The Dream with Roy and HG (2000)

The Dream with Roy and HG was a sports/comedy talk show, broadcast every night during the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics, presented by Australian comedy duo Roy and HG. Their telecasts became one of the most popular events of the Games, with Olympians from all nations queueing up to appear. The gifts given to interviewees became some of the most valuable collectors' items of the Games. Due to the attention on Australia as the host nation, the 2000 season took the form of a two hour show and was made available to Olympic broadcasters internationally; the 2004 season was a one hour show broadcast in Australia only. The pair became well known for their commentary of certain events, particularly the men's gymnastics, where they coined terms for various movements - including adapted vernacular such as "battered sav" and "Chiko Roll", and other inventions like "flat bag", "Dutch wink" and "hello boys" - that became familiar to viewers worldwide. Other running jokes included showing slow-motion clips of Greco-Roman Wrestling accompanied by raunchy Barry White music and the very snugly fitting outfits worn by the male Rowing teams. They also popularised Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat as their mascot, dismissing the official mascots as "Ollie, Millie, and Dickhead". This was emphasised in a satirical diving contest between Fatso, the three official mascots, and the Boxing Kangaroo later in the games. Fatso's huge popularity during the series caused consternation with the Australian Olympic Committee, who at first tried to ban the character from Olympic events after Australian athletes appeared carrying Fatso dolls at medal ceremonies. When auctioned for charity at the end of the series, Fatso was purchased by Seven Network CEO Kerry Stokes for A$80,450. A statue of Fatso has since been erected at the Olympic Park site.