The jokes over - The Daily Telegraph, 26/09/00 by Kylie Keogh

You can't target Olympic athletes, says comic Peter Berner, instead he will be watching them.

For the past six years comic Peter Berner has shamelessly made a living out of the Olympics. Well, it's not like there wasn't enough material. But now that the Games have begun, it's time to pull in the comedic reins. No more lambasting bureaucratic bungles, enough of the SOCOG shellacking. The games are now about the athletes and Berner promises to leave them alone.

Not only that, but the frontman and namesake of the ABC's hit satirical news show, "Backberner", is one of the few brave souls in the TV land today to be offering up fresh material instead of repeats or bottom of the cupboard shows that are dominating the channels not committed to the Olympics.

"I've made a living out of knocking the Olympics," he says. "I remember when we got them, the day after I was predicting that we weren't going to know the anthem, the opening ceremony would consist of primary school kids dressed up as lamingtons and the track wasn't going to be finished in time. But now that they're here, Knight and all the rest of them aren't the focus. Once the gun goes, it's not about the corporations, even though their fingerprints are all over Thorpie and Freeman, but about the spirit. It's not about endorsements - you know, Nutri Grain came third. It's actually about the race itself and the athletes. They are the genuine heroes."

It would take a real cynic to poke fun at these men and women of the Games. And propably not very good ratings either. Berner says his program is one of the few not to have an Olympics themed two weeks. Instead, he plans to fixate on anything but the Games. "I think it's time for Backberner to be ever vigilant on all the other things that are happening at the time," he says. "We don't want people to forget that in the rest of the world there's still shit happening. I don't know how we'll rate - I mean, I'm going to watch the Games."

Berner has proudly bought tickets to the synchronised swimming - a sport that he believes gets an undeserved bad rap. But while he's looking forward to two weeks of unadulterated sport, it's after the Games that is causing concern. "It's like planning a party and making sure your Slim Dusty CDs are ready, you've got enough French onion dip, then the party happens and everybody gets a root. Then everyone leaves and you've got to fix up the burn holes and try to convince the landlord that those scuff marks were already there."

"Sydney has benefited from it but a lot of shit has gone up around Sydney, a lot of apartment buildings which I've got a real problem with. We will look back in 10 years and say, 'Why does Sydney look like it was built in four years?' and the answer is because it was."

Don't get him wrong, Berner loves the harbour city. It's been his home for most of his 37 years. But making people laugh has only been his paying profession for 12 years. Berner previously worked in advertising and one night, full of beer and Dutch courage, he jumped on stage at the Harold Park (formerly Sydney's grounding for new comics) and got his first laugh.

"The only reason I became a stand up was because you got days off. Advertising was a 60 hour a week job and stand up was two gigs a week - more time on the couch. "I make a living being a two bit social commentator, two bit philosopher, two bit funny man. It's a priviledge in this world to have people pay to listen to you."

"Backberner" has been on the ABC since August and looks set to stay on our screens, at least until the end of the year. It has a new timeslot, preceeding "The Fat" on Mondays, and some new talent including comedy veteran Kym Gyngell, who plays a roving tabloid reporter. While there is never a lack of issues and politicians to satirise, what will Berner's fodder be once "the debacle that is the games", as he calls it, ends?

"I don't know! Maybe doing the whole act in the past tense."