With TV3’s sketch show Funny Girls wrapped up for another year, we got the writing team to pick their favourite sketches from season two.
Laura Daniel
During a brainstorm session, I sat down with Joseph Moore and we talked about how we really wanted to make a full-length, romantic ode about getting the booty call text ‘Up to’. Joseph (the true musical mastermind) created a catchy beat and an outline of the lyrics. We then sat down with Eli Matthewson and the three of us jammed some more gags in a writing session I will never forget. It consisted of me divulging horrific stories from my twenties that involved many a ‘Fuk Boi’ and Eli nodding his head (we flatted together during this time period).
We developed a melody and recorded it that same day. When it came to choosing a reference for the music video we went with “every Ariana Grande video ever made.” This sketch was also one of the last ones we shot and we had completely run out of money. It was made on a lot of favours and love, and the team did a fantastic job of making it actually look like one of the highest budget sketches we had.
I love nothing more than being swept up in magical musical moments and this sketch does it all for me. It’s even more tragic that my character completely misses a genuine declaration of love because they are so swept up in chasing Fuk Bois. We all know someone like that… right? Kinda? Just me? Cool!
Rose Matafeo
I think Laura and I have the most fun when we’re making songs for Funny Girls. The combination of having such a silly subject matter in a very serious attempt at making an amazing song is so funny to me. Joseph Moore and Eli Matthewson did a great job making these songs with us and really enabling our creepiness. ‘Sweater Up’ was based on something I tweeted after seeing Tom Furniss in the Jono and Ben offices practicing his cricket bowl.
His sweater came up a bit as he lifted his arm, and even though he’s only a dear platonic friend, I must admit I completely sexually objectified his midriff in that moment. And then we wrote a song celebrating that.
Nic Sampson
One of my favourite sketches is the Nicolas Sparks movie parody ‘Autumn Leaves’. Beautiful performances from Laura and the cast and a brilliant new movie monster in the form of ‘some leaves’. Full credit to the production crew for making rustling leaves scary and sentient. Peter Elliot’s reading of “sure are a lot of autumn leaves” makes me laugh so much and I’m not sure why. Also, Harry McNaughton should legit be in one of those movies.
Alice Snedden
This is one of my favourite sketches because of both the laughs and the memories. I was very grateful to get to write the second part of the sketch where Rose is in space losing her mind. It was a real joy to see it come to life on set. If I were to rank my three favourite moments from the sketch they would go in this order; 3) the fake 2020 cover of People magazine featuring Julia Roberts’ divorce; 2) the bit where Rose makes out with the candle and eats it; 1) watching Rose’s character develop relationship drama with inanimate objects.
The character’s name in the sketch is ‘Commander Shepard’. She was given this name because Chris and I had just seen the musical ‘That Bloody Woman’ – based on the life of Kate Sheppard. I thought she was a badass who deserved more than the recognition of a $10 note. She deserved a nod from a late night sketch TV show. At the end of the shoot Rose gave me the dog tags from set with the name “Commander Shepard” on them. Still, to this day they have a special place somewhere in my bedroom. I’m confident they’re on my desk. I’m not 100% sure.
Donna Brookbanks
The phrase ‘Man Drought’ makes me think about women dying in the desert from sex dehydration and that a woman not being able to find a man is basically the apocalypse. This was one of the first sketches I wrote with the team and it was so cool to see how the idea transformed through the edits of it. I remember doing a read through of the sketch – once it had been edited by Joseph Moore – where a bit was set in the Colombian slums. We all had a great big laugh about how absurd it was to write something like that, because how would it ever get made?! Then it did. Sometimes I think there is a bit of magic in the world, you know?
Chris Parker
This sketch was an entire group effort! The idea was so silly, one of those little ideas that gets thrown about over lunch. But the brilliant Rose Matafeo knew there was something in it and really pushed for it to happen. Lots of people contributed on the sketch and it was a nightmare for the production team. But the result is two and half minutes of beautiful sketch heaven.
Brynley Stent
Maybe it’s my dark sense of humour, but I howled with laughter when I saw this sketch. It perfectly ends the trio of ‘things girls find hot’ songs. Madeleine just comes completely out of left field and takes it way too far. Also, Sam Smith has such a genuine, believable performance as a widower. To watch Madeleine grind on him while he cries about his dead wife is downright hilarious to me.
Eli Matthewson
Ok, we all got to know each other in the orgy scene in this sketch. We were very nervous and giggly. I was holding Rose up with her legs over my head, she was standing herself up with her triceps. It was a really hard position to hold but she held herself there and was a total professional. You can’t see her at all in the final shot though…
Funny Girls season two is available to watch on 3Now