John Clarke: Satire loses its statesman

JOHN Clarke has died at the age of 68 and will be remembered as one of the greats of Australian TV. Here’s his life in pictures.

1/16John Clarke has died at the age of 68. Picture: Supplied

2/16He formed one of Australian TV’s best known partnerships with Bryan Dawe. Picture: Supplied

3/16Clarke as one of his most well-known characters: Fred Dagg. Picture: Supplied

4/16Fred Dagg became a cultural icon. Picture: Supplied

5/16Clarke and Dawe together in 1998 at the height of their powers. Picture: Supplied

6/16Their dry humour was brutally political. Picture: Supplied

7/16Dawe, Clarke and Gina Riley in the TV series “The Games,” 1998. Picture: Supplied

8/16Clarke and Dawe’s segment on TV show The 7.30 Report was must-watch TV. Picture: David Crosling

9/16Riley also became well-known for her humour. Here she is with Dawe and Clarke in “The Games,” 2000. Picture: Supplied

10/16The Games was a send-up of the 2000 Sumnmer Olympics in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

11/16John Clarke hosts The ABC Of Our Lives for Aunty’s 50th birthday in 2006. Picture: AAP

12/16Clarke was also a prolific author known for his mocking style. Picture: Supplied

13/16Clarke qalso featured in several films including Never Say Die and Death in Brunswick. Picture: Supplied

14/16TV personality Adam Hills with Clarke at the ABC studios in Melbourne, 2008. Picture: Supplied

15/16Clarke was given a Lifetime Achievement Award award at the 50th Annual TV Week Logie Awards, 2008. Picture: Supplied

16/16Clarke - a legend of Australian TV - died whilst hiking in the Grampians. Picture: Supplied