About
The Games was an Australian mockumentary television series about the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The series was originally broadcast on the ABC and had two seasons of 13 episodes each, the first in 1998 and the second in 2000. 'The Games' starred satirists John Clarke and Bryan Dawe along with Australian comedian Gina Riley and actor Nicholas Bell. It was written by John Clarke and Ross Stevenson. The series centred on the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and satirised corruption and cronyism in the Olympic movement, bureaucratic ineptness in the New South Wales public service, and unethical behaviour within politics and the media. An unusual feature of the show was that the characters shared the same name as the actors who played them, to enhance the illusion of a documentary on the Sydney Games.
Cast
John Clarke
as John
Bryan Dawe
as Bryan
Gina Riley
as Gina
Episodes
Season 1
The Press Conference
Barrie Cassidy analyses John, Bryan and Gina's performance at their recent press conference.
Athletics Schedule
Just when the administration and logistics team have got things running smoothly, sport rears its ugly head. John, Bryan and Gina go through the steps of trying to organise athletics for the games.
Funding
Funding for the games becomes a problem. John and Gina review a video designed to promote Sydney as an easy town to get around in, while Bryan meets with a mysterious potential corporate sponsor.
Robbo and the 100 Metres
Jasmine presents some marketing ideas to clear out some ""dead wood"", Robbo holds a press conference on the environmental impact of the Games, and John and Bryan confront the contractor who built a 100 Metre track that doesn't quite measure up.
Past Sports Stars and Gender
The team wrestle with the Asian meltdown, the GST, an athlete who has had a sex-change and a troublesome seating plan. Gina is placed on special phone duties.
Millennium Bug
Gina's voice recognition software is causing difficulties and John is having trouble with technology. The millennium bug looks like it might threaten the games. A live webchat doesn't quite go to plan.
Dead Man
The swimming schedule has been disastrously modified at the last minute. Meanwhile, Gina and John are asked to babysit an IOC member who has turned up dead the day before a major Dinner, while Bryan and Jasmine go to meet President Mandela and Princess Margaret at the airport.
Rural and Environment
John attempts to explain the swimming schedule to the camera before going on Lateline to face the Spanish Athletics Association coordinator's concerns about the ozone hole over Australia. Meanwhile, Gina and Bryan meet with the Federation of Rural Progress delegation's proposal for an Opening Ceremony program which has already been awarded to the Germans.
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