It’s been one heck of a busy year for Sam Pang: he’s helmed Seven’s weekly AFL chat show The Front Bar, appeared as a regular pannellist on Ten’s Have You Been Paying Attention, and starred in his very first scripted comedy series, Ground Up, for ABC.
Oh yeah, and a couple of months ago he also walked away with his first Gold Logie award at the TV Week Logies.
You know — no big deal.
“Yeah, it’s been a good year,” Pang concedes, in what has to be the greatest understatement of all time.
“And I get to finish it with the Tonight Show, too.”
Sam Pang Tonight is the comedian’s self-titled late night chat show — it’s returning for its third season this week.
“I did one season and eight episodes at the start of last year, and then season two was at the end of that year,” Pang explains.
“I couldn’t do (the show) at the start of this year because I was shooting Ground Up, but Channel 10 said, ‘That’s fine — do them after Have You Been Paying Attention finishes up.”
And that’s exactly what he’s doing.
Seasons one and two were filmed live — this time around the show will do things differently.
“We are still deciding how we want to do it, whether we’ll shoot slightly earlier, maybe earlier in the day,” he explains.
“We’re not too sure yet but whatever we do it will be once a week, and together we’ll make an hour of TV that is as entertaining and as funny as we can.”
If Pang’s Gold Logie-winning form is anything to go by, then they’re on track to achieve their aim.
“I feel like we learnt lessons from season one to season two, and we will continue to keep learning,” he explains, pointing out that despite the show’s sometimes freewheeling chaotic vibe, they still managed to attract plenty of high-profile guests.
“I think the more you do something, the better you get, and the more lessons you learn.
“It’s exciting to be back.”
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It’s still a little too early to discuss who might pop up as a guest this time around, but Pang says some of our favourites from last year will be returning and many of the regular segments, like Monday Monologues and Wheel Of Segments will also be back.
“We are still working out who we will get as a guest,” he explains. “It will depend on who is in town and who is around.
“But I can tell you that the guest announcers will be back, whether it’s Kitty Flannagan or Anne Edmonds or Lawrence Mooney, Tim McDonald or Guy Montgomery — that will be a revolving thing.”
Pang admits they hit the jackpot with last season’s guests. They’re hoping more high-profile names will roll up to the studio to say hello this time around.
“Last year we had Rosie O’Donnell, who was amazing, and then the following week we had Russell Crowe, and Rachel Griffiths,” he says.
“It was all quite surreal, really.
“So hopefully people either saw the show or heard that guests had a good time on the show, and they will tell their friends.
“But I don’t worry about the guests — whoever we get, we will still have four other segments to keep things entertaining.
“Hopefully the guests will be great, but people will be tuning in to have a nice hour to help start the week.”
Pang has one of the most prolific and varied careers on Australian TV — and he doesn’t take a moment of his success for granted.
This year has been the cherry on the cake.
“I am lucky I have good variety (with what I do),” he explains.
“I think between the Tonight show, Have You Been Paying Attention and The Front Bar, they are all ‘what’s funny this week, here are some jokes’ shows — they mean I get to be surrounded by some wonderfully talented people,” he continues.
As for his Gold Logie — it hasn’t changed him at all.
“Not in the slightest,” he laughs.
“I was annoying and unbearable before it, and nothing has changed.”
In his acceptance speech, Pang made sure to thank the Australian TV industry, recognition that went down well with his colleagues and friends within the world of Aussie entertainment.
“It was just a fun night, and a really wonderful experience,” he points out.
“Win or lose on that Sunday night, I was doing Front Bar on Wednesday, and Have You Been Paying Attention the following Monday, so it was business as usual, but in a good way.
“I just felt lucky, because win or lose at the Logies. I was lucky, because I was working on shows I love.”
“There are amazing television shows, and amazing people working in television in front and behind the scenes — if we are not celebrating on that night, I don’t know when we are.
“I wanted to acknowledge that.”