The jesters season 1 press kit

MICK MOLLOYPuLLIng the strIngs On a brand new serIes

Jesters_WIP_NEIL_FINAL.indd 1 13/7/09 11:57:08 AM

PreMIere ePIsOde tuesdaY 8 sePteMber 9.30PM enCOre saturdaYs 7.30PM

Presented In the sPIrIt Of Frontline, 30 rock and the larry SanderS Show

8 x 30 MInute ePIsOdes exCLusIve tO MOvIe extra.


PreMIere ePIsOde tuesdaY 8 sePteMber 9.30PM enCOre saturdaYs 7.30PM

Presented In the sPIrIt Of Frontline, 30 rock and the larry SanderS Show

8 x 30 MInute ePIsOdes exCLusIve tO MOvIe extra.


When people start taking comedians seriously, it’s time to make fun of comedians.

As comedy writers, we became interested with how important satire was becoming in shaping news and current events. In America, a huge percentage of young people get their news solely from late night television comedy – Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Letterman and Saturday Night Live. From Borat to the Chaser’s, satire is the biggest and most influential thing in comedy around the world.

It occurred to us that satirists were becoming just as important as the people they were satirising. The people who were just making jokes about the news were now being taken as seriously as proper journalists or even the politicians who actually made the news. We thought it would be a funny idea to make a satire about satirists; to take a punch at the people who were throwing the punches. This is what sparked the concept for The Jesters.

The show is also about old show business and how it is dealing with this new aggressive prank style of satire and comedy; or rather not dealing with it.

We ended up with Dave Davies and The Jesters.

- Kevin Brumpton & Angus FitzSimons, co-creators of The Jesters

the COnCePtIOn Of the Jesters




The Jesters is a slick, sick and darkly comic look behind-the-scenes of a TV comedy show that proves the old maxim that nobody likes a smart arse - unless, of course, they’re bringing in huge ratings. From the absurd antics of the TV writers’ room to the even more absurd network board meetings, The Jesters reveals the key ingredients of what goes into making the people of Australia laugh: jealously, pettiness, treachery, extreme stupidity… all the things that make show business so much fun.

Retired comedy legend Dave Davies decides to play Svengali to four upstart university undergrads by whisking them away from their satirical student newspaper and giving them their very own TV show. But it’s a decision Dave may soon regret as the show becomes a hit and egos spiral out of control, causing a battle between Old School comedian Dave and the New School pranksters, The Jesters. With in-fighting, potential lawsuits and network pressure also added to the mix, it’s a question of what will happen first: The Jesters imploding or winding up doing time in jail?

A timely and hilarious satire of the machinations of modern comedy, The Jesters is cutting edge TV that dares to explore what happens when celebrity satirists have the target turned back on them.

As Steve Martin once said, “Comedy is not pretty.” The Jesters will show you why.

sYnOPsIs



Fortunes change for a group of four university students when their popular satirical student newspaper catches the attention of Dave Davies, an Australian TV comedy legend who has decided to retire from in front of the camera and concentrate on operating behind the scenes. Collectively known as The Jesters, the group are given the chance of a lifetime when Dave takes them from relative obscurity and into the glamorous – and hazardous – world of TV comedy.

It turns out The Jesters aren’t the only ones with something to prove: this is Dave’s first foray into producing, and it could very well be his last thanks to initially low ratings. But Dave’s a stubborn bugger, and he’s determined not to have The Jesters become an ugly mark on an otherwise spotless career track record.

A desperate Dave turns to the oldest trick in the book – good, old-fashioned cheap publicity stunts – to grab the audience The Jesters so desperately need. Sure enough, the team’s controversial pranks, daring stunts and press conference highjackings soon create national and international headlines - as well as possible jail-time for the team - and the show becomes an overnight TV sensation.

But all is not well in The Jesters’ camp: a power struggle for control of the show has erupted between the young bucks and the seasoned pros as Dave and his tough-as-nails right-hand woman Kat – a jaded TV producer – find themselves squaring off against Michael, The Jesters’ idealistic founder and unofficial leader, and Steve, the group’s main writer and a natural TV star. Trying unsuccessfully to keep tabs on all the drama is Julia, a harried Network Executive who’s unhappy to discover that deflecting lawsuits aimed at The Jesters has now become part of her job description.

The Jesters soon realise they’re in for more than they bargained for as they struggle with their mentor Dave, newfound fame and each other as they wrestle for control of the group – and attempt to stop their lives completely spiralling out of control.

the stOrY


KeY CastMick Molloy Dave Davies

Emily Taheny Kat the Producer

Ben Geurens Steve (Jester)

Christian Barrett-Hill Michael (Jester)

Andrew Ryan Zak (Jester)

Travis Cotton Tony (Jester)

Susie Porter Julia the Network EP

Deborah Kennedy Di the Agent

Special guests (as themselves)Steve VizardMark Mitchell

Barry OttoKate CeberanoPhillip AdamsBarry Jones


KeY CrewWriters/Executive Producers

Kevin BrumptonAngus FitzSimons

Director Kimble Rendall

DOP Hugh Miller

Series ProducersAdam Bowen

Barbara Gibbs

Executive Producer Ted Robinson

Supervising Producer Emma Moroney

Executive in Charge of Production Peter Jenetsky

Executive ProducersTony ForrestPaul Wylie

EditorsJulie-Anne De Ruvo

Phil Horn

Production Designer Karen Harborow


‘We’ve aimed to give The Jesters its own unique visual style from the outset. The majority of the production crew hail from the film world, and the goal was to give the show a filmic look – something we’ve achieved by avoiding typical flat TV lighting. We shot the series all on one camera – a Sony F35 Camera System in HD which gives the series its distinctive rich look. It’s more of a long lens style - it’s not fly-on-the-wall and it’s not a documentary style either. If anything, it has a more observational style. We were using prime lenses as opposed to doing it all on zoom to give the show an energetic and visually rich style. We’ve aimed for something striking and I believe we’ve achieved that aim.’

- Kimble Rendall, Director of The Jesters

the LOOK Of the Jesters






University students Michael, Steve, Zak and Tony think they’ve hit the jackpot when comedy legend Dave Davies decides he likes their satirical student newspaper enough that he wants to give the group their own show as The Jesters.

The dream might’ve sunk before it has had a chance to swim as the show gets set for the chopping block thanks to low ratings. Showbiz vet Dave is determined not to have The Jesters go down as his first colossal failure, instructing the team to get some free publicity the best way he knows how: by having one of them get arrested.

Besides a non-existent audience, Jesters founder Michael has more problems to worry about: he has to hide his lack of connection to various worthy charities despite having to film a convincing television commercial for the good causes.

Now in the newfound position of having attention from the media, Jester Steve is taught the fine art of the pre-prepared ‘spontaneous’ radio phone interview by the master of the fake art himself, Dave Davies.

ePIsOde 1: hard tIMe gettIng sOft tIMe

Further proving you should never read your own reviews, a new member

joins the team as Dave insists a female comedy writer be hired after one review

criticises The Jesters for being a ‘Boys Club’. Steve reluctantly does as he’s told,

however the crass new female writer is not exactly the breath of fresh feminist air Dave

thought she would be.

Media manipulation becomes the order of the day as Jester Zak attempts to plant self-serving

blurbs about himself in the newspaper after reading a positive story about Dave planted in a newspaper

gossip page by his wily publicist Di.

Zak isn’t the only one with an expanding cranium as Michael lobbies to get rid of the TV show’s ‘warm up guy’

because he thinks his jokes for the studio audience are lame. He’s positive he can do a much, much better job.

Being the industry stalwart that he is, Dave finds himself being offered the part of a talking banana in a new Pixar film set in

Australia. Dave’s happy to collect the cheque, but is dismayed to learn that recording two simple lines of dialogue can take weeks.

ePIsOde 2:the feMaLe vOICe


Brimming with confidence now that the show’s a hit, Steve and Zak decide to take on the fill-in breakfast shift on a popular FM radio program, despite the pair being warned by the far more experienced Dave and Kat they’re taking too much on.

It seems Dave’s warnings are going unheeded everywhere: Michael finds himself in hot water when he decides The Jesters will hold a farcical competition to judge all the world’s major religions, despite Dave’s vocal disapproval of the idea. Unsurprisingly, the announcement of which religion is the ‘One True Religion’ is met with outrage from all religions.

Aspiring serious musical artist Tony is also finding the pressures of being a Jester too much to bear as one of his straight-faced songs becomes a hit and frustratingly gets misinterpreted as a comedic track by the public.

ePIsOde 3: breaKfast CLubbed

The conundrum of selling out for cold, hard cash becomes an issue when The

Jesters are offered a small fortune to perform at a corporate gig on a tropical

Queensland resort. The team seem happy to use big business for what they can, but

aren’t prepared to face the possibility of being used themselves.

The sins of the past also come knocking when a ten-year-old blooper clip showing Dave throwing

a childish tantrum on camera makes its way onto YouTube for the world to see.

Network exec Julia also inflicts her will on Zak and Tony by insisting they create more of an on-line presence via

The Jesters website. The pair go about recording bits and pieces with people around the office with disastrous results.

ePIsOde 4:gOIng COrPOrate


Finding themselves under the whip, Dave makes the team work in the office all night to deliver a script for the show on time. Michael, however, has other things on his mind – namely himself. He’s set to appear on brainiac quiz show The Einstein Factor, and he’s determined to spend his time preparing for his debut on the show.

Things also take a turn for the highly weird when Zak is questioned by a supposed US government ‘diplomat’ about some conspiracy theories that were snuck into the show’s satirical newscrawl.

Dave finds the popularity of The Jesters is bringing him fresh headaches when his agent Di reveals Steve has asked her to act as his personal agent – and get him a massive pay rise.

ePIsOde 5: aLL nIghter

Michael is furious to discover Dave and Kat have gone behind the team’s

back by getting paid actors to pretend to be real people in The Jesters supposedly

unscripted stunts. When Michael makes an official complaint to the network, the situation

rapidly spins out of control.

Meanwhile cocky womaniser Steve is relishing in all of the fresh female attention he’s received since

being on the show, but finds himself making the ill-advised decision to sleep with an influential TV critic.

To his astonishment, the night of passion doesn’t lead to the glowing reviews he was hoping for.

Resident Jesters musician Tony finds himself being booked to appear on the ABC radio segment ‘Friday Night Funnies’

and, determined not to be stereotyped solely as a writer of goofy ditties, spends the whole week trying to write something

funny that doesn’t come with musical accompaniment.

ePIsOde 6: reaL taLent


It’s Australian TV’s night of nights: The Logies. Although The Jesters team have been nominated for a coveted Logie, Steve has also been nominated for an individual Logie due to his increasing popularity with the public. Unofficial leader Michael realises Steve is taking over his mantle as the group’s Top Dog, causing jealousies to surface.

Logies attendees are also tense as expectations are running high that The Jesters are set to unleash a stunt at some point during the ceremony.

Dave is also having a particularly unpleasant evening: he has been asked to present the Hall of Fame award to bitter rival Steve Vizard, and he’s none too impressed. The only thing keeping his spirits high is the fact he’s secretly taped a pilot for a new, serious chat show that might cut him free of The Jesters for good.

ePIsOde 7: and the LOser Is….

It has been an eventful first season of The Jesters, but it’s finally wrapping up –

and so it seems is the team. Disillusioned with their experience as TV stars, Michael

wants The Jesters to return to their roots and produce a satirical newspaper.

The group, however, has begun to splinter: Steve is offered a solo show by another network and

Dave accepts an offer to host his own chat show after filming a successful pilot.

After a series of prank auditions for a non-existent musical, Zak and Tony also find themselves being

pulled in a different direction as they are forced to put on a real musical stage show to avoid prosecution for false

advertising.

Could it all add up to being the final nail in The Jesters’ coffin?

ePIsOde 8: wraP uP






MICK MOLLOY ‘dave davIes’

MICK MOLLOY

Mick Molloy plays legend, Dave Davies. In his mid-forties, Dave is a very famous, smart, shrewd and charming ex-comedian who is having his first stab at just being “off camera” on a show. Dave is a TV legend having a mid-life career crisis.

Mick Molloy is one of Australia’s most recognised comedians. An actor, writer and producer, Mick successfully combines the scruffy appeal of a laid back larrikin and the acid tongue of the world’s toughest critic.

Mick was attracted to the world of The Jesters the moment he read the scripts, ‘I loved the scripts and the reason I am on the project is the scripts. I think they’re laugh-out-loud funny. The show really lifts the skirts on what goes on behind the scenes in producing a television show, specifically comedies. There is a very seedy underbelly to the comedy fraternity and I think it will be a fascinating glimpse for people who have never known what’s going on behind the curtain.’

Mick was nominated, alongside his brother Richard, for Best Original Screenplay at the 2002 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards for the feature film Crackerjack. In 2003, Mick received extraordinary recognition for his work in Australian film; being named Australian Star of the Year at the 2003 Australian Movie Convention for his acting performances in the films Crackerjack and Bad Eggs. Mick also co-wrote, produced and starred in the feature film BoyTown, released in 2006, and also produced and directed the feature length documentary Tackle Happy in 2000.

A member of classic television comedies The D-Generation and The Late Show, Mick has most recently joined the panel of Before the Game on Network Ten, a weekly program dedicated to the great Australian obsession of Australian Rules Football.

In addition to his work in film and television, Mick is one of Australia’s most accomplished radio performers, hosting the national phenomenon that was the radio program Martin/Molloy, airing on 54 stations throughout Australia from 1995-1998.



eMILY tahenY ‘Kat’Emily Taheny plays young producer Kat Bailey in The Jesters. In her early thirties, Kat is an attractive, tough-as-nails, caustic and hardened TV producer. She has no illusions about what it takes to make a TV show and resents having to work with The Jesters who she regards as naïve children. Kat has worked with Dave for many years, she is his right hand woman, but she clearly hopes that one day soon Dave will snap out of this Svengali phase and do his own show again.

Emily Taheny says, ‘I found The Jesters to be about a generational change within the television industry. The old style comedy coming together with the new style comedy, the clash of egos. I think my character Kat would probably prefer to be working on something bigger and slicker than The Jesters – such as a reality television series where the rating are huge and where it meets a much wider audience. I think the main challenge for her is to keep The Jesters in line but to keep her professional interests as well.’

Emily Taheny is a professional actress, singer and comedian. Since graduating from The Centre for Performing Arts in South Australia, Emily collaborated with sister Fiona O’Loughlin on their original stage show Fiona, Her Sister and Some Guy. This show took them to the Edinburgh Fringe, and garnered the Best Newcomer Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2001.

Emily has also maintained a successful career in the music industry and has recorded and performed with many artists around the country, after graduating from the 2003 College of Country Music, Tamworth, New South Wales. Emily also made her television debut as part of the ensemble cast of the sketch comedy series Comedy Inc and has featured in Foxtel’s Comedy Slapdown and Stupid Stupid Man as well as The Chaser’s War on Everything.



ben geurens ‘steve’Ben Geurens plays Jester Steve Morris, the team’s main writer. Steve is very confident, cynical and a womaniser. He is the last to join the group and the one who now in effect controls it. An on-camera natural, far too smart for his own good, everything in life comes too easily for Steve.

Ben says of his character, ‘I think my character Steve Morris is the next Dave Davies really, at least he thinks he is. He is the complete talent out of the show and he knows it too, he has a lot of time for himself. He is on very good terms with himself.’

Ben Geurens graduated from NIDA in 2004, and has been performing since he was a youngster in television series including Man from Snowy River and Neighbours. He has since featured in acclaimed Australian theatre and television productions.

Ben’s stage roles include the Melbourne Theatre Company productions of Entertaining Mr Sloane and The Glass Soldier both directed by Simon Phillips, and History Boys directed by Peter Evans. He has also appeared in the Sydney Theatre Company production of The Great. For Darlinghurst Theatre Company, he appeared in Bones directed by Tamara Cook and also Daniel Keane’s Terminus in 2005. For Hit Productions, he performed in a national tour of Hannie Rayson’s Hotel Sorrento in 2000.

In 2006 Ben played the lead in the Australian independent feature film Monkey Puzzle. He also was part of the cast in Philip Brophie’s cult horror film Bodymelt in 1993.

Ben’s television credits include guest roles in the popular long running Australian series Home and Away, Blue Heelers and McLeods Daughters. Recently in 2008, Ben created the company Inside Job Productions and performed in their inaugural production of Kenneth Lonergan’s This is Our Youth in 2009.



ChrIstIan barratt-hILL ‘MIChaeL’Christian Barratt-Hill plays Jester Michael Stevens, the original editor and founder of The Jester university paper. Naïve and idealistic about what satire can do, he is awkward and stiff in front of a camera. He is the team’s worried, hand-wringing conscience and still nominally their leader.

Christian Barratt-Hill believes audiences should find the behind-the-scenes satire of The Jesters quite an eye-opener: ‘I think the really interesting thing about The Jesters is that all of the stuff which happens behind the camera in comedy is often more entertaining, insane and absurd than a lot of the stuff you end up seeing on television.’

Actor Christian Barratt-Hill has a strong background working in theatre, film and television with theatre roles including the Mary Griffiths Theatre production Stoning, the Belvoir Theatre’s production of The Merchant of Venice, The Perth Theatre Company’s Milk & Honey and the Darlinghurst Theatre’s production Some Explicit Polaroids.

Christian’s past work in television includes guest appearances on All Saints, Ship to Shore, Bush Patrol, Sweat, Farscape, and Romancing Tadpole. Christian has also had various roles in radio plays; his past credits include Gloria’s House, A Tale from the Hate Room, For Love Alone and Cloudstreet on ABC Radio.



andrew rYan ‘ZaK’Andrew Ryan plays Jester Zak Green, a man who is willing to perform any stunt no matter how bizarre or dangerous. Borderline nuts, conspiracy obsessed but very cheerful, Zak is a one-man-band in a group of four, oblivious to all office politics.

Andrew Ryan says, ‘When I read the scripts I found them immensely funny and it wasn’t just because I was out of work actor wanting a gig! I genuinely found them funny and it made me hungry to be part of the series and it’s not often that you get handed a script from your agent where you laugh out loud.’

Andrew Ryan graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 2006 and has a growing list of Australian stage and screen credits.

In 2007, Andrew featured in the independent Australian film, All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane, which received international and critical acclaim and an audience choice award at The London Australian Film Festival and the Natfilm Festival, Denmark. He also appeared in the award winning Australian hit Black Balloon alongside Toni Collette and Gemma Ward.

Andrew frequently appears on television screens and his performances include roles on popular television series including Double the Fist, the long running All Saints, and the MOVIE EXTRA comedy Chandon Pictures.

Andrew’s theatre credits include starring roles in the Griffin Theatre’s production of Michael Gow’s award winning play The Kid, as well as Riverside Theatre’s production of Romeo & Juliet where he played the roles of Nurse, Tybalt and Balthaza.



travIs COttOn ‘tOnY’Travis Cotton plays Jester Tony Coggan, the comedy songwriter. He’s a sweet, shy, slightly self-pitying Casio-playing comic who aspires to be the new Eric Idle.

Travis enjoyed working with an Australian comedy veteran: ‘We all know Mick from classic comedy such as The Late Show and The D Generation and it was really great to work with him. He is just as he seems on screen in a way but perhaps a little more diligent as far as his work is concerned. Working with the rest of the cast and crew has been a truly great experience as well.’

Travis Cotton, a young and extremely talented performer, has experience in various feature film roles including My Year Without Sex, Blurred, Right Here Right Now and the short film Loves Labourer Lost. Travis Cotton graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1999.

Travis’ television credits include RUSH, Blue Heelers, Monster House, Satisfaction, Always Greener and Bastard Boys.

As well as various television roles, Travis has received praise for his numerous roles in theatre. His theatre credits include the Naked Theatre Company production of The Fifth at Randwick; Chicks Will Dig You, directed by Tamara Cook at the Downstairs Belvoir; The Bread Trap at the Black Swan Theatre Co and Boys Life with the Sydney Fringe Festival.

Travis has been awarded Best Newcomer by the MEAA for his role as Tom/Rick in the Black Swan Theatre Company production, Away. In 2003, he also won the Naked Theatre Company Award for ‘Best Writer of A Short Play’.



susIe POrter ‘JuLIa’Susie Porter plays Julia Wilson, the Network Executive. An overworked hotshot who, among her many projects, has been assigned to be the network “handler” for the great Dave Davies’ latest creation. She struggles to stop the network from being sued and to not know too much about what the team is doing.

Susie found comedy a much more enjoyable genre than she first anticipated: ‘I have realised it is actually a lot more fun than I thought because there is no pressure about being funny as I play one of the serious roles. I’ve been lucky enough to be cast around people who happen to be very, very funny, so it’s a lovely set to work on.’

Susie Porter has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most outstanding film actors.A NIDA graduate, Susie has also appeared on stage for the Griffin Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company. Widely recognised for her feature roles in Bootmen opposite Adam Garcia and Better Than Sex opposite David Wenham, she has also starred in Paradise Road, Idiot Box, Two Hands, Feeling Sexy, Monkey’s Mask, Teesh and Trude, the award-winning Little Fish starring Cate Blanchett and last year’s The Caterpillar Wish.

Susie’s television credits include guest roles in Love My Way, The Secret Life of Us, the UK production Silent Witness, the BBC series State of Play, and the lead role in the six-part SBS production of RAN (Remote Area Nurse) for which she received a Silver Logie in 2007. Susie has also starred in SBS’s East West 101 alongside Don Hany, William McInnes, and her RAN co-star Aaron Fa’Aoso and East of Everything for the ABC starring Richard Roxburgh and Gia Carides.



debOrah KennedY ‘dI’Deborah Kennedy plays Di Sunnington, Dave Davies’ agent. In her fifties, Di has been Dave’s agent and friend for over 20 years. A shrewd and cynical sounding board for Dave, she is far more interested in restarting Dave’s solo career than in his latest, and hopefully fleeting, obsession - The Jesters.

Deborah Kennedy says of the role, ‘I play Mick Molloy’s character Dave’s long suffering agent and I try to keep him out of trouble, keep his ego intact and keep him in a financially buoyant frame of mind. Di’s function is to keep Dave in a space where he will keep earning money, not fall into a trough and not become depressed.’

Deborah Kennedy is well recognised for her numerous film and television roles over the past thirty years. Having started her career on stage with the Marion Street Theatre, Deborah continued to work with numerous other theatrical organisations such as the New Theatre, SUDS, Repertory 200, and the Pageant Theatre.

Following this, Deborah continued to work in other theatre roles including, the Nimrod Theatre productions of Much Ado About Nothing and Richard III. Her other significant theatre work includes Travelling North, House of the Deaf Man, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Desert Flambe and Soulmates.

Deborah has also acted in a number of television roles; most recently, appearing in Neighbours and McLeod’s Daughters. Prior to this, Deborah’s television roles have included appearances in Certain Women, Silent Number, Waygoos, Doctor Down Under, The Restless Years, Prisoner, Bastard Boys, Headstart, Police Rescue, Wildside and Good Guys Bad Guys.

Deborah has also had an extensive career in the film industry, most recently starring in Closed For Winter, directed by James Bogle. Prior to this, Deborah has appeared in a multitude of feature films including Matter of Life (2001), My Mother Frank (2000), Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997), Idiot Box (1996), The Sum of Us (1994), Death in Brunswick (1991).

Deborah has received a number of award nominations including AFI nominations for Best Supporting Actress in Soulmates, Death in Brunswick, and The Sum of Us.




Kevin Brumpton & Angus FitzSimons have had a writing and creative partnership for over ten years, working in comedy and satire for radio and television. They have their own television production company, Return Fire Productions, through which The Jesters has been produced.

Kevin and Angus have worked together writing for many television programs over the past ten years. Most recently, Kevin and Angus worked as writers on Double Take on Channel 7 in 2008, Series 2 & 5 of Comedy Inc. on Channel 9 in 2004 and 2008, Life Support on SBS (2001-2003) and Good News Week on Channel 10 (2000).

In 2003, Kevin and Angus were also staff writers on CNNNN on ABC TV, and The Big Bite on Channel 7. They have also worked in writing for radio programs such as The Doug Mulray Show on Radio 2SM and Radio 2WS.

KevIn bruMPtOn & angus fItZsIMOns wrIters/exeCutIve PrOduCers


Director/Writer Kimble’s entrée into the world of movie making began with an 8mm camera, writing and directing his own short films at school. He gained a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Mass Media (Film Major). He then trained at the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to become a film editor. He worked for the BBC in London and for the four major television networks in Australia, editing documentaries, current affairs and drama. As a freelance editor he cut low budget features and documentaries including My Survival as an Aboriginal, winner of the Rouben Mammoulian Award at the Sydney Film Festival.

For two years Kimble took acting classes under acclaimed Australian theatre directors John Bell, and went on to form the band, The Hoodoo Gurus, which achieved major success in Australia and has a cult following around the world. Kimble was admitted into the Aria Hall of Fame in 2008.

As a director of television commercials Kimble has won most major awards in advertising including a Cannes Lion and was voted Australia’s Top Music Video Director (Rolling Stone Magazine).

Kimble directed the teen comedy/horror feature Cut (2000) and was second unit director on the Matrix sequels The Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions and the game Enter The Matrix. In 2003 he was second unit director on Alex Proyas’ I Robot and in 2004 on Lasse Hallstrom’s Casanova shot in Venice. His latest films include Ghost Rider, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and Knowing starring Nicholas Cage.

KIMbLe rendaLL dIreCtOr


Hugh Miller graduated from AFTRS in 2002. During his time at film school, he received numerous ACS awards and the prestigious Kodak Award for Best Cinematography at the New York International Student Film Festival. In 2003, he won the Best Cinematography Award at Tropfest.

His feature work includes Prime Mover, Two Fists, One Heart, Right Here Right Now (winner 2007 Rebelfest Film Festival, Toronto), Three Blind Mice, Orange Love Story, The Bet (ACS Bronze Medal 2007), and Solo, directed by Morgan O’Neill and starring Colin Friels. Hugh is currently shooting Big and Little’s latest film Lou.

Hugh has filmed numerous projects acrossfilm, TVC, music videos and documentary,using HD, DV, Super 16 and 35mmformats. He has shot two films on thePanavision Genesis Camera system as wellas The New Red One 4k Digital Camera.

hugh MILLerdIreCtOr Of PhOtOgraPhY

Barbara has worked as a line producer and production manager for over ten years in Australia and her credits include George Miller’s Babe, Alex Proyas’ Dark City and more recently Disgrace in South Africa and Australia and Ana Kokkinos’ Blessed.

The Jesters is Barbara Gibbs’ first credit as a Series Producer.

barbara gIbbsserIes PrOduCer

Adam Bowen began his career in film editing in London, and went on to work as a TV reporter, director, and comedy writer/performer.

His scripting for Australian TV drama series led to work as a Script Supervisor on drama serials in Germany, Sweden and Italy, where he co-created and developed Italy’s first prime time drama serial, Un Posto Al Sole.

Adam has also written for children’s TV drama, notably the multi-award winning Mortified. Adam co-wrote and produced the SBS comedy-drama TV series Kick and recently directed and produced the music documentary Diana Doherty & JS Bach for ABC Classics.

adaM bOwen serIes PrOduCer


Producer/Director Ted Robinson has been involved in Australian television, film and theatre for over three decades.

In recent years he has had several satirical comedy series on the ABC (The Glass House and The Side Show) and SBS (In Siberia Tonight and Under the Grandstand) and many shows on Network TEN TV, including Good News Week, The Melbourne Comedy Festival Galas, Debates and the annual specials from the Montreal Comedy Festival. In 2007/08 he was an Executive Producer on Chandon Pictures Seasons 1 & 2 for MOVIE EXTRA.

Emma literally grew up on a film set. Assisting producers from the age of 14 at one of Australia’s most respected TV/Film production houses, Horizon Films, Emma met and started her career in film with an inspiring mentor, Richard Franklin. Since that time she has spent 16 years working in all manner of productions from large scale ad campaigns, to TV series including the seminal Secret Life of Us, and feature films such as Philip Noyce’s Quiet American where she learnt much about the 18hour day! In recent years Emma has produced a number of series for Fox8 and Movie Network Channels including large scale live events such as Movie Extra Tropfest and Henry Rollins Live from Melbourne. Having worked with writer Kevin Brumpton for a number of years, she is pleased to have had the opportunity to bring The Jesters out into the world.

ted rObInsOn exeCutIve PrOduCer

eMMa MOrOneY suPervIsIng PrOduCer

With 19 years experience in the media industry Peter has worked with some of Australia’s largest media organisations, including senior roles with Austereo and The Seven Network, and is now GM of Marketing and Content Strategy for Movie Network Channels. In this role he is responsible for the development of the channels’ content strategies as well as the marketing of the programs and brands. In recent years he has overseen the expansion of the channels production ambitions including the development and commissioning of the award wining comedy, Chandon Pictures, documentary, and entertainment formats such as the film-making competition, Project Greenlight, the television adaptation of the live theatre event, To Be Or Not To Be (Short + Sweet) as well as the first ever live broadcast of the short-film event, Movie Extra Tropfest.

Peter JenetsKY exeCutIve In Charge Of PrOduCtIOn

Barbara has worked as a line producer and production manager for over ten years in Australia and her credits include George Miller’s Babe, Alex Proyas’ Dark City and more recently Disgrace in South Africa and Australia and Ana Kokkinos’ Blessed.

The Jesters is Barbara Gibbs’ first credit as a Series Producer.



For further information please contactNatasha Henry

NIX Co.Tel: 02 9211 6650

Email: [email protected]

www.movieextra.tv/thejesters



Date post:	12-May-2015
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The jesters season 1 press kit

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