Latest news with #DoNotOpenThisBook
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Andy Lee is happy to admit he's riding on Bluey's coat tails
Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes. Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes. Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes. Andy Lee is chirpy, chatty and excited, and for good reason. His new animation series, based on a 10-year-old book he never intended to publish, premieres on ABC iview next week. Do Not Watch This Show is based on his best-selling book series Do Not Open This Book and stars Wizz, a blue monster who refuses to accept that he is the star of a television show and is desperate for kids to switch it off. Wizz, voiced by Lee, goes to hilarious lengths to deter his audience, which only makes him more appealing. In each of the 12 episodes, the audience is desperate to know - why doesn't Wizz want us to watch the show? The all-star cast features Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes, with art direction by the book's illustrator Heath McKenzie. The series also features cameos from Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Pete Smith, Broden Kelly, Jack Post, Rebecca Harding, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan. "I sound chirpy? I think I'm always chirpy, it's my natural disposition. I'm probably very annoying to work with," Lee says, laughing. "I'm so stoked to be able to finally talk about this, that's what's put an extra spring in my step today. "It's been a long time coming ... we started entertaining the idea of the animation in 2019, so that's six years of trying to get the project to where it is now. And now it's out in the world, it's really exciting." Lee wrote the original version of Do Not Open This Book on a plane for his nephew George, then aged one. That was 10 years ago. "It took me 40 minutes to write and it was meant to be a singular, private book for George, who we used to call Gee Wizz," Lee explains. "I didn't expect it to be an animation, I didn't expect it to be anything. And then my mate, who's a publisher, asked if he could publish it and I said no. We argued about it for a while and I eventually said yes and I'm glad I did, it's been such an adventure. "The illustrator sent me through a picture of what the character could look like, and I sent him back an egg with legs and arms, badly drawn on the back of a napkin or a card, I can't remember, but that scribble became the basis of the animation." Bringing Wizz to life through animation involved a lot of teamwork. It's based on the vision in Lee's own mind, however, he's not at all precious when it comes to suggestions. "I love having the time to ponder the process, the good ideas and the bad ideas, and we've had that with this project," he says. "I love working in teams, and what's great about this team is that I'll have something in my head and someone will go, 'What about this?' and I'll be, like, 'Yep, that's better!' "The reverse psychology of the title is our biggest asset, I reckon. If you're flicking through ABC iview and it says do not watch this show, hopefully it entices people to click on it." I tell Lee it reminds me of the 1980s Canadian sketch comedy series for children, You Can't Do That on Television, which I watched religiously as a child. "Yes! You are the first person to make the link," Lee replies, excitedly. "Everyone has been asking me in interviews what kids' show I watched the most, and I said You Can't Do That on Television and no one had heard of it, so I've just stopped talking about it. "But that was the show that I loved, because it was constantly looking at the camera and it was constantly saying 'you shouldn't be doing this', or 'we can't be doing this on television'. I loved the cheekiness and the vibe, and it lends itself to my program." We reminisce about the characters and the green slime and I mention that Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Alanis Morissette was a cast member. Lee quickly looks it up online ("She was! I'm looking at it now. Incredible, I had no idea it was her"). There are several clever elements underscoring Do Not Watch This Show, in addition to the reverse psychology of the title. One that Lee hadn't considered was the extent to which children are now wrapped in cotton wool compared to, say, the 1980s. "When we were first doing the development of the show, I was working with one of the big animation studios in the US, and their analysis was quite profound compared to what I was thinking," he says. "One thing they mentioned was that there's not many opportunities for children to take risks these days. We helicopter-parent more than we ever did, and for good reasons. "But to have an outlet for kids to take risks and to defy authority is a good thing. We're teaching kids that we don't want complete anarchy, but it is important that we have the courage to question things." The series is also educational, without children realising they are being educated. I liken it to hiding vegetables in their spaghetti bolognese, and Lee laughs. "That's a good way of putting it! I'm gonna borrow that, that's great." Lee is also open - and appreciative - about the way award-winning and internationally adored Australian animated series Bluey has blazed a trail for others in the industry. "People often ask me if I am taking on Bluey and I'm, like, absolutely not, but I'm keen to ride his coat tails because it's paved the way for people like me, particularly in the meetings I've had internationally over the last few years," he says. "The way that people talk about Australian children's television, it's very different these days because we've had that hero to point to. It's opened a lot more doors. And being able to keep the Australian accent is pretty incredible, and being able to portray an Australian identity and share Australian themes.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Carrie Bickmore reprises her TV career in a quirky new way as she lends her voice to comedian Andy Lee's children's TV series
Carrie Bickmore is reprising her TV career in a quirky new way fans wouldn't expect. The former The Project panellist, 44, will voice part of Aussie comedian Andy Lee's new children's series Do Not Watch This Show. Do Not Watch This Show is the TV adaptation of Lee's best-selling Do Not Open This Book series and premiered on ABC earlier this month. The beloved member of comedy duo Hamish and Andy lends his voice to the book's main character, a blue monster named Wizz, bringing him to life. In 12 11-minute episodes, Lee takes viewers on an animated journey to keep kids entertained, all while urging them not to watch any further. Bickmore has a cameo on the fun-filled series alongside fellow stars Dave Hughes as Goblin, Denise Scott as Tortoise, Joel Creasey as Lime, Kura Forrester as Kiwi, and appearances from Chrissie Swan and Hamish Blake. It marks the first time the media personality will return to screens since she departed Channel 10's axed current affairs news program in 2022. The role reunites her with longtime friends and former co-hosts in a funky new way, trading news bulletins for animated monster mayhem. On Saturday, Lee said one of his favourite parts of producing the series was casting his celebrity pals for the roles he thought suited them best. And while he's grateful for those involved in his special project, he feels bad for Carrie having an "ugly" character. 'I felt a bit bad when I sent Carrie what her character looked like because she plays a pretty ugly character," he told Yahoo Lifestyle. "I told her, 'With the voice, we chose a different direction for how the character looks. It's not inspired by you!'.' 'Hughesy plays Goblin, and I just love the idea that, hopefully, if we can sell this around the world, that Hughesy's voice will be synonymous with a goblin,' he said. The comedian said there also isn't a flamboyant character in children's television like Joel Creasey's, who owned his role as Lime. It comes after Bickmore made a special appearance for the final episode of The Project, which concluded after six years and 4,500 episodes in June. Appearing in the final 30 minutes of the episode, Bickmore said she had the "worst memory" of her best moments throughout the years. Still, she said one highlight was spending time with Oprah during her visit to Australia. "She took me backstage and spent a couple of minutes for me and it was tough time in my life and she was telling me that she was praying for me," she said. Bickmore encouraged viewers to buy a beanie to support Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer after her late husband Greg Lange died following a 10-year battle with the disease.
Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Carrie Bickmore's surprise TV role in new ABC children's series
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. Carrie Bickmore is set to grace our screens once again in a surprise new role. The former Project host will join the new ABC children's series Do Not Watch This Show created by comedian and author Andy Lee, who is taking his popular book franchise, Do Not Open This Book, to the small screen. Bickmore, 44, will lend her voice to a 'pretty ugly' character in the new animation, which follows a pretentious blue monster named Wizz who has a full meltdown after discovering he's on TV. Voiced by Lee himself, Wizz embarks on a mission to sabotage his TV appearances and stop you from watching. Through a series of silly shenanigans, he enlists the help of his friends Tortoise, Lime and Kiwi, who are all voice by fellow comedians Denise Scott, Joel Creasey and Kura Forrester, respectively. Carrie Bickmore is set to lend her voice to a new children's series created by Andy Lee. The first four episodes dropped on ABC iView on Friday with another eight, 11-minute episodes to come, among those will feature Bickmore and Lee's best mate Hamish Blake. There will also be cameos from Chrissie Swan, Glenn Robbins, Tony Armstrong, Mick Molloy and Ben Fordham. 'We produced this with my company [Radio Karate], which has been awesome, and the casting was great fun,' Lee – who also voices the show's expert scientist Douglas – recently told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'There were a bunch of phone calls and favours, so I'm super grateful for everyone who wanted to be involved.' Andy Lee voices Wizz and expert scientist Douglas in his new series Do Not Watch This Show. Picture: AB Lee revealed that comedian Dave Hughes will also lend his voice to a goblin on the series, but he remained tight-lipped about who Bickmore will voice on the show. 'I felt a bit bad when I sent Carrie what her character looked like, because she plays a pretty ugly character,' Lee recalled. 'I told her, 'With the voice, we chose a different direction for how the character looks. It's not inspired by you!'' Denise Scott, Joel Creasey, Kura Forrester and Dave Hughes also make voice cameos. Picture: ABC This will be Bickmore's second foray into the world of animation. In 2023, she voice provided the voice of the Terrier triplets' mum on the beloved Aussie animation Bluey. In the episode, which aired in Season 3, the terriers complain about being bored in the pharmacy as their mother tested lipstick colours on her arm in the background. 'That's a bit much. Ooh, Scarlett Bombshell!' her character could be heard saying. Bickmore also voiced a character in Season 3 of the Aussie animation Bluey. Picture: ABC It was a short and sweet cameo, but nonetheless it impressed Bickmore's two daughters, Evie, 10, and Adelaide, 7. 'My girls watching my 2 seconds of fame on the latest episode of Bluey!' she wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside a video of the pair watching her cameo. 'What a genuine thrill to be a part of such an incredible Aussie show. I think 'Terrier's mum' needs to be a regular character.' With Fifi Box on Celebrity Gogglebox Australia in 2023. Picture: Foxtel In late 2023, one year after she excited The Project, Bickmore also made a heartwarming return to television on Celebrity Gogglebox Australia. The beloved TV and radio personality played couch critic on the show with fellow radio star and best friend, Fifi Box. 'This was so much fun hanging on the couch watching tv with my bestie @bickmorecarrie laughter, tears, it was a lot!' Box captioned Instagram photos of them on the couch at the time. The special episode benefited the mental health charity service, ReachOut Australia. Originally published as Carrie Bickmore's surprise TV role in new children's series
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Andy Lee says Do Not Watch This Show
Andy Lee never expected to become a bestselling children's book author. He penned Do Not Open This Book, a story for little readers about a contrary blue monster named Wizz, way back in 2016 almost as an after-thought— a gift for his then-newborn nephew. Fast-forward almost a decade and the book, illustrated by Heath McKenzie, has become something of a phenomenon, spawning nine spin-off books which have been translated into more than 35 languages and sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide . Now, Wizz is coming to an animated television series on the ABC this week. 'It was only meant to be one book and that was it,' says Lee, who is speaking with STM about his newest TV project from his home in Melbourne, which he shares with fiancee Rebecca Harding. 'The fact it resonated with kids, and we got to explore this world was kind of fun, but unlike most of my other projects where I sit down and really craft something and then put it out there, this was just 40 minutes on a plane and suddenly it was in everyone's hands.' This kind of meant-to-be success is something most authors can only dream of — but it's just the latest in a long line of career triumphs for the 44-year-old star. Lee started out as a comedian and radio host, one half of the phenomenally successful household double-act of 'Hamish and Andy' alongside collaborator and friend Hamish Blake. Through their production company Radio Karate, they crafted an empire, hosting TV specials, producing podcasts (the Hamish & Andy podcast continues to top the charts in Australia), radio shows and comedy series. This latest project, 12 11-minute episodes of Do Not Watch This Show, is just the latest string to his bow. Lee credits the book's enormous success to the very fact he didn't overthink it. 'There's an advantage to that,' he explains. 'I was like, 'Oh well, I will just see how it goes.' And I honestly thought that the book would disappear.' Instead, it struck a chord. But while the journey from Lee's mind to the page might have been a relatively seamless one, the same cannot be said of his first animated series, which was brought to the screen via his own television production company Lee Bones, with funding from VicScreen and Screen Australia. Scenes from the Do Not Watch This Show. Credit: Supplied 'Oh my god. Animation takes its time ,' Lee laughs. 'I kind of thought that a lot of my skills would be transferable; I thought it might be like TV . . . but it's not, it's very different.' Originally, Lee had been in discussions to turn Wizz's adventures into a series with international production powerhouse DreamWorks in 2019. That never got off the ground, and he redirected his attention to doing things his own way. '(DreamWorks) wanted me to sign a deal, and it didn't work out, but it was totally fine and respectful from both sides,' he explains. 'I am passionate about all my projects, and they were probably more keen on taking the IP (intellectual property) and making it their own, whereas I was more keen on being a strong part of it. 'And to be honest, I was more keen for it to be made in Australia.' Lee was also keen for it to be seen by as many eyes as possible. The ABC was the perfect fit. 'With a lot of Hamish and my projects, we haven't ever really gone behind a paywall,' he says. 'And the same way we do the podcast we like free-to-air networks. 'I was really passionate about it being on the ABC for that reason, because that's where kids are.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Lee voices Wizz, who is desperate for children to not watch his show, as well as a cute scientist character, Douglas, who is the foil for the monster's more outlandish antics. The series also features a great ensemble voice cast including Denise Scott playing a tortoise, Joel Creasey as a lime, Kura Forrester as a kiwi fruit and Dave Hughes as a cheeky goblin. There are also cameos from Blake, Glenn Robbins, Carrie Bickmore, Tony Armstrong, Mick Molloy, Ben Fordham and Chrissie Swan, plus others. 'I love the fact they all said yes,' says Lee of assembling his stellar cast. 'I particularly love the fact people overseas will hear Hughesy's (Dave Hughes) voice (for the first time). 'When he came in, he said, 'What voice do you want me to do?' I said, 'Yours! I didn't get you in for your wonderful voice acting — you are not Meryl Streep!'' Andy Lee, author of the Do Not Open This Book series, talks about the new TV show based on his stories. Credit: Ben King Now that his show is finally arriving on screens, Lee is turning his attention to his next big projects. He recently opened an Aussie pub in New York (friend Hugh Jackman is one of the co-owners), there's his ongoing renovation of the historical property he owns with Harding in Melbourne, plus his upcoming wedding. That last one got pushed down the list as his other obligations took centrestage, but it's back to being number one priority. 'I don't have to work on a cast list anymore, so now we can work on a guest list,' he says. Work is never far from Lee's thoughts though, his brain always ticking over thinking about what's next. 'I feel very fortunate and thrilled that so many people still take the time to tune into anything we are doing,' he says of his creative endeavours. 'Hopefully it continues. 'But if not, I will certainly get my coat on the way out, and say thanks very much and move along.'
ABC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Why Andy Lee's Do Not Watch This Show is his biggest creative challenge yet
Andy Lee is no stranger to the media sphere, with top-rating projects across TV, radio, podcasting and writing. But when it came to turning his best-selling kids' book into a TV show for the ABC, it was a process unlike anything he had experienced. So, what made it so challenging? "Long, it's so long [to make]!" Lee said, laughing. "I went into a sound booth some time in March last year and, finally, people can see what happened with it when [the show airs] in July this year. "To give you perspective, the first book took 40 minutes [to write] on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne. "[The show] has been quite the process, but I've loved it, I've absolutely loved it." For anyone new to the Do Not Open This Book series, Lee wrote and released the first book for his nephew, George, as a birthday present in 2016. He's since written 10 more, with the next book set to be released before the end of the year. The TV adaptation, Do Not Watch This Show, sees the book's main character, a blue monster named Wizz (voiced by Lee), brought to life. He takes viewers on fantastical journeys with life lessons along the way, all while imploring them not to watch any further. With him on screen are his friends Douglas (also voiced by Lee), Tortoise (Denise Scott), Lime (Joel Creasey), Kiwi (Kura Forrester) and Goblin (Dave Hughes). As well as the main cast, expect cameos from other notable Aussie voices, including: "David Hughes being Goblin I find the most fun because I think Hughesy's natural voice does sound like a goblin," Lee joked. "It was funny when he came in to do it, he was like 'So mate what voice do you want?' and I was like 'Oh man, I want your voice. You know, I didn't hire you because you're an amazing character actor — all due respect — I want Hughesy'. "I love the idea of this show [going] international, that Hughesy will be the voice of the goblin next door that's constantly feuding with Wizz." Lee said part of the extra time it took to make the show was crafting hand-drawn expressions or movements for the characters. While the animation used 3D technology to produce Wizz and friends' basic movements, any adjustments Lee or the team wanted were made by hand by illustrator Heath McKenzie. "The amount of drawings has been quite incredible," Lee said. "To give you an idea of just Wizz's expressions, I think we ended up with 60 mouth shapes." Retaining creative control was a priority for Lee, and was part of the reason talks with a Hollywood studio for the show didn't come to fruition. But Lee himself says being so deeply involved in the show's creation was both a blessing and a curse. "The strange thing about making an animation versus a live action is we used to go out and film something and we'd get back into the edit and I'd go 'Oh do we have a shot of that? Oh no, we don't, OK well that's all it is,'" he said. "Now I sit in the edit and go '[It] would've been good if he kind of fell from the ceiling here' and the editor goes 'OK, well let's just draw that in.' "The problem is it's endless, you could keep changing things. "That was my big learning: 'OK, there has to be a point where you can't creatively keep changing it because otherwise this thing will never get finished.'" Given the effort it's taken to bring Wizz to life on the screen, is Lee nervous about sharing the show with the world? "Not until you said that," he joked. "No, not really. I suppose I've had the benefit of making them and you watch them back and ... watch every frame and ponder it. While Lee says he's not nervous for the show's release, he admits his measure of success has "never been a numbers" game. "As I get slightly older — gosh that's an old person thing to say — it's certainly more about how much fun you have," he said. "It's so hard when you release something, you never know how it's going to go and there's so many things that can dictate how something resonates. "It's important not to hang too much on the results because that would be a pretty nerve-wracking game." Stream Do Not Watch This Show free on ABC iview.
