# Fast Forward (Australian TV series)

Fast Forward was Australia's highest-rating and most critically awarded commercial television sketch comedy show, broadcast for 90 one-hour episodes from 12 April 1989 to 26 November 1992.
The show was produced by Steve Vizard, who was also the executive producer, writer, and performer, and starred Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Magda Szubanski (the three of whom went on to star in Kath & Kim), Marg Downey, Michael Veitch, Peter Moon, Alan Pentland, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks, Ernie Dingo, the Rubbery Figures satirical puppets, and numerous guests and supporting stars, such as Gerry Connolly and Bryan Dawe.
Fast Forward was succeeded by the related series Full Frontal, and subsequently Totally Full Frontal, which were broadcast from 1993 to 1999. Full Frontal had a different main cast, but many of the Fast Forward cast guest-starred.
Fast Forward was directed by Ted Emery. From its second series onward, Andrew Knight joined Steve Vizard and Ted Emery as executive producers of the show. They went on to establish the leading Australian production house, Artist Services.
All four seasons plus five "best of" compilations of Fast Forward have been released on DVD. All four seasons were re-released in 2010.
In 2013, the Network Ten-owned channel, One, began airing half-hour-long specials titled Fast Forward Funniest Send-Ups, which first aired in 1994, making it the first time the show has been shown since 1998.

## Background

Many of the stars came from a 1985 Seven Network sketch-comedy pilot called The Eleventh Hour, which also spawned The Comedy Company, via The D-Generation. Fast Forward was commissioned by Seven in late 1988. It was produced by Vizard's production company, United Film Completion, and broadcast on Seven Network. The several working titles for the show include Snapped Cable Television, as well as Fast Forward.

## Style

Fast Forward was noted for its fast-paced, satirical comedy, which particularly lampooned the media, in particular film and TV, with its parodies of well-known television shows (such as Kung Fu, Lost In Space, The Munsters, and A Current Affair), personalities (such as Clive James, Jana Wendt, Derryn Hinch, and Geoffrey Robertson), and commercials (such as for American Express and Nescafé).
Its subjects were also Australian politics, which it attacked through various political impersonations (including John Howard and Paul Keating), and also using the political puppets, Rubbery Figures, previously seen in small segments on the ABC, based on Peter Nicholson's political cartoons.
Another key distinguishing feature was the use of simulated channel surfing to switch from sketch to sketch, often in the middle of a sketch, sometimes after the punchline. Particularly, a sketch would abruptly switch to a momentary segment of static, followed by another sketch, simulating the effect of the viewer repeatedly switching channels. The channel-surfing device became a distinctive hallmark of the show that helped move quickly from sketch to sketch.
The television and multimedia subject matter of the sketches, pace, style, and devices were real points of difference from predecessor sketch-comedy shows of the time, particularly earlier shows such as The Mavis Bramston Show, The Naked Vicar Show, Australia You're Standing In It, The D-Generation, and The Comedy Company, Fast Forward was more media-focused and parody-focused; a real difference, and the binding force for the whole show, was the now-famous channel-changing device. The white noise and on-screen static that represented the channel change became the modern television equivalent of a curtain being drawn at an old-fashioned vaudeville show.
Fast Forward was also well known for its musical parodies, particularly of current music-video clips. Some of the better-known music parodies included ABBA, Cher, and Dannii Minogue.

## Sketches and content

Each episode of Fast Forward featured regular characters, a news-based segment, a major parody of a well-known television show or film, lampoons of television commercials, and political satire, particularly in a segment using the Rubbery Figures political puppets.
Some of the most memorable regular characters included:
* Marg Downey: SBS Presenter
* Magda Szubanski: Pixie-Ann Wheatley; Chenille the Beautician (with Marg Downey as Janelle); the Ugly Couple (with Peter Moon)
* Steve Vizard and Peter Moon: Advertising executives, Brent Smythe and Barry; Indian Rug Fakari salesmen Roger Ramshet and Abdul
* Michael Veitch: gay flight attendants (with Steve Vizard); Kelvin Cunnington; Redmond Herring
* Gerry Connolly: the Queen; Joh Bjelke-Petersen
* Jane Turner: Russian news presenter Sveter (with Peter Moon as Victor), an early incarnation of Kath Day-Knight.
* Steve Vizard: Darren Hunch (parody of Derryn Hinch)
* Ernie Dingo: Robert Gottliebsen
* Steve Blackburn and Geoff Brooks: Arthur and Wayne Dodgy (dodgy salesmen who previously appeared in Australia You're Standing In It)
* Michael Veitch and Glenn Robbins: The Whizz Bang Theatre Company
Some of the most memorable sketches included "Dumb Street", a parody of Home and Away and Neighbours, and a lampoon of Skippy. In one memorable sketch that went to air, Moon and Vizard were both visibly trying to contain their laughter through a series of insults in one of their parodies of Kung Fu.
The political puppets Rubbery Figures were made more "commercial" than on the ABC by inserting them into popular situations outside the political Canberra environment. This led to the Star Trek parody where Paul Keating was Mr. Spock and Bob Hawke was Captain Kirk. Rubbery Figures was a huge hit and a crucial element in the early success of Fast Forward.
In 1991, five Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends skits featured Ertl Thomas models. These segments involved people complaining about Sodor not having female steam engines, the Fat Controller polluting the countryside by pouring purple slime out of the tankers, drunken punks, the engines going on strike, and the engines getting replaced. In these skits, Thomas would do some human things, such as eating breakfast, writing, and going away for the weekend. Percy was referred to as Bertie two times in the first sketch, Gordon at the end of the fourth, and Henry one time in the fifth. The sketches had five original engine characters, Crazy Bartholomew the Loco Locomotive, who was a Thomas model painted yellow, Alfred, who was a Percy model painted red (he was even referred to as Percy at the start of the fifth sketch), Damian the Diesel, who is not seen in person, Edgar, who is a mentioned engine character, and one of the female engines, who was a Percy model painted orange with additional detailing. Toby was also mentioned once at the end of the first sketch, as was Clarabel once in the fourth sketch.

## Episodes

Source:
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 22 | 22 | 12 April 1989 (1989-04-12) | 6 September 1989 (1989-09-06) |
| 2 | 26 | 26 | 19 April 1990 (1990-04-19) | 11 October 1990 (1990-10-11) |
| 3 | 26 | 26 | 11 April 1991 (1991-04-11) | 3 October 1991 (1991-10-03) |
| 4 | 16 | 16 | 13 August 1992 (1992-08-13) | 26 November 1992 (1992-11-26) |

### Season 1 (1989)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 12 April 1989 (1989-04-12) |
| The Midday Show with Don Lane and Jana Wendt, Burke's Backyard ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 19 April 1989 (1989-04-19) |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 26 April 1989 (1989-04-26) |
| Friday the 13th, Geoffrey Robertson's Hypothetical ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 3 May 1989 (1989-05-03) |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 10 May 1989 (1989-05-10) |
| 1989 Logie Awards ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 17 May 1989 (1989-05-17) |
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 24 May 1989 (1989-05-24) |
| A Night on Manhattan, Batman ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 31 May 1989 (1989-05-31) |
| 9 | 9 | "Episode 9" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 7 June 1989 (1989-06-07) |
| 10 | 10 | "Episode 10" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 14 June 1989 (1989-06-14) |
| 11 | 11 | "Episode 11" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, John barber, Steve Blackburn | 21 June 1989 (1989-06-21) |
| The Towering Poseidon Tidal Earthquake '1977 ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Episode 12" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 28 June 1989 (1989-06-28) |
| Candid Camera ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Episode 13" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 5 July 1989 (1989-07-05) |
| Beijing TV News ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Episode 14" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 12 July 1989 (1989-07-12) |
| 15 | 15 | "Episode 15" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 19 July 1989 (1989-07-19) |
| Tell the Truth ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Episode 16" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, John Barber | 26 July 1989 (1989-07-26) |
| The Cosby Show, Batman, Beijing TV news ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Episode 17" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 2 August 1989 (1989-08-02) |
| Batman, MTV ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Episode 18" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 9 August 1989 (1989-08-09) |
| The Addams Family ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Episode 19" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 16 August 1989 (1989-08-16) |
| Casablanca ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "Episode 20" | Ted Emery | Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 23 August 1989 (1989-08-23) |
| Get Smart ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Episode 21" | Ted Emery | Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks, Ernie Dingo | 30 August 1989 (1989-08-30) |
| Hogan's Heroes ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Episode 22" | Ted Emery | Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks, Ernie Dingo | 6 September 1989 (1989-09-06) |
| Lost in Space ||||||

### Season 2 (1990)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 23 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Noel Ballantyne (uncredited) | 19 April 1990 (1990-04-19) |
| Kung-Fu ||||||
| 24 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 26 April 1990 (1990-04-26) |
| Hawaii Five-O, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard ||||||
| 25 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 3 May 1990 (1990-05-03) |
| A Country Practice ||||||
| 26 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 10 May 1990 (1990-05-10) |
| The Beverly Hillbillies, Four Corners ||||||
| 27 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 17 May 1990 (1990-05-17) |
| The Golden Girls, Beach Party Massacre ||||||
| 28 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 24 May 1990 (1990-05-24) |
| Happy Days ||||||
| 29 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 31 May 1990 (1990-05-31) |
| New Faces ||||||
| 30 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 7 June 1990 (1990-06-07) |
| The Flintstones ||||||
| 31 | 9 | "Episode 9" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 14 June 1990 (1990-06-14) |
| I Dream of Jeannie, NBC Today Show ||||||
| 32 | 10 | "Episode 10" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 21 June 1990 (1990-06-21) |
| Doctor Who ||||||
| 33 | 11 | "Episode 11" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 28 June 1990 (1990-06-28) |
| The Adventures of Superman, Donahue ||||||
| 34 | 12 | "Episode 12" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 5 July 1990 (1990-07-05) |
| Prisoner, Floyd on Australian Cooking ||||||
| 35 | 13 | "Episode 13" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 12 July 1990 (1990-07-12) |
| Play School, Mister Ed ||||||
| 36 | 14 | "Episode 14" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 19 July 1990 (1990-07-19) |
| Sale of the Century, That's Dancing ||||||
| 37 | 15 | "Episode 15" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 26 July 1990 (1990-07-26) |
| The Patty Duke Show ||||||
| 38 | 16 | "Episode 16" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 2 August 1990 (1990-08-02) |
| Sale of the Century, James Bond Goldfinger ||||||
| 39 | 17 | "Episode 17" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 9 August 1990 (1990-08-09) |
| Perry Mason ||||||
| 40 | 18 | "Episode 18" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 16 August 1990 (1990-08-16) |
| Bonanza, Seven Samurai ||||||
| 41 | 19 | "Episode 19" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 23 August 1990 (1990-08-23) |
| Fantasy Island, Dick Smith ||||||
| 42 | 20 | "Episode 20" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 30 August 1990 (1990-08-30) |
| Skippy, Bewitched, Wheel of Fortune ||||||
| 43 | 21 | "Episode 21" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 6 September 1990 (1990-09-06) |
| The Partridge Family ||||||
| 44 | 22 | "Episode 22" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 13 September 1990 (1990-09-13) |
| The Sullivans ||||||
| 45 | 23 | "Episode 23" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 20 September 1990 (1990-09-20) |
| Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, To the Manor Born ||||||
| 46 | 24 | "Episode 24" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 27 September 1990 (1990-09-27) |
| Gilligan's Island ||||||
| 47 | 25 | "Episode 25" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 4 October 1990 (1990-10-04) |
| Cleopatra/The Fall of the Roman Empire, Agatha Christie ||||||
| 48 | 26 | "Episode 26" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 11 October 1990 (1990-10-11) |
| Pride and Prejudice, The Munsters ||||||

### Season 3 (1991)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 49 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 11 April 1991 (1991-04-11) |
| M*A*S*H ||||||
| 50 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 18 April 1991 (1991-04-18) |
| 51 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 25 April 1991 (1991-04-25) |
| Family Feud ||||||
| 52 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 2 May 1991 (1991-05-02) |
| Batman, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends ||||||
| 53 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 9 May 1991 (1991-05-09) |
| Star Trek ||||||
| 54 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 16 May 1991 (1991-05-16) |
| Donahue ||||||
| 55 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 23 May 1991 (1991-05-23) |
| Are You Being Served? ||||||
| 56 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 30 May 1991 (1991-05-30) |
| Miami Vice ||||||
| 57 | 9 | "Episode 9" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 6 June 1991 (1991-06-06) |
| The Adventures of Robin Hood ||||||
| 58 | 10 | "Episode 10" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 13 June 1991 (1991-06-13) |
| Blind Date ||||||
| 59 | 11 | "Episode 11" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 20 June 1991 (1991-06-20) |
| The Six Million Dollar Man ||||||
| 60 | 12 | "Episode 12" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 27 June 1991 (1991-06-27) |
| Dallas ||||||
| 61 | 13 | "Episode 13" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 4 July 1991 (1991-07-04) |
| The Poseidon Adventure ||||||
| 62 | 14 | "Episode 14" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 11 July 1991 (1991-07-11) |
| I Love Lucy ||||||
| 63 | 15 | "Episode 15" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 18 July 1991 (1991-07-18) |
| Dracula ||||||
| 64 | 16 | "Episode 16" | Ted Emery, Kevin Carlin, Jon Olb | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 25 July 1991 (1991-07-25) |
| Skippy, Embassy ||||||
| 65 | 17 | "Episode 17" | Kevin Carlin, Jon Olb | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 1 August 1991 (1991-08-01) |
| Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles ||||||
| 66 | 18 | "Episode 18" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 8 August 1991 (1991-08-08) |
| Charlie's Angels ||||||
| 67 | 19 | "Episode 19" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 15 August 1991 (1991-08-15) |
| Petticoat Junction ||||||
| 68 | 20 | "Episode 20" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 22 August 1991 (1991-08-22) |
| Alien, All Creatures Great and Small ||||||
| 69 | 21 | "Episode 21" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 29 August 1991 (1991-08-29) |
| Lost in Space ||||||
| 70 | 22 | "Episode 22" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 5 September 1991 (1991-09-05) |
| Fantastic Voyage ||||||
| 71 | 23 | "Episode 23" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 12 September 1991 (1991-09-12) |
| Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ||||||
| 72 | 24 | "Episode 24" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 19 September 1991 (1991-09-19) |
| Oprah, Young Talent Time ||||||
| 73 | 25 | "Episode 25" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Gordon Badham, Steve Blackburn | 26 September 1991 (1991-09-26) |
| Miss Teen USA ||||||
| 74 | 26 | "Episode 26" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 3 October 1991 (1991-10-03) |
| The Midday Show, The Saturday Show ||||||

### Season 4 (1992)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 75 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 13 August 1992 (1992-08-13) |
| Star Wars, The Dating Game, 60 Minutes ||||||
| 76 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 20 August 1992 (1992-08-20) |
| The Flying Nun, Flipper, The Book Show, Dumb Street ||||||
| 77 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 27 August 1992 (1992-08-27) |
| Apocalypse Now, America's Funniest Bloopers, Backchat, Amazing Stories, A Current Affair ||||||
| 78 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, John Barber, Steve Blackburn | 3 September 1992 (1992-09-03) |
| Frankenstein, Mother and Son, Donahue ||||||
| 79 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 10 September 1992 (1992-09-10) |
| Hard Copy, Godzilla, New Faces, The Book Show, Edith Piaf ||||||
| 80 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 17 September 1992 (1992-09-17) |
| The Movie Show, Burke's Backyard, The Hunt for Red October, Four Corners ||||||
| 81 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 24 September 1992 (1992-09-24) |
| Picnic at Hanging Rock, Four Corners ||||||
| 82 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 1 October 1992 (1992-10-01) |
| The Wizard of Oz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ||||||
| 83 | 9 | "Episode 9" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 8 October 1992 (1992-10-08) |
| The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Strictly Ballroom, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Sylvania Waters ||||||
| 84 | 10 | "Episode 10" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 15 October 1992 (1992-10-15) |
| Gone With the Wind, Sylvania Waters ||||||
| 85 | 11 | "Episode 11" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 22 October 1992 (1992-10-22) |
| Casablanca, Open University, Sylvania Waters ||||||
| 86 | 12 | "Episode 12" | Ted Emery (uncredited) | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 29 October 1992 (1992-10-29) |
| Chariots of Fire, Psycho, Romeo and Juliet ||||||
| 87 | 13 | "Episode 13" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 5 November 1992 (1992-11-05) |
| King Kong, Blood Frenzy Massacre 2, 4 Corners ||||||
| 88 | 14 | "Episode 14" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 12 November 1992 (1992-11-12) |
| E.T. ||||||
| 89 | 15 | "Episode 15" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 19 November 1992 (1992-11-19) |
| Blake's 7, The Saturday Show ||||||
| 90 | 16 | "Episode 16" | Ted Emery | Robert Adams, Steve Blackburn, Geoff Brooks | 26 November 1992 (1992-11-26) |
| Play School, The Sound of Music ||||||

## Specials

* Fast Forward Exposed (20 April 1993, 45 minutes)
* A Royal Commission into the Australian Economy (5 May 1993, 90 minutes)
* 38 and a Bit Fabulous Years of Australian Television (13 February 1994, 60 minutes)
* The Making of Nothing (20 February 1994, 60 minutes)
* Standing on the Road (1994, 60 minutes)
* Fast Forward Rewind (4 July 1994, 60 minutes)
* Fast Forward's Funniest TV Send-Ups (1994, 12 half-hour episodes)
* Fast Forward's Funniest Moments (1998, 12 one-hour episodes)
* Ten-Year Bash (October 2002, 48 minutes)
* One More Round (2003, 60 minutes)
* Dragging up the Past (2003, 60 minutes)

## Reception

Fast Forward consistently won the ratings for all of its 90 episodes, generally rating in the mid- to high 30s.
The production team and cast decided in late 1992, despite offers to renew from Channel 7, to end the program 'on a high', feeling that they did not want it to go downhill and tarnish its legacy as one of Australia's best-ever sketch comedy shows.

### Awards and nominations

In 1990, Fast Forward won two Logie awards; it also received two Australian Television awards (Penguins) for Excellence in Make-up and Achievement in Production. Also in 1990, the company was bestowed with two AWGIES, the Australian Writers' Guild Awards; one for Fast Forward for best Comedy/Revue/Sketch and the other for Vizard, Co-writer Best Sketch Comedy – Fast Forward. The Variety Club awarded Vizard Comedy Artist Of The Year and Rolling Stone magazine awarded him Television Performer of the Year.
At the 1991 Logie Awards Steve Vizard won the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television. Vizard also won Most Popular Male Light Entertainer. Magda Szubanski won Most Popular Female Light Entertainer and Fast Forward was awarded Most Popular Light Entertainment Program. Also in 1991, the Fast Forward writing team won an AWGIE for Best Sketch Comedy for Fast Forward.
At the 1992 Logies, Magda Szubanski once again picked up the award for Most Popular Female Performer – Light Entertainment and Fast Forward received the Logie for Most Popular Light Entertainment Program. The Australian Writers Guild presented an AWGIE to Fast Forward for Best Sketch Comedy. Fast Forward also picked up a People's Choice Award for Most Popular Program on Australian Television.
The following year, 1993, Fast Forward won a Logie for Most Popular Comedy Program.

#### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the Australian Recording Industry Association. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 1990 | Fast Forward - Take One | Best Comedy Release | Nominated | |

## Home media
### Albums releases

List of albums, with Australian chart positions :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | AUS |
| Fast Forward Take One | Released: December 1989 Format: LP Label: Liberation/CBS (105225 1) | 61 |

### DVD releases

| DVD title | Release date | Discs | Versions |
| Fast Forward: In Rewind, Funniest Moments – Volume One | 28 April 2004 | 2 | Compilation |
| Fast Forward: In Rewind, Funniest Moments – Volume Two | 7 May 2004 | 2 | Compilation |
| Fast Forward: Funniest TV Send Ups, Vol. 1 | 21 March 2005 | 1 | Compilation |
| Fast Forward: Funniest TV Send Ups, Vol. 2 | 23 May 2005 | 1 | Compilation |
| Fast Forward: Funniest TV Send Ups, Vol. 3 | 20 June 2005 | 1 | Compilation |
| Fast Forward: The Complete Season One | 20 March 2006 | 5 | Season sets |
| Fast Forward: The Complete Season Two | 23 October 2006 | 6 | Season sets |
| Fast Forward: The Complete Season Three | 4 December 2006 | 6 | Season sets |
| Fast Forward: The Complete Season Four | 18 January 2008 | 5 | Season sets |
| Fast Forward: Series 1 | 22 March 2010 | 5 | Season re-releases |
| Fast Forward: Series 2 | 22 March 2010 | 6 | Season re-releases |
| Fast Forward: Series 3 | 9 June 2010 | 6 | Season re-releases |
| Fast Forward: Series 4 | 9 June 2010 | 5 | Season re-releases |

## Adaptation

The show was adapted for German television under the name "Switch" by order of TV station ProSieben. It was aired for the first time in 1997.