The Twelfth Man

Personalities parodied

Comic themes

Voices and personalities

• Richie Benaud is the leader of the Central Commentary Team, and often remarks that "We're a team, and we do it my way". Focuses are on his famous pronunciation of the number two to sound like "chew", with the number two being a very popular term in the series. His fashion sense is also a point of humor, as Benaud's jackets of choice are either cream, white, off-white, ivory, bone or beige. Benaud also has a vineyard in France, "Chateau Verda Flore" managed by a Frenchman named Henri Porte. A very proud man, Benaud is often mistaken for Darrell Eastlake, much to Benaud's chagrin.
• Bill Lawry is another main character, usually presenting with his colleague Tony Greig. Lawry has a relatively high-pitched and nasally voice, with many jokes coming at the expense of his large nose. Lawry is from Victoria and is extremely biased towards Victorian players, venues and crowds. He has a particular affection for fellow Victorians Merv Hughes, Dean Jones and Shane Warne, as well as his collection of racing pigeons. His common expressions include "Got him, yes! Piss off! You're out!" and "The tension, the drama, the buzz, the crowd, the atmosphere!" Lawry is also frequently late for team meetings, much to Benaud's chagrin.
• Tony Greig is Lawry's sparring partner, and often are the first two commentators of the game. A native of South Africa, Greig has a thick South African accent and is ridiculed for his heavily accented pronunciation of words like "off", "half", "broadcast". Greig carries out the pitch reports before each game, and is famous for sticking foreign objects into the pitch—usually his car keys but occasionally his Italian loafers and even a fountain pen belonging to Richie. These items often get stuck in the pitch, leading to much aggravation with the rest of the team. Greig is a relatively neutral commentator but does display a certain allegiance to South African teams.
• The Chappell brothers of Ian and Greg typically work as a pair. They are known for their calm, non-controversial demeanors.
• Max Walker is portrayed as a maniacal and unhinged personality. With his own distinct tones, Max is often caught not paying attention to the goings-on on the field. Having been sacked early in the series, many of Walker's hijinx involve his attempts to re-join the commentary team. These include the changing of his name by deed poll to Mike Walker, his kidnapping of fellow commentator Ken Sutcliffe to guarantee his own success, and his takeover of the commentary box with Benaud held hostage.
• Darrell Eastlake is shown as an over-the-top and exuberant personality, which does not always sit well with Richie. Eastlake finds it hard to contain his own excitement, as his voice will rise to a fever pitch during the announcement of a simple play or event. Despite having virtually no similarities in voice or appearance with Benaud, they are often mistaken for each other.
• Ken Sutcliffe, known as the Male Model from Mudgee, is actually voiced by Sutcliffe himself. Considerable humor is dedicated to Sutcliffe's handsome features, and is seen as being a hit with the ladies—including the wives of both Benaud and Walker. When it is announced he is a possible addition to the commentary team, Sutcliffe is kidnapped by Max Walker in order to guarantee Walker's own successes.

  Other appearances

Following

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Box sets

Singles

Awards

[ARIA Music Awards]