Mick Molloy on The Front Bar’s secret to success

Mick Molloy is riding high with hit show The Front Bar, but he’s also had some spectacular TV failures. And after one horror ratings result Molloy feared his footy show was destined to be another one.

He’s riding high with the top rating AFL show The Front Bar, but broadcaster and funnyman Mick Molloy wants to leave television hosting to work behind the scenes.

“I like where I’m at, which is sitting on a panel. That seems to be within my limited range,” Molloy, who co-hosts Channel 7’s The Front Bar with Sam Pang and Andy Maher, told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“I have no ambitions to host my own show … but, to tell you the truth, I’d like to segueway out of performing on television somewhere down the track. I really enjoy coming up with ideas and pitching shows.

“I’ve had a pretty good run, to be honest. I’ve survived a for a long while, but I’d be happy just coming up with ideas and pitching to networks.”

Andy Maher, Molloy and Sam Pang will take The Front Bar to The Esplanade Hotel. Picture: Ian Currie

Molloy said past television failures taught him to build The Front Bar online before shopping it to a network.

“Having learned from a couple of less successful forays into television, I wanted to start off Broadway, see if it could find an audience, and then bring it into town.”

Initially, the show was screened at various times, mainly after games and post-match coverage, and struggled to find viewers. Molloy said: “At one point, we had 60,000 viewers, and I just thought: ‘We’re cooked.’

“It was the last gasp, but to Seven’s credit, they said: ‘We can junk it, or we can have a go, and bang it up against (Channel 9’s) The Footy Show.

“We dodged a bullet. We wanted to make something by the fans for the fans … and it just kicked straight away. It was never designed to go up against The Footy Show. I always thought there was plenty of room on television for everyone.

“(Comedian) Trevor Marmalade said you won’t go broke talking about football in this town.”

Maher, Molloy and Pang on The Front Bar. Picture: Channel 7

Molloy’s television credits and appearances include The Late Show, Frontline, Kath And Kim, The Nation, Before The Game, Have You Been Playing Attention and The Mick Molloy Show.

Molloy also co-hosts a nationally syndicated radio show with Jane Kennedy on Triple M.

Asked why he is considering bowing out of performing on television, Molloy said: “I won’t complain. I love going to work … and The Front Bar is the most fun I’ve ever had.

“But I don’t think there will be a lap of honour for me, although I’m sure someone already has the in-memoriam tape reeled up,” Molloy said, laughing.

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“I’ve had some great hits, and I’ve had some spectacular failures, but I‘ve learned from all of them, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Molloy’s comments come as The Front Bar prepares to move into The Espy, in St Kilda, for its AFL Grand Final show on September 26.

A consistent ratings winner, The Front Bar was also voted as favourite footy TV show in the 2019 Herald Sun Footy Fans Survey. The Front Bar polled 41 per cent, with runner up, Foxtel’s AFL 360 at 18 per cent.

The show is produced by Molloy’s company Front Bar Entertainment and Channel 7. Molloy and brothers John and Richard, also run a film and television production house, Molloy Boy Entertainment.

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