Rove’s take on movies
Comedian keen to have some fun in Channel 10’s new movie panel quiz show, writes
ROVE McManus is happy to see just about anything at the cinemas.
That wide-ranging taste is sure to come in handy in his new role as the host of Show Me The Movie!
In his big return to Channel 10, nearly a decade after he called time on his variety show, Rove helms the movie quiz show with the help of team captains Joel Creasey and Jane Harbour.
“I’m happy to see something in black and white with subtitles, but I’ll just as happily go and see the latest animated Disney song and dance epic,” he tells The Guide.
“I went and saw Black Panther and Lady Bird recent and they were both fantastic.
“The main thing at the moment is as the father of a four-year-old it’s nice to have an excuse to go and see the animated movies without looking like a creep.”
Of course there’s also that little animated movie that gives him some silver screen credibility.
“I was in Finding Nemo. I don’t want to brag about that, but it did win an Oscar. You’re welcome Pixar,” he jokes.
But there’s one thing that really annoys Rove as a movie-goer.
“If you’re buying your ticket at the counter or if you do it online, just have a look where everybody else is sitting and choose a seat that’s not right next to somebody,” he says.
“Nothing bugs me more, if it’s not busy, than when you sit down in your seat with almost an empty cinema and someone sits right next to you. Why would you say ‘I want to sit right next to the three other people in this cinema’? Let’s give each other some space.”
Since returning to Australian screens last year, Rove had been waiting for the perfect project to come along.
“I was in Ten having a meeting about something else and they said we’ve got this show about movies from the producers of Spicks and Specks,” he says.
“Obviously I have very fond memories of Spicks and Specks. It was a real institution during its time. This has a similar feel of a comedy panel quiz show, but really that’s just a loose foundation for people to come on and have fun.
Plus my movie knowledge is a lot better than my music knowledge.”
From general trivia to spot the movie out-takes and celebrity interviews, Show Me The Movie! celebrates all facets of the film industry.
“One of the things I’m fascinated with is what actors had as their first job,” Rove says.
“It’s those things I learned over the years when I was doing my talk show – the idea of what people’s first job was, the weird hobby they might have, that’s the stuff that fascinates me. Did you know Cate Blanchett has a tattoo? Those sorts of ideas are an avenue for really harnessing fun.
“Plus this show is not really about winning and losing. I will give points to people just because I like what they’re wearing, and take points away if I don’t like the jokes they make.”
Filming weekly will also allow the quiz show to be topical, says Rove.
“Whether it’s something like the Oscars, phenomenons like Black Panther or maybe it’s a new Star Wars movie that splits the fan base down the middle, we want to make sure we touch on those movie news stories,” he says.