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Tom Gleisner

Thomas Edmund Gleisner AO (born 24 October 1962) is an Australian comedian, television presenter, producer, writer, director, and occasional actor.
Gleisner co-founded Working Dog Productions in 1993 alongside collaborators including Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, and Jane Kennedy, with the company producing influential Australian comedy television programs such as The Late Show (1994–1995), Frontline (1994–1997), and Utopia (2014–2019), as well as the feature film The Dish (2000).
He gained prominence as host of the Network 10 comedy panel quiz show Have You Been Paying Attention?, which premiered in 2013 and has earned multiple Logie Awards for outstanding entertainment programming.
In recognition of his contributions to the media and television sectors, Gleisner was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Early years

Childhood and family background

Thomas Edmund Gleisner was born on 24 October 1962 in , , . He grew up in a middle-class in suburban , where conventional expectations shaped his early environment, including parental support for in . His parents expressed bemusement at his decision to pursue instead of a legal career after university, reflecting a household oriented toward professional stability rather than artistic pursuits. Gleisner's upbringing amid the routines of suburban life provided an observational foundation for his later satirical sensibilities, drawing from unremarkable daily realities without notable accounts of exceptional family dynamics or early comedic influences. Limited public details exist on his origins, though the Gleisner suggests possible heritage, consistent with many mid-20th-century families.

Education and early influences

Gleisner attended the in the early 1980s, where he studied arts and law concurrently. He graduated with a in 1983 and a in 1986. At university, Gleisner developed an interest in through participation in student theatre activities, including auditioning for the , an annual production by law students. This involvement introduced him to collaborative writing and performance, fostering skills in satirical sketches that critiqued institutional and social norms. These university experiences shifted Gleisner's career trajectory away from toward and humor, as the creative of revues highlighted the appeal of using observational wit to probe bureaucratic and authoritative absurdities over formal legal practice. Early comedic influences drew from Australia's tradition of irreverent , evident in the revue format's emphasis on everyday and institutional follies, predating his professional output but aligning with a grounded in direct examination of real-world mechanisms.

Professional career

Formation of Working Dog Productions

Working Dog Productions was co-founded in 1993 by Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, and Michael Hirsh, building on the group's prior collaborations in Australian sketch comedy, including The D-Generation and The Late Show. The company originated from informal partnerships among the founders, who had met during university studies and early television work, aiming to transition from network-dependent sketches to independent content creation using basic equipment like a low-quality camcorder. The name "Working Dog Productions" reflected the founders' shared affection for dogs—many owned them—and their rigorous , as Hirsh noted that the team "worked " to maintain creative over projects from through . This formation emphasized , allowing the group to prioritize quality and originality, with Gleisner articulating a principle of avoiding sequels or series extensions unless they surpassed prior efforts in substance and execution. From inception, the company's approach centered on that dissected institutional absurdities, media dynamics, and bureaucratic overreach, drawing from empirical observations of real-world operations rather than contrived ideological frameworks. This non-partisan lens targeted inefficiencies across sectors without aligning to political factions, fostering humor rooted in verifiable patterns of hype, mismanagement, and human folly, as the founders sought to produce content that illuminated causal disconnects in public and private institutions.

Key television productions

Gleisner's early television breakthrough came with The Late Show (1992–1993), a late-night program on co-written and performed by him alongside collaborators from , including , Jane Kennedy, and Tony Martin. The series featured satirical sketches parodying Australian television formats, advertisements, and , such as recurring segments like Late Show News that mocked news delivery styles and Countdown Classics critiquing tropes. Airing twice weekly for 52 episodes, it drew audiences by exposing the formulaic absurdities and self-importance in broadcast media, establishing ' reputation for sharp, observational humor grounded in real media practices. Building on this, Frontline (1994–1997), also on , was a series co-created, written, produced, and directed in part by Gleisner, satirizing the inner workings of a fictional program called Frontline. Spanning three seasons of 13 half-hour episodes each, it depicted journalists prioritizing ratings over accuracy, fabricating stories, and succumbing to sponsor influence, drawing from documented cases of in tabloid-style reporting during the . Characters like host Mike Moore () embodied the ethical shortcuts and bias amplification common in pursuit of viewer engagement, with Gleisner's contributions emphasizing causal links between commercial pressures and distorted news narratives. The Panel (1998–2007), hosted and co-executive produced by Gleisner on Network Ten, was a weekly where a rotating of comedians dissected current events, coverage, and political developments, often highlighting inconsistencies in official accounts and bureaucratic logic. Running for multiple seasons with revivals, it featured unscripted discussions that critiqued power structures through humor, such as probing government policy contradictions and spin, fostering viewer awareness of underlying absurdities without scripted fabrication. Gleisner's role as host maintained a focus on factual clips interspersed with panel analysis, contributing to its for demystifying elite decision-making processes. In (2014–2023), co-written and produced by Gleisner for , the series portrayed the Nation Building Authority's futile struggles with infrastructure projects, satirizing bureaucratic , inter-agency rivalries, and political short-termism in Australian public administration. Across five seasons, it illustrated real-world inefficiencies—like endless consultations and —mirroring documented government project overruns, such as those in transport and urban development, through characters navigating approval hierarchies that prioritize optics over outcomes. Gleisner's involvement underscored the causal realism of how fragmented authority and perpetuate systemic incompetence in large-scale endeavors.

Film and other media contributions

Gleisner co-wrote the screenplay for The Castle (1997), a satirical comedy depicting an ordinary Australian family's legal battle against compulsory acquisition of their home for expansion, highlighting themes of suburban tenacity against bureaucratic and corporate encroachment. The film, directed by and produced by , drew from real-world disputes, portraying protagonists who leverage basic legal principles and community values to challenge perceived elite overreach, grossing over A$10 million at the Australian box office. Its narrative underscores causal outcomes of government planning priorities favoring infrastructure over individual property rights, without romanticizing outcomes but grounding them in procedural realities. In (2000), Gleisner served as co-writer and producer, chronicling the Parkes Observatory's pivotal, albeit underrecognized, role in relaying signals to global audiences on July 20, 1969. The film adheres closely to historical events, including the dish's 64-meter diameter and its temporary designation as NASA's primary tracking station due to favorable weather, while satirizing small-town dynamics amid high-stakes technical demands. It prioritizes empirical details—such as signal blackouts from sun interference and operator improvisations—over dramatized heroism, countering U.S.-centric accounts by affirming Australia's technical contributions without exaggeration. Directed by Sitch, the production earned critical acclaim for blending factual astronomy with understated humor, achieving a 96% approval rating on . Gleisner contributed to Any Questions for Ben? (2012) as co-writer, a dramedy exploring career disillusionment and personal relationships in Melbourne's media scene, though it received more modest reception with a 56% score. Beyond films, his early radio work included writing and performing satirical sketches for on Melbourne's in the , which lampooned media tropes and societal absurdities through absurd causal scenarios, laying groundwork for his later narrative style. These segments emphasized logical unraveling of pretentious narratives, consistent with his film critiques of institutional disconnects from everyday realities.

Books and literary works

Gleisner has co-authored a series of satirical books parodying travel guidebooks, created with collaborators Santo Cilauro and Rob Sitch as extensions of their comedic style from television productions. The first, Molvanîa: A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry, published in 2003, fabricates a fictional Eastern European nation plagued by poverty, disease, and cultural eccentricities, complete with mock advice on avoiding hazards like contaminated water and aggressive locals. This work lampoons the sanitized optimism of real travel literature by exaggerating stereotypes and inventing absurd historical claims, such as the country's supposed invention of the polka amid chronic whooping cough outbreaks. The series continued with Phaic Tăn: Sunstroke on a Shoestring in 2004, depicting a chaotic Southeast Asian backwater rife with scams, poor infrastructure, and health risks, presented through faux itineraries and warnings about petty crime and inedible cuisine. San Sombrèro: A Land of Carnivals, Corruptions and Cock Fights followed in 2006, targeting a Latin American caricature defined by political instability, vice industries, and ritualistic violence, using ironic endorsements of "authentic" experiences like underground gambling to underscore the genre's superficiality. These books, formatted as authentic guides with maps, photos, and statistics, employ deadpan prose to critique how travel writing often glosses over real-world dysfunctions, achieving commercial success through their sharp, observational humor. In addition to the travel parodies, Gleisner authored the Warwick Todd Diaries in 1997, a satirical diary chronicling the fictional exploits of an egotistical Australian cricket commentator during an Ashes tour, replete with exaggerated anecdotes of team dynamics, media hype, and on-field blunders. Published by ABC Books, it sold tens of thousands of copies by mocking the self-importance of sports punditry through fabricated entries and unlikely illustrations. A sequel, Warwick Todd: Up in the Blockhole, extended the critique with commentary on modern cricket, including a day-by-day account of the 2009 Ashes series, blending faux expertise with absurd predictions to highlight commentary's speculative nature. These volumes represent Gleisner's targeted foray into sports satire, preserving in print the irreverent dissection of authority figures akin to his television work, though his overall literary output remains modest compared to his screen contributions.

Theatre and stage projects

Gleisner co-wrote the stage play The Speechmaker with and under , representing the company's first foray into live theatre. Produced by the Theatre Company, the production premiered on 31 May 2014 at the , , and ran until 5 July 2014 to sold-out audiences. The play satirized the mechanics of political speechwriting, centering on a tasked with crafting a unifying address for a fractious presidential campaign, exposing the manipulative tactics and ideological compromises inherent in such rhetoric regardless of party affiliation. Directed by Sam Strong, it featured as the President, alongside , , and others, emphasizing ensemble dynamics to underscore the absurdities of power and persuasion. This theatrical debut extended Working Dog's screen-based —seen in series like —to the stage, adapting the format to leverage live performance's immediacy while preserving a commitment to critiquing systemic flaws in through observational humor rather than advocacy. The production's success, evidenced by its extended run and critical notice for sharp scripting, demonstrated Gleisner's versatility in translating causal analyses of institutional incentives to a non-televised medium. In a shift toward musical theatre, Gleisner authored the book and lyrics for Bloom, a musical with music by Katie Weston, directed by Bryant. It premiered at the Theatre Company on 14 July 2023, following workshops, and received a season at the Theatre from 29 March to 11 May 2025 under the . Set in the Elm Grove aged facility, the narrative follows residents and staff confronting cost-cutting measures by the owner, Mrs. MacIntyre, which precipitate intergenerational alliances and mishaps, blending humor with depictions of sector realities such as under-resourcing and resident autonomy struggles. Gleisner's script draws from documented pressures in aged , including financial incentives for efficiency over quality, without romanticizing outcomes but using to highlight causal links between policy and daily hardships. Bloom marks Gleisner's inaugural musical effort, evolving his satirical style to incorporate song while maintaining empirical grounding in aged care challenges, as informed by industry reports on staffing shortages and regulatory failures. The production's ensemble-driven numbers and cheeky tone underscore themes of resilience amid institutional decay, positioning work as a complementary outlet for Gleisner's critiques of real-world systems.

Current and ongoing work

Have You Been Paying Attention?

Have You Been Paying Attention? premiered on Network 10 on 3 November 2013, with Tom Gleisner as host and executive producer. The program features regular panelists Ed Kavalee and Sam Pang alongside rotating comedians and personalities who compete by recalling and analyzing weekly news events through a format blending factual quizzes with satirical commentary. Questions draw from verifiable news clips, prompting debates that expose inconsistencies or hype in reporting, such as mismatched video evidence or exaggerated claims, thereby highlighting the need for scrutiny beyond headlines. The show's structure emphasizes real-time dissection of media narratives, where panelists must cite precise details—like exact dates, figures, or contexts—to score points, fostering a viewer habit of amid . Satirical twists, including irreverent jokes on sensitive topics, allow unfiltered critique that resists pressures for sanitized discourse, as seen in segments mocking bureaucratic absurdities or celebrity scandals without . This approach counters echo-chamber effects by presenting diverse panel viewpoints, often clashing over interpretations of the same events. Season 13 launched on 12 May 2025, airing Mondays at 8:40pm on 10 and 10 Play, with episodes averaging over 761,000 viewers and excelling in 25-54 and 16-39 demographics. Network 10 reported a 5% audience uplift for the series since 2022, attributing sustained success to its role in comedy programming growth. By gamifying news consumption, the program cultivates media literacy, training audiences to discern factual cores from narrative spin through entertaining, evidence-based challenges that persist as a Monday staple.

Recent developments and collaborations

In 2025, Gleisner continued hosting the thirteenth season of Have You Been Paying Attention?, which premiered on May 12 and concluded its finale on October 6, featuring regular panelists and alongside rotating comedians to dissect recent news events. The format maintained its focus on timely , adapting to evolving headlines while preserving the non-partisan scrutiny of public discourse characteristic of . Gleisner collaborated with the on the production of Bloom, a musical he wrote with music by Katie Weston, running from April 1 to May 11, 2025, following its 2023 premiere with the Melbourne Theatre Company. This stage project marked a continuation of his work, blending irreverent comedy with narrative elements drawn from cultural motifs. Working Dog Productions, co-founded by Gleisner, marked the 25th anniversary of in 2025 with a special outdoor screening at the AACTA Festival on February 8, underscoring the film's enduring depiction of Australia's role in the mission. The company also received the AACTA Lyell Award in recognition of its contributions to screen storytelling, highlighting ongoing collaborations in and documentary-style critiques of institutional inefficiencies.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Tom Gleisner has been married to Mary Muirhead since the early 1990s, with the couple maintaining a private family life amid his high-profile career in Australian entertainment. They have two children, a son and a daughter, both of whom have grown up largely out of the public eye. The family resides in , a suburb of , reflecting Gleisner's longstanding ties to the city where he was educated and began his professional life. Muirhead and Gleisner have occasionally collaborated on philanthropic efforts, such as co-founding initiatives to support children with autism through organizations like the Learning for Life Foundation, but they prioritize shielding their personal relationships from media scrutiny. This deliberate emphasis on privacy contrasts with Gleisner's satirical public persona, with no reported controversies or separations in their marriage as of 2025. Gleisner has referenced family influences in creative works, including experiences with his mother-in-law's aged care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which informed his 2023 musical Bloom, though such disclosures remain rare and measured.

Interests and public persona

Gleisner has long pursued as a personal interest, co-hosting the 1997–1998 travel series A River Somewhere with , in which they explored rivers across , , and international locations with a comedic focus on the sport's mishaps and relaxed ethos. His Instagram bio identifies him as a "Seeker of ," reinforcing this hobby's role in his off-screen life and its alignment with an observational lens on nature's unpredictability, which parallels the unpretentious in his productions. Similarly, his authorship of four books featuring the fictional cricketer Warwick Todd—from The Warwick Todd Diaries (1997) to later volumes—reveals a sustained engagement with , satirizing its boozing, gambling, and insider culture while evidencing his status as a genuine fan who has participated in matches as the character. Gleisner's affinity for internet humor surfaced prominently in April 2025, when he curated a list for of the 10 funniest online moments he had witnessed, including stage fails like Toto tumbling in , political ad awkwardness in Brant Webb's Bass campaign, and unscripted gaffes such as Greg Hunt's face-mask struggle during a COVID-19 briefing. These picks, drawn from , , and vintage clips, underscore his preference for rooted in authentic, data-like captures of human error over contrived setups, causally shaping a satirical worldview that dissects real-world absurdities without deference to prevailing sensitivities. His public persona blends affability with sharp incisiveness, evident in rapid-fire quips during live panels that maintain levity amid pointed commentary. Gleisner has critiqued the "outrage era"'s chill on humor, noting in that while mindful of backlash—"before you know it, you’re at the centre of a storm"—pre-recording allows evasion of legal pitfalls, yet he resists overreaction: "Not to excuse people who are deliberately offensive, but there’s a point where it’s like: ‘Oh for God’s sake, it was a ! Let’s not lose perspective here.’" This empirical prioritization of verifiable jest over narrative-driven offense bolsters his , favoring fact-grounded wit that endures scrutiny.

Awards and recognition

Major honors and accolades

Gleisner was appointed an Officer of the () on 11 June 2018, in recognition of his distinguished service to the media and industry as a , , , and . This honor, awarded in the Queen's list, underscores his contributions to Australian through satirical content and sustained professional output. In 1997, Gleisner shared an Award for Best in a Television Drama for an episode of a satirical series, co-written with collaborators. He received further AFI recognition in subsequent years for screenplay work in , including a win for a political satire series shared with and . Gleisner's productions have garnered multiple , including for most outstanding entertainment program, with Gleisner accepting on behalf of the team for contributions to comedy panel formats. These peer-endorsed accolades reflect his role in delivering commercially successful and critically noted satirical programming over decades.

Reception, influence, and criticisms

Critical acclaim and legacy

Gleisner's work with , particularly the series (2014–2016), received critical acclaim for its sharp of bureaucratic inefficiencies and institutional absurdities, earning descriptions as multi-award-winning and widely praised for highlighting real-world administrative failures without ideological overlay. The show's scripts, compiled in published collections, underscore its impact in advancing rooted in empirical depictions of and corporate dysfunction, influencing subsequent productions to prioritize causal realism in critiquing power structures. Have You Been Paying Attention?, hosted by Gleisner since its 2012 debut, exemplifies his legacy through sustained popularity, spanning over 13 seasons by 2025 and demonstrating audience preference for humor that dissects current events with skepticism toward media narratives and official accounts. The program's multiple , including Best Comedy Entertainment Program in 2024, reflect industry recognition of its format's effectiveness in fostering critical engagement, with verifiable metrics like consistent high ratings affirming demand for unvarnished satirical analysis over performative conformity. Gleisner's contributions have shaped by promoting works that expose biases in (Frontline, 1997) and institutional inertia (), encouraging peers to favor evidence-based ridicule of elite failures, as evidenced by comparisons to international satirists like for elevating local television's role in public discourse. His 2021 appointment as an Officer of the (AO) further cements this influence, honoring decades of productions that prioritize truthful humor amid evolving cultural pressures.

Controversies and satirical critiques

Gleisner's hosting of Have You Been Paying Attention? has occasionally drawn minor criticism for segments featuring humor, such as quips targeting cultural or heritage sensitivities, which some viewers deemed insensitive amid rising public expectations for in . For instance, in July 2024, producers opted not to replay a Trump-related from the show—despite it eliciting laughs in the studio—following an assassination attempt on the former president, citing concerns over potential backlash in a heightened . Gleisner has defended such content as vital to satire's role in challenging norms, arguing that thrives on risk rather than . Critiques of earlier works like Frontline (1994–1997) have included claims that its of television occasionally softened edges on institutional biases, particularly in commercial media's pursuit of ratings over rigor, though evidence from episodes shows consistent mockery of across political spectra without favoritism. Co-creator Gleisner has countered such views by emphasizing 's inherent limitations in altering targeted behaviors, as stated in 1994 interviews where he noted it often fails to impact those satirized but exposes flaws to audiences. Defenders highlight Frontline's equal-opportunity takedowns, from tabloid ethics to journalistic shortcuts, as empirically balanced rather than ideologically slanted. In broader debates on satire's boundaries, Gleisner has advocated for resilience against cancellation pressures, praising stand-up performers who navigate " " by prioritizing punchlines over conformity, as articulated in 2022 interviews. He has described the "outrage era" as one where even minor missteps ignite online fury, yet maintained that robust humor demands pushing limits rather than yielding to transient sensitivities. This stance aligns with his production choices, which avoid shying from polarizing figures while steering clear of unsubstantiated personal attacks, underscoring a commitment to verifiable, news-driven wit over performative restraint.

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