Hey Hey It's Saturday

Hey Hey It's Saturday
2010 Hey Hey It's Saturday logo
Genre	Variety
Directed by	Peter Ots Ray Punjer Scott Duncan Andrew Cooper
Presented by	Daryl Somers
Starring	Jacki MacDonald John Blackman Andrew Fyfe Russell Gilbert Livinia Nixon Denise Drysdale Ossie Ostrich Plucka Duck Dickie Knee Red Symons Wilbur Wilde Molly Meldrum John-Michael Howson
Judges	Red Symons (Red Faces segment)
Voices of	John Blackman
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	29 (1971–1977, 1979–1999, 2009–2010, 2021, 2022)
No. of episodes	500+
Production
Executive producers	Daryl Somers Gavan Disney
Producers	Bob Phillips Pam Barnes Jenny Parr Jim Burnett Ernie Carroll
Production locations	GTV Richmond, Victoria (1971–1999, 2009–2010)
Camera setup	Multiple-camera setup
Running time	3 hrs (1971–83) 2 hrs (1984–99, 2009–10) (including commercials)[1]
Production companies	Somers Carroll Productions United Media Productions DAS Entertainment
Original release
Network	Nine Network (1971–1999, 2009, 2010) Seven Network (2021, 2022)
Release	9 October 1971 (1971-10-09) – 20 November 1999 (1999-11-20) (first run) 30 September and 7 October 2009 (reunion specials) 14 April 2010 – 27 November 2010 (second run) 10 October 2021 and 17 April 2022 (anniversary specials)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who later also became executive producer of the program. The original producer, Gavan Disney, left the program in December 1990^[2] and Somers then formed a production company, Somers Carroll Productions, with comedy writer and on-screen partner Ernie Carroll, the performer of Somers' pink ostrich puppet sidekick Ossie Ostrich. Carroll retired in 1994, and Ossie was no longer featured in the show.

On 25 July 2009, the Nine Network announced the show would return for two reunion specials in late 2009 and hinted if they rated strongly, the show could return full-time.^[3] The first reunion show aired on 30 September 2009, and the second on 7 October, and both won the ratings on their respective nights. However, the reunion also received negative international attention for a segment featuring performers in blackface.^[4]

On 7 December 2009, it was announced that the show was planned to return in 2010 with 20 episodes.^[5] Broadcast of the 20 episodes were split into two groups with a break between them, with the revival premiering on Wednesday 14 April 2010. The second group was broadcast on Saturday nights from 16 October 2010 with the season finale on 27 November 2010. Due to falling ratings and high production costs, the show was not renewed for a new season in 2011.^[6]

A 50th anniversary special, Hey Hey It's 50 Years, aired on the Seven Network on 10 October 2021, which is 50 years and one day after the show debuted.^[7][8]

The show's website has since been turned into a paid for streaming service, where people can get access to full episodes and clips from the show for a monthly fee.^[9]