View source for The Chaser election specials

{{Short description|Australian TV series}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{more sources|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = The Chaser Decides Logo.png
| caption              = ''The Chaser Decides'' Logo
| alt_name             = ''The Election Chaser'' (2001)<br />''The Chaser Decides'' (2004, 2007)<br />''Yes We Canberra!'' (2010)<br />''The Hamster Decides'' (2013)<br />''The Chaser’s Election Desk'' (2016)
| genre                = [[Political satire]]
| creator              = [[The Chaser]]
| director             =
| creative_director    = 
| developer            = 
| presenter            = [[Charles Firth (comedian)|Charles Firth]] {{small|(2001, 2004)}}<br />[[Andrew Hansen]] {{small|(2004-)}}<br />[[Dominic Knight]] {{small|(2001)}}<br />[[Chas Licciardello]]<br />[[Julian Morrow]]<br />[[Craig Reucassel]]<br />[[Chris Taylor (comedian)|Chris Taylor]]
| starring             = 
| voices               = 
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| endtheme             = 
| composer             = 
| country              = Australia
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 6
| num_episodes         = 20
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = 
| producer             = 
| editor               = 
| location             = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = Approx. 27 minutes per episode
| network              = [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC TV]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|2001|10|23|df=y}}
| last_aired           = 
| related              = ''[[CNNNN]]''<br />''[[The Chaser's War on Everything]]''<br />''[[The Hamster Wheel]]'' 
}}

'''''The Chaser election specials''''' are a number of Australian [[political satire]] based comedy programs produced by [[The Chaser]]. The shows, which have run under various titles, provide commentary on [[Elections in Australia|Australian federal election]] and has been produced since 2001 for [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC TV]]. The first show, '''''The Election Chaser''''' in 2001 was the first ever television production of the Chaser team. In 2004 and 2007 they produced '''''The Chaser Decides''''' which won the [[Logie Award]] for "Most Outstanding Comedy Program" for the 2004 series. In 2010, the Chaser team produced a 5-episode series about the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 election]], called '''''Yes We Canberra!'''''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100713171741/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/12/2950657.htm Chaser team back for election], ''ABC News'', 12 July 2010.</ref> A new series was produced for the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 election]], called '''''The Hamster Decides.''''' ''The Chaser's Election Desk'' aired in the six weeks prior to the [[2016 Australian federal election|2016 federal election]].<ref name="s2016">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/04/the-chasers-election-desk-confirmed.html |title=The Chaser's Election Desk confirmed |last1=Knox |first1=David |date=29 April 2016 |website=tvtonight.com.au |publisher=[[TV Tonight]] |access-date=9 May 2016}}</ref>

==Series==
===2001 series (''The Election Chaser'')===
The show was the first television production of [[The Chaser]] team, which had been running their satirical newspaper ''[[The Chaser (newspaper)|The Chaser]]'' since 1999. An ABC personality, [[Andrew Denton]], offered the Chaser, as a collective, a contract with the ABC and they went on to produce ''The Election Chaser'', which first aired on 23 October 2001. It was based around the [[2001 Australian federal election|2001 federal election]] and was presented in the form of an election tally room, similar to the regular ABC election coverage. The presenters (panelists) were [[Charles Firth (comedian)|Charles Firth]], [[Julian Morrow]], [[Chris Taylor (comedian)|Chris Taylor]], [[Craig Reucassel]], [[Chas Licciardello]] and [[Dominic Knight]]. The show was nominated for "Most Outstanding Comedy Program" in the [[Logie Awards of 2002|2002 Logies]] but lost to ''[[The Micallef Program]]'', which also ran on the ABC.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/02/1017206204709.html|title=Logie nominations for 2002|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2007-11-18|date=2002-04-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21664485-5012909,00.html|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=2002-05-03|accessdate=2007-11-18|title=Awards from the 2002 Logies}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Episode no. !! Date broadcast !! Mal award
|-
|align=center|1 ||align=center|23 October 2001 || [[Philip Ruddock]]
|-
|align=center|2 ||align=center|30 October 2001 || [[Jackie Kelly]]
|-
|align=center|3 ||align=center|6 November 2001 || [[Natasha Stott Despoja]]<br />[[Mark Latham]]
|-
|align=center|4 ||align=center|13 November 2001 || [[John Howard]] 
|}

===2004 series (''The Chaser Decides'')===
Since ''The Election Chaser'', the Chaser team had gone on to produce ''[[CNNNN]]'', a spoof of various 24-hour news networks, which ran in 2002 and 2003. ''CNNNN'' won the [[Logie Awards of 2004|2004 Logie]] for "Most Outstanding Comedy Program". With the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 federal election]] looming, The Chaser team decided to produce another series based upon ''The Election Chaser''. The show was titled ''The Chaser Decides'' and ran at the timeslot of {{nowrap|9:00&nbsp;pm}} Thursday from 24 September 2004 to 14 October 2004.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=ABC Television|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200409/highlights/237404.htm|title=ABC Television: Program summary - The Chaser Decides|accessdate=2007-11-18}}</ref>

The show was presented again in a [[National Tally Room (Australia)|National Tally Room]], but only had four presenters in Morrow, Reucassel, Taylor and [[Andrew Hansen]]. Licciardello and Firth did reporting roles while Knight stayed on as a writer. The show was hugely popular and won the [[Logie Awards of 2005|2005 Logie]] award for "Most Outstanding Comedy Program".<ref name="07election"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Episode no. !! Date broadcast !! Mal award
|-
|align=center|1 ||align=center|24 September 2004 || [[Malcolm Turnbull]]
|-
|align=center|2 ||align=center|30 September 2004 || [[Tony Abbott]]
|-
|align=center|3 ||align=center|7 October 2004 || [[Family First Party]]
|-
|align=center|4 ||align=center|14 October 2004 || [[Peter Costello]]
|}

===2007 series (''The Chaser Decides'')===
[[File:Craig Reucassel and Bill Heffernan (24 November 2007, Canberra).jpg|thumb|right|The Chaser's [[Craig Reucassel]] is pushed away from Senator [[Bill Heffernan]] on the [[2007 Australian federal election]] at the National Tally Room in Canberra.]]
Following the second series of ''[[The Chaser's War on Everything]]'', the Chaser crew produced two episodes of ''The Chaser Decides'' based on the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 federal election]].<ref name="07election">{{cite news|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/chaser-announce-election-specials/2007/10/24/1192941120629.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1|title=Chaser announces election specials|date=2007-10-24|accessdate=2007-11-18|newspaper=Brisbane Times}}</ref> The two episodes replaced the ''War on Everything'' in its timeslot for 21 November and 28 November 2007.<ref>''The Chaser's War on Everything'' Episode 24 of Season 2. Broadcast on 14 November 2007.</ref> The format took the same as the 2004 series.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Episode No. !! Date broadcast !! Mal Award !! Ratings<ref group="nb" name="n1">Metropolitan viewers, numbers in brackets indicate nightly ratings position.</ref> !! Nightly rank !! Ref.
|-
|align=center|1 || 21 November 2007 || Lisa Milat<br />[[Tony Abbott]] ||align=right|1,421,000 ||align=center|1st || <ref name="cd 2.1">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 47|date=19 November 2007 |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2007/11/ratings-week-47.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|-
|align=center|2 || 28 November 2007 || [[Jackie Kelly]] ||align=right|1,378,000 ||align=center|1st || <ref name="cd 2.2">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 48|date=26 November 2007 |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2007/11/ratings-week-48.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|}

===2010 series (''Yes We Canberra'')===
For the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]], The Chaser appeared in five episodes of the retitled ''Yes We Canberra!''. Four episodes aired before the election date on Wednesday's at 9.45&nbsp;pm and one episode after the election in that timeslot. This was the group's first television production in almost a year after the third and final season of ''War on Everything'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.abc.net.au/abc_tv/2010/07/yes-we-canberra-the-chaser-returns-to-abc1.html |title=Yes We Canberra - the Chaser returns to ABC1 - ABC TV Blog |accessdate=2010-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715053511/http://blogs.abc.net.au/abc_tv/2010/07/yes-we-canberra-the-chaser-returns-to-abc1.html |archive-date=15 July 2010}}</ref> The show premiered on 28 July 2010, with the election to be held on 21 August. The shows context was supposedly part of news program [[Lateline]] with the Chaser team being there to warm up the crowd for [[Tony Jones (news journalist)|Tony Jones]] or [[Leigh Sales]]. To this effect the show was held on a set with the same design as Lateline (whereas the ''real'' Lateline set does not feature an audience) with Jones and Sales making guest appearances. This was changed for the final episode when the show preceded {{nat|At the Movies}}, so that set design was used with guest appearances by hosts [[David Stratton]] and [[Margaret Pomeranz]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Episode No. !! Date broadcast !! Special guest !! Mal award !! Ratings<ref group="nb" name="n1" /> !! Nightly rank  !! Ref.
|-
|align=center|1 ||align=center|28 July 2010 || [[Julie Bishop]] || [[David Barker (politician)|David Barker]] ||align=right|1,493,000 ||align=center| 3rd ||<ref name="ep 1">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 31|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/07/week-31-3.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/07/yes-we-canberra-july-28.html|title = Yes We Canberra!: July 28 &#124; TV Tonight| date=27 July 2010 }}</ref>
|-
|align=center|2 ||align=center| 4 August 2010 || [[Tanya Plibersek]] || [[Steve Fielding]] ||align=right| 1,297,000 ||align=center|9th ||<ref name="ep 2">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 32|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/08/week-32-3.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|-
|align=center|3 ||align=center|11 August 2010 || [[Maxine McKew]] || [[Kevin Rudd]] ||align=right|1,335,000 ||align=center|5th ||<ref name="ep 3">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 33|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/08/week-33-3.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|-
|align=center|4 ||align=center| 18 August 2010 ||  ||style="color:silver;"|Not awarded ||align=right| 1,250,000 ||align=center|9th ||<ref name="ep 4">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 34|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/08/week-34-3.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|-
|align=center| 5 ||align=center|25 August 2010 ||  || [[Karl Bitar]]  ||align=right|1,189,000 ||align=center|9th ||<ref name="ep 5">{{cite web|first=David|last=Knox|title=Week 35|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/08/week-35-3.html|publisher=tvtonight.com.au}}</ref>
|}

A DVD containing all five episodes plus extras and commentary was released by Roadshow Entertainment on 16 September 2010. Extras include deleted and extended scenes plus behind the scenes footage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/tv/the-chaser-yes-we-canberra-signed-copy/536744|title = JB Hi-Fi - Australia's Largest Home Entertainment Retailer}}</ref>

===2013 series (''The Hamster Decides'')===
In March 2012, the Chaser announced the [[2013 Australian federal election|2013 election]] series, tentatively called '''''The Election Hamster'''''.<ref>[http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/03/chaser-to-return-for-the-election-hamster.html Chaser to return for The Election Hamster], ''TV Tonight'', 6 March 2013.</ref> It was announced that it will be called ''The Hamster Decides'' and the first of five episodes was to air on 21 August 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/07/returning-gruen-nation-airdate-the-hamster-decides.html |title=Returning: Gruen Nation. Airdate: The Hamster Decides. |last1=Knox |first1=David |date=24 July 2013 |website=tvtonight.com.au |publisher=TV Tonight |accessdate=24 July 2013}}</ref> When Kevin Rudd announced the change of election date from 14 to 7 September, the first episode was brought forward one week to 14 August. The show was run at a timeslot of 9:15pm on Wednesday. The set used was the same set as ''[[The Hamster Wheel]]''.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Episode no. !! Date broadcast !! Special guest !! Mal award !! Ratings<ref group="nb" name="n1" /> !! Timeshifted !! Ref.
|-
|align=center|1 ||align=center| 14 August 2013 || [[Bob Katter]] ||  ||align=right|962,000 ||align=center|10th ||
|-
|align=center|2 ||align=center|21 August 2013 || [[Doug Cameron (politician)|Doug Cameron]] ||   ||align=right|842,000  ||align=center|11th  ||
|-
|align=center|3 ||align=center|28 August 2013 || [[Sarah Hanson-Young]] ||  ||align=right|896,000  ||align=center|10th ||
|-
|align=center| 4 ||align=center|4 September 2013 || [[Anthony Albanese]] ||  ||align=right|1,001,000 ||align=center|6th ||
|-
|align=center|5 ||align=center|11 September 2013 || Jaymes Diaz ||[[Kevin Rudd]] ||align=right|902,000  ||align=center|10th ||
|}

===2016 series (''The Chaser’s Election Desk'')===
The 2016 series, ''The Chaser’s Election Desk'', began on 8 June 2016.<ref name="s2016"/> New cast members that joined the series included [[Zoe Norton Lodge]], Ben Jenkins, [[Kirsten Drysdale]], Alex Lee, Scott Abbot, Mark Sutton and Hannah Reilly.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Episode no. !! Date broadcast !! Special guest !! Mal award !! Ratings<ref group="nb" name="n1" /> !! Timeshifted !! Ref.
|-
|align=center|1 ||align=center|8 June 2016 ||    ||    ||align=right| 783,000 ||align=center|8th  || <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/06/the-chaser-tops-timeslot-nine-wins-wednesday.html |title=The Chaser tops timeslot, Nine wins Wednesday|work=TV Tonight |date=9 June 2016 |accessdate=25 June 2016 |author=Knox, David }}</ref>
|-
|align=center|2 ||align=center|13 June 2016 || [[Bill Shorten]] {{small|([[vox pop]])}}  ||    ||align=right|776,000 ||align=center|9th  || <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/06/7flix-helps-seven-to-win-ratings-week.html |title=7flix helps Seven to win ratings week|work=TV Tonight |date=13 June 2016 |accessdate=25 June 2016 |author=Knox, David }}</ref>  
|-
|align=center|3 ||align=center|20 June 2016 ||    ||Chris Jermyn    ||align=right|687,000  ||align=center|15th  || <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/06/everyone-a-winner-in-ratings-numbers.html |title=Everyone's a winner in ratings numbers |work=TV Tonight |date=20 June 2016 |accessdate=25 June 2016 |author=Knox, David }}</ref> 
|-
|align=center|4 ||align=center|6 July 2016 ||    ||  ||align=right|655,000  ||align=center|14th  || 
|}

===2019 series (''Democracy Sausage'')===
In November 2018, it was announced that the ABC declined to fund an election special for the [[2019 Australian federal election|2019 election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-abc-is-in-a-death-spiral-the-chaser-launches-war-on-aunty-20181120-p50h44.html|title=The ABC is 'in a death spiral': The Chaser launches war on Aunty|last1=Moran|first1=Robert|last2=Cooper|first2=Nathanael|date=20 November 2019|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=25 May 2019}}</ref> Instead, Taylor and Reucassel hosted a podcast, ''Democracy Sausage'', available for free on the ABC's website.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/democracy-sausage/ Democracy Sausage Podcast]</ref> In the later weeks of the campaign episodes were also available on [[ABC iView]]<ref>[https://iview.abc.net.au/show/democracy-sausage Democracy Sausage on iView]</ref> and [[ABC Comedy]].

===2022 series (The Chaser Report: Election Edition)===
There was again no TV series for the [[2022 Australian federal election|2022 election]]. Instead, [[Charles Firth (comedian)|Charles Firth]] and [[Dominic Knight]] did a free daily election podcast called ''The Chaser Report: Election Edition''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://play.acast.com/s/the-chaser-report | title=The Chaser Report on acast }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://mumbrella.com.au/the-chaser-launches-election-edition-daily-podcast-734501 | title=The Chaser launches Election Edition daily podcast | date=26 April 2022 }}</ref> Other members [[Craig Reucassel]], [[Andrew Hansen]], [[Chris Taylor (comedian)|Chris Taylor]] and [[Chas Licciardello]] appear occasionally, as well as the "Chaser Interns", with occasional pranks uploaded to The Chaser's [[social media]] channels.

==Home release==
On 3 December 2010, a DVD titled ''The Chaser Election Collection'' was released. It contained every election special The Chaser had screened to date, as well as special features including the never-before-seen ''The Election Chaser'' pilot.

==Jokes/Segments==
===Primary===
====The Mal Award====
Every episode of the show ends with a member of The Chaser presenting The Mal Award, named after [[Mal Meninga]]'s extremely short [[2001 Australian Capital Territory election#Meninga candidacy|political career in 2001]]. Every week, the team present the award to a politician "for the greatest act of political suicide during an election campaign". In the 28 November 2007 episode, Meninga satirised himself when brought in to present the award but "gave up" mid-speech.

===Former===
===="This Person Votes"====
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
A joke featured in all but the 2010 series, the show would often feature short clips of people (usually drunk) acting ignorant towards the election (e.g. "[[protest vote|I reckon Mickey Mouse is the best]]", "Who's [[John Howard]]?"), followed by an on-screen graphic that reads "This Person Votes." For episodes that aired after the election, it was replaced by "This Person Voted."

====Scrolling newsbar====
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2023}}
For the 2004 and 2007 series, a newsbar - similar to the one that would appear in [[CNNNN]] - would scroll across the bottom of the screen, with humorous news items. For the 2010, 2013 and 2016 series, it was replaced with fake [[Twitter]] updates from celebrities and politicians.

{{clear right}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|1|group="nb"}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* {{official website|chaser.com.au}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0298631|title=The Election Chaser}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0425676}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
| title  = [[Logie Awards]]<br />Most Outstanding Comedy Program
| before = ''[[CNNNN]]'' and ''[[Kath & Kim (Australian TV series)|Kath & Kim]]'' (tied)
| years  = 2005
| after  = ''[[We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year]]''}}
{{s-end}}

{{The Chaser}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaser Election Specials, The}}
[[Category:The Chaser|election specials]]
[[Category:Australian satirical television shows]]
[[Category:Australian political comedy television series]]
[[Category:Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming]]
[[Category:2001 Australian television series debuts]]
[[Category:2000s Australian comedy television series]]
[[Category:2010 Australian television series endings]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Australian Capital Territory]]
[[Category:Logie Award for Most Outstanding Comedy Program winners]]
[[Category:Television series by Fremantle (company)]]