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In Melbourne Tonight

In Melbourne Tonight
Genre Variety
Presented by Graham Kennedy
Opening theme In Melbourne Tonight
Gee, But You're Swell
Country of origin Melbourne, Australia
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 14 (1957–1970)
3 (1996–1998)
Production
Running time 60 minutes
Release
Original network Nine Network
Picture format 4:3 Black & White (1957–1970)
4:3 PAL (1996–1998)
Audio format Mono (1957–1970)
Stereo (1996–1998)
Original release 6 May 1957–1970
1996 – 27 November 1998

In Melbourne Tonight, also known as "IMT", was a highly popular nightly Logie award winning variety television show produced at GTV-9 Melbourne from 6 May 1957 to 1970.

Graham Kennedy was the show's main host and star attraction but other presenters were often called on to present the show on certain nights. IMT had as many as 50 different presenters over its 13 years on air. The format of the show was inspired by the American Tonight Show on NBC, but Graham's charisma was the key to the success of IMT.

IMT originally had its own self-titled theme song, but for most of the run of the show it adopted the tune of Gee, But You're Swell, written by Abel Baer and Charles Tobias in 1936.

Geoff Corke was Kennedy's offsider until 1959 when Bert Newton joined GTV-9 from HSV-7 to become Kennedy's straight-man. This began a professional partnership that continued for many years and a friendship that continued until Kennedy's death in 2005.

Other IMT identities included Joff Ellen, Val Ruff, Panda Lisner,Anne Marie Fabry, Mary Hardy, Rosie Sturgess, Patti McGrath (later Patti Newton), Toni Lamond, Philip Brady, Johnny Ladd, Noel Ferrier, Elaine McKenna, Bill McCormick, Ted Hamilton, The Tune Twisters and the Channel 9 Ballet.

The ballet troupe was called the Royal Dancers and notably included dancers such as Denise Drysdale and Roma Egan, directed by Valmai Ennor, a former dancer with the Sadler's Wells Ballet.


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