products and services.
- Keet Pixie-Ann.
- Lzherusskie: Appears in parody show Good Morning Moscow.
- May Contain Evil: Beware of anything Brent Smythe & Barry attempts to sell you. Don't even think about purchasing a genuine Fhakari rug.
- Mother Russia Makes You Strong: In Good Morning Moscow they frequently make comments on how terrible conditions in Russia are fairly ordinary, such as Svetlana declaring -42 degrees to be "balmy" and Viktor implying that brutal torture by the KGB is a standard occurrence.
- Motor Mouth: The Money Matters skits tend to be like this, with the host Gina Hardfaced-Bitch rapidly conducting interviews with snobby rich people before abruptly ending it by them all walking off the set.
- News Parody: Eye Ball News, which appeared mainly in Series 1 and 2.
- Nuclear Mutant: One of the frequent topics of conversation in Good Morning Moscow is a variety of mutated creatures being sighted around Chernobyl, of which there had been a nuclear disaster 4 years prior.
- The Parody: Fast Forward's bread and butter.
- Punny Name: L'Iar and DeShonke,note the real estate agents.
- Self-Deprecation: "Tonight Live with Steve Vizard" parodies, which feature the host being very corny and a studio audience forced into cheering at him under threat of death. They are based off the real show featuring the man who created, produced and co-wrote this series. The Vizard in this version is performed by Michael Veitch.
- Speech Impediment: This was sure to be emphasized whenever Ita Buttrose (played by Jane Turner) appeared.Ita Buttrose: In thith month'th Ita magathzine, in a thuper thixthy page thpread, I reveal how publishing humbled me. I thpeak theriothly about thexth, thucceth, and my thexthy thuccethful thpeech impediment.
- Sucks at Dancing: The characters Margaret Bland (played by Jane Turner) and Les Larbey (played by Glenn Robins) are atrocious at dancing, but are still enthusiastic enough about it to open a dancing school, and in Bland's case, appear on the talent show New Faces.
- Taking the Fight Outside: In a spoof involving a Political Overcorrectness remake of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly called "The Good, The Bad, and the Unpleasant Person", the Clint Eastwood character is facing off with the Unpleasant Person, who is blowing smoke from a cheroot into his face.The Good: I think we'd better step outside.Unpleasant Person: You wanna fight with guns?!The Good: No. I have an adverse reaction to passive smoking.
- Talkative Loon: Every time Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen (played by Gerry Connolly) appears you can be sure that he'll say little else but gibberish.
- Too Dumb to Live: Everyone in Rampant Stupidity and Dumb Street.
- Too Much Information: A one-off skit features a chemist who talks loudly to customers about their conditons (including incontinence panties, women's pads and pubic hair).
- Transplant: The Dodgy Brothers and Bruce Rump were previously regulars in Australia You're Standing In It.
- The Un-Smile: Clive Robertson (played by Michael Veitch) often interrupts his bored monologues by forcing a massive insincere grin to the camera.
- Values Dissonance: In 2019 cast member Michael Veitch admitted that, given that the show included blackface, brownface, yellowface, and gay stereotypes, if the show were pitched nowadays it would likely not be made. Also in 2019, fellow cast member Magda Szubabski expressed regret for having appeared in blackface on the show.
- When You Snatch the Pebble: The lead villain in the kung fu skits dares Steve Vizard's character to grab pebbles from his hand. Steve does while the gang are cackling, at a speed that's not exaggeratedly fast like you'd expect from a karate movie.
