User:Mr paizuri/How green was my cactus

How green was my cactus is a daily syndicated Australian radio program that has been broadcast since 1986. It is a political satire in the form of a radio play that features characters who portray the ministers and shadow ministers of the Australian parliament.

Background

The program is currently produced by Keith Scott and Robyn Moore, who portray the male and female characters, respectively. Each episode lasts five minutes and takes the form of a dialogue between Australian political figures, although the show frequently lampoons other topical subjects, such as sports (particularly cricket) and well-known television advertisements.

History

The program commenced in 1986 during the tenure of the Labor Hawke Government in Australia, and featured Bob Hawke as its main character, although the name of his character on the show was "King Bonza the Charismatic", a reflection of Hawke's larrikin image and populist appeal. The title of the show was taken from the American family saga movie How Green was my Valley and is a reference to the dramatic, soap-opera elements that frequently characterise Australian political life.

The program is the second longest-running radio program in Australian history (behind the ABC radio serial Blue Hills, which ran for twenty-seven years) and is the longest-running radio program still being broadcast in Australia today.

Syndication

The program is carried on over fifty radio stations nationally. Typically it is broadcast by smaller adult contemporary radio stations, who unlike larger FM stations may not have the resources to produce their own in-house variety programs for the morning and evening drive timeslots. The syndicated stations often play the program twice during the day, both in the morning and in the evening.