Kitty Flanagan skewers Ten’s all-male pilot week in comedy skit

KITTY Flanagan has hilariously slammed Channel 10’s decision to launch eight shows all fronted by men while also taking a dig at her own employer, the ABC.

COMEDIAN Kitty Flanagan has taken aim at the number of male-fronted shows on Australian television in a blistering skit for The Weekly.

Flanagan skewered Channel 10’s decision to launch eight new shows all fronted by men in its much hyped Pilot Week.

The announcement has been blasted by female comedians Jane Kennedy, Meshel Laurie and Em Rusciano, who said Ten’s decision was “poor form”.

The skit showed Flanagan meeting with a fictional Ten executive. Picture: Channel 10

In a sketch aired on Wednesday night’s episode of The Weekly, Flanagan is asked by a fictional Ten executive to help out by fronting a show for the channel’s Pilot Week.

But Flanagan dismisses his claims, pointing out that “women can’t host television shows”.

“Yeah I know, but in today’s climate how bad’s it going to look if every new show we come up with is fronted by a man?” the executive replies, before promising to pay Flanagan “three quarters” of what Kyle Sandilands was getting for his pilot Trial By Kyle.

To be honest babe, I’m over it. Can’t be bothered spending my time and energy begging for a seat at a table where I’m not valued. I put my efforts into other places now.

— Meshel Laurie (@Meshel_Laurie) July 22, 2018

Refusing the TV boss’ offer, Flanagan then took aim at her employer, pointing out how many of the ABC’s stars were male.

“I mean, just look at the ABC, they know what works. Shaun Micallef, Wil Anderson, Charlie Pickering, Tom Ballard, Tom Gleeson, Paul McDermott — all men,” Flanagan said. “Doing what they do best; being men, on television.”

Jane Kennedy led the outrage over Pilot Week. She was particularly incensed when it was suggested on Twitter that Australia had “never produced a seminal female humorist”.

1/2 This is what I am dealing with. How insulting to generations of funny Australian women you complete knucklehead. How about for starters Noeline Brown, Dawn Lake, Denise Drysdale, Mary Hardy, Mary Kenneally Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Magda Szubanski, Marg Downey, Mary Coustas https://t.co/985JgjuZGC

— Jane Kennedy (@Jane_L_Kennedy) July 25, 2018

Pilot Week on Ten will premiere eight original pilots of domestically-produced television programs, across a number of different genres, broadcast in prime time across one week.

The shows — Skit Happens, Dave, Kinne Tonight, Drunk History, Taboo, Trial By Kyle, Disgrace! and Bring Back … Saturday Night — will run in one week from August 19.

The Weekly With Charlie Pickering airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on the ABC.