The Tale of 25 Years of The Chaser

Long ago in the ye olde times of May 1999, a group of ne’er to well misfits and jackanapes, had an idea for a satire newspaper.

Charles Firth (the unemployable one), Craig Reucassel (the successful one). Chas Licciardello (the wildcard) and Dominic Knight (the bald one) came to create this paper.

Along this quest to make fortnightly comedy, other gallant warriors including Andrew Hanson (the hot one), Chris Taylor (the smart one) and Julian Morrow (the other bald one) joined the fray.

This newspaper was dubbed ‘The Chaser’. A name that would become that of legend, making trans people giggle and ask “why are they called that?” for generations to come.

This team reached new heights in 2001, when knight of the realm Andrew Denton decided to put The Chaser on television, a decision he would later describe as his “Oppenheimer moment”.

Many remember this tragic decision as the worst thing to happen in 2001.

The move to television answered the fabled question “what happens if you give the people who printed the Prime Minister’s phone number as their front page an actual budget?”

Suddenly this band of misfits had the power to bring their fight against those in power through the medium of wearing a chicken suit. Thus, the ‘stunt’ was born.

With these stunts, The Chaser were able to reach peak satirical prowess by expertly answering the greatest philosophical questions that plagued the political landscape of the time. Like “what happens if you bring a horse to a church?” and “Cracked Pepper?”

Their battles were legendary. From the smuggling of meat past the sniffer hounds of Cronulla, to the song of eulogies that saw men become a ‘top bloke’ upon their passing, and of course their raid on the APEC Summit of 2007.

Stories that live on in the memories of those who reupload the clips on TikTok when they want a quick dollar.

As their team grew in size, bringing on younger jesters to help in the valiant quests, greater yet did the opposition to their glory. From News Corp, to Today Tonight and even the ratings on The Chaser’s Election Desk, the battles became fiercer.

None more-so than when the evil Mark Latham of the Labor empire, struck one of our heroes in the face with a bat.

Although sadly, nothing could protect our protagonists from the greatest foe of all, ABC Budget cuts. When those in charge decided that for some reason, men putting on silly outfits and chasing politicians around was not as important as investigative journalism.

Fucking The Chaser harder than Chris Kenny (Redacted).

Yet even to this very day The Chaser lives on, as essentially a meme generator online.

Now living to such an age that Leonardo DiCaprio is no longer interested in us.

To the next 25 years!