The programme was hosted by Penelope Mitchell and Dickie Knee, became the highest rating local production ever on channel 111 Hits, and its promotional campaign won 5 Gold Promax Awards.
On 23 May 2013, these tapes began being released weekly online via the Darren & Brose website and YouTube serving as a time capsule snapshot of the era, the various faces that appeared as guests and the early work of many people who were trained on these shows and have gone on to have successful careers in the industry.
He is also a television warm-up performer having worked for every Australian network on shows including Santo, Sam and Ed's Sports Fever!, The Project, The Circle, The Chat Room, Millionaire Hot Seat, Letters and Numbers,[41] The Einstein Factor and Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell.
[2][12][13][42][43] He has written and produced hundreds of hours of television and created over a dozen shows including Jimeoin: Over the Top,[44] The Chaser's War On Everything – Red Button Edition and A Night at the Festival Club[45] which evolved into ABC's Comedy Up Late.
[47] The channel launched on Saturday, 1 November 2008 with a special where he conceived Countdown to 111 Hits that featured Molly Meldrum, Jenna Elfman, Ian Thorpe, Bonnie Tyler, John Paul Young, The Angels and Jermaine Jackson.
[50] He created, developed and executive produced 30 local productions including Balls of Steel Australia which became The Comedy Channel's highest ever rating series[51] and won the Astra Award for Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Programme.
[54][55] He created and produced the development initiative and reality TV format Comedy Gold[56] which ran for two years, discovering talent such as Troy Kinne[57] and uncovering programme concepts from talent including Jason Gann, Stephen Kearney (Friends, Los Trios Ringbarkus, Garbo (film)), Marty Fields and The Agony of Life series by Adam Zwar,[58][59][60] as well as executive producing the eventual competition winner starring Colin Lane, Toby Truslove, Kitty Flanagan and Patrick Brammall.