The Chaser team returned to ABC TV with their satirical take on the 2010 federal election, in a new program called YES WE CANBERRA!

YES WE CANBERRA! is an all-new format which showcases The Chaser in their current occupation – as warm-up guys for the network’s current affairs flagship Lateline.

“Most people don’t know that Lateline is filmed in front of a live studio audience,” said executive producer Julian Morrow.

“That’s the problem – they’re terribly quiet. So the ABC hired us to rev them up a bit. Hopefully, we can help Tony (Jones) and Leigh (Sales) receive the wild applause, hollers and whoops they deserve.”

The fictional setting of the Lateline warm-up was a departure from The Chaser’s previous election special, The Chaser Decides, which was set in the national tallyroom. YES WE CANBERRA! will also differ from The Chaser Decides by not winning a Logie.

“Just because they’re doing the warm-up, doesn’t mean they can speak for the show,” said Lateline presenter Leigh Sales. “But I think adding The Chaser to the Lateline team will give us a gravitas we’ve been lacking to date.”

“I’ll take that as a comment,” added Tony Jones.

The team admits YES WE CANBERRA! was not their preferred title for the show. “We wanted the name of the show to be Ratf#*ked 2010,” Chris Taylor explained, ”but apparently that’s what the ABC’s main coverage is going to be called”.

“Our next preference for a title was Andrew, Chris, Chas, Craig & Jules’ Election Fever but I think there was a legal problem with that too.”

“To be honest we’re just relieved to have some paid work,” Craig Reucassel said about the Lateline warm-up gig. “Mark Scott is a very compassionate person. He gave Poh a job at the ABC when she lost MasterChef, and now he’s done the same thing for us.”

Video highlights

Julie Bishop’s death stare – vs Chas and Gerald the Gnome

Life At The Top – A view of the NBN from the Top End

Old Spice – [rokbox title="Old Spice" text="The buff bod of Andrew Hansen"] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrGtemB28Vo&feature=related [/rokbox]

Greens ad – That's why they voted Greens...

Every Candidate song – Because they're all...

Signed DVDs of Yes We Canberra! are available from our Store.