Hamish and Andy's Gap Year
| Hamish and Andy's Gap Year | |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Hamish Blake Andy Lee |
| Opening theme | "Gap Year Theme Song" by Hamish & Andy (2011) "Addicted" by Bliss n Eso (2012–2014) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 29 |
| Production | |
| Running time | Approximately 60 minutes (inc. commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nine Network |
| Release | 28 July 2011 – 5 August 2014 |
| Related | |
Hamish & Andy's Gap Year is a Logie Award–winning comedy series following Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, a pair of Australian comedians, on their trips to various international locations. The first season saw the boys visiting America for ten episodes and broadcast their show weekly from New York City. In its second season in 2012, the show was titled Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year, and seven episodes were broadcast from The Lord Stanley,[1][2][3][4][5] a disused pub[6][7] in East London, England.[8] The third season, known as Hamish and Andy's Gap Year Asia in 2013, was broadcast from a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, called The Raintree.[9] The fourth season was known as Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year South America.
The concept for the show was created when the Nine Network hired comedians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee for two series in two years. They came across the idea of "Gap Year" when they realised they never took a gap year after high school, so they would film their many adventures overseas, as it was ironic that they had just received a contract for TV.
The show featured the American band Moon Hooch for the first season as an in house band - during the show, they band were dubbed The Buskerteers.
Segments
A number of regular segments appear throughout the series:
- Safari: Hamish and Andy show a film about where they last went outside of New York, using a "safari map" hidden underneath their desk to show the exact location. For these adventures, the boys dress in purpose-built safari costumes.
- Hamish VS. Andy: This involves various competitions between Hamish and Andy. The segment also features Ryan Shelton as a correspondent. From season 2 onwards, Ian Danter serves as the segment’s narrator, replacing an unnamed voiceover artist used in the first season.
- Ultimate Wingman: Hamish struggles to find Andy (single) a girlfriend, by acting as his wingman (much to the annoyance of Andy).
- Cultural Eating: Introduced in season 2, the segment involves one of the boys offering the other an unusual local delicacy. Although it only appeared twice in season 2, it became a regular (appearing in almost every episode) in seasons 3 and 4.
- Interviews (Season 1 only): Hamish and Andy interviewed various celebrities, either in the studio or in hotel rooms. This segment was removed from the DVD release because the people interviewed didn't want them included.
- R2-To-Do (Season 1 only): This robot featured on the show provides a list of goals for Hamish and Andy to achieve on their journey.
- 100-Second New York Lesson'd (Season 1 only): Taken by Ryan Shelton, where he would take the viewers on various highly exaggerated tours of different culture and places in New York, each timed to 100 seconds. Hamish and Andy would make cameo appearances in each of the segments.
Series overview
To date, four seasons of Hamish & Andy's Gap Year have aired.
| Season | Season title | Episodes | Base location | Originally released | DVD release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | ||||||
| 1 | Gap Year | 10 | Brooklyn | 28 July 2011 | 29 September 2011 | 17 November 2011 | |
| 2 | Euro Gap Year | 7 | London | 14 June 2012 | 26 July 2012 | 23 August 2012 | |
| 3 | Gap Year Asia | 6 | Bangkok | 8 July 2013 | 19 August 2013 | 28 August 2013 | |
| 4 | Gap Year South America | 6 | Buenos Aires | 1 July 2014 | 5 August 2014 | 6 August 2014 | |
Seasons
Hamish & Andy's Gap Year (2011)
| No. | Title | Air date (Australia) | Australia viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | 28 July 2011 | 1.456[10] | |
|
Safari: Catfish Noodling competition in Oklahoma and sleeping in public in NYC. | ||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | 4 August 2011 | 1.069[11] | |
|
Safari: Roller Derby in Arizona. | ||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | 11 August 2011 | 1.057[12] | |
|
Safari: LARPing (live action role playing) in Washington and Street Golfing in NYC. | ||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | 18 August 2011 | 0.993[13] | |
|
Safari: A 5-star dog hotel in Florida, and "New York Dreams", where Hamish & Andy fulfill dreams that have been sent in by viewers. | ||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | 25 August 2011 | 0.895[14] | |
|
R2-To-Do: Hamish wins the Heavyweight division of the New York State Bodybuilding Championships. | ||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | 1 September 2011 | 0.847[15] | |
|
Safari: A Wild West re-enactment for French tourists in California. | ||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | 8 September 2011 | 0.733[16] | |
|
Safari: Demolition Derby in Washington and the Asylum Film Studio (a studio that rips off blockbuster films) in NYC. | ||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | 15 September 2011 | 0.822[17] | |
|
Safari: Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and a meeting with private investigator Jay J. Armes in El Paso. | ||||
| 9 | "Episode 9" | 22 September 2011 | 0.850[18] | |
|
Safari: Hamish enters the National Hollerin' Contest, and the boys go to a SWAT training course. | ||||
| 10 | "Episode 10" | 29 September 2011 | 0.883[19] | |
|
Safari: The boys play basketball with Allan Houston at the West Fourth Street Courts. They also show a tourism ad made out of their "safari" adventures. | ||||
Hamish & Andy's Gap Year USA – "Best Of" Edition (2015)
A new version of Hamish & Andy's Gap Year was released to Stan in 2015 alongside all other Gap Year series, Caravan of Courage specials, Learn India with Hamish & Andy and Hamish & Andy's Reministmas Special. This version is based on the interview-free DVD, but rearranged and with a few segments (mostly 100-Second New York Lessond segments) deleted. This is also the version available on the Hamish & Andy TV YouTube channel, rather than the original.
| No. | Title | Safari | 100 Second New York Lesson'd | Hillary Clinton BBQ Update | Hamish vs. Andy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Part 1" | #1 – Bare-Hand Fishing #2 – Roller Derby | Food | - | - | |
|
Special announcement: Hamish thinks about excluding himself from this version | ||||||
| 2 | "Part 2" | #3 – LARPing | Nightlife | Voice Analyzer | - | |
|
Special announcement: Andy points out that all the "dumb bits", such as a clip of Hamish eating a massive burger are still included in this version | ||||||
| 3 | "Part 3" | #4 – Chateau Poochie #5 – Lowriders | Broadway | Jack in Hillary’s Hometown | Bin Lid Racing | |
|
Special announcement: Hamish mentions a Brad Pitt appearance, which according to Andy didn’t happen. | ||||||
| 4 | "Part 4" | #6 – Western Reenactment Town #7 – Combine Harvester Demolition Derby | - | - | Mates Racing | |
|
Special announcement: Hamish mentions that they almost put the interviews in, but were worried about celebrity party invitations Other segments include: Ultimate Gameshow Wingman; Asylum Productions – Home Of The Mockbuster; R2-To-Do - The Magic Castle | ||||||
| 5 | "Part 5" | #8 – Private Investigator Jay J. Armes #9 – Hollerin | - | Kim Beazley Visit | Stranger Racing | |
|
Special announcement: Hamish mentions that, unlike the celebrities, the regular guest stars get what they deserve | ||||||
| 6 | "Part 6" | - | Art | Ruddy To The Rescue | Subway Rodeo Sleep Racing | |
|
Special announcement: Hamish claims that they removed the interviews cause the celebrities said "you can’t on-sell them." Other segments include: Free Plastic Giveaway; Streetball in The Cage with Allan Houston; Magic Castle – Hamish Meets His Mentor, Doug; Magic Castle – The Audition; One Last Drive In The 3 Wheeled Tough Mobile; Ultimate Last Ditch Wingman | ||||||
Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year (2012)

The shows were broadcast from the disused Lord Stanley pub in East London (Sandringham Road, Dalston E8).[20]
This season was also the only one broadcast in the UK on ITV4.[21] Euro Gap Year and Gap Year Asia were rebroadcast in Australia throughout December 2020, due to Hamish and Andy not working on a new TV program that year.
| No. | Title | Air date (Australia) | Australia viewers (millions) | Ranking on night | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode One" | 14 June 2012 | 1.413[22] | #1 | |
|
Hamish and Andy travel to Mostar, Bosnia, to jump off the 21-metre tall Old Bridge. They also buy a rabbit which they name "Lenny Rabbitz", and compete in "Rabbit Jumping", a self- explanatory sport from Sweden. | |||||
| 2 | "Episode Two" | 21 June 2012 | 1.365[22] | #2 | |
|
The boys travel to Lapland (northern Scandinavia), to compete in reindeer racing. They also head out in London to be paparazzi for a day with a professional paparazzi called Jack. Later they crack open their homebrewed beer, Gap Byear, too early, and the beer hadn't even begun to ferment, due to "the freezing cold London summer" as Hamish puts it. | |||||
| 3 | "Episode Three" | 28 June 2012 | 1.411[23] | #2 | |
|
Hamish and Andy go to Venice, where they pilot Gondolas for a day, Hamish also reveals he his one eighth Italian, and acts as if Venice is his hometown, despite occasionally speaking Spanish to their Gondolier instructor. They head to the Netherlands to see which one is the better butler, by going to the International Butler Academy. | |||||
| 4 | "Episode Four" | 5 July 2012 | 1.183[24] | #4 | |
|
The boys go to Bavaria to compete in "Finger Pulling", a sport in which string is tied to each player's middle finger and they try to pull the other player's hand over a center line. Hamish pulls the short straw and must compete, and is unnerved after meeting a man who lost his finger in a game of finger pulling. In Russia, they go to a fighter pilot training centre and where they are taught how to eject, and not to f****ng touch anything once inside the plane, but before that they must go to a preparation sauna with other trainees. Ultimate Wingman returns, and they spend a day fulfilling other people's London dreams which are sent in and drawn from a pillowcase. | |||||
| 5 | "Episode Five" | 12 July 2012 | 1.090[25] | #5 | |
|
Hamish and Andy go to Catalonia to be part of Los Torres Humanas, but Hamish finds out there is a snail festival happening at the same time and joins that instead and he competes in a biscuit eating contest, which he wins, and spends most of the day drinking. In Paris they go into the catacombs where Andy tries to leave Hamish behind. They also try to ride a stage of the Tour de France with Australian cyclist Cadel Evans, but he was "too busy", so instead they decide to go from Gibraltar to Morocco on an aqua trike. | |||||
| 6 | "Episode Six" | 19 July 2012 | 1.156[26] | #3 | |
|
In Germany, they compete in "Bus Pulling" where teams of men pull a roadcoach over 30 metres, with some teams managing to do it in around 20 seconds. In Sicily, they try to sell more fish than each other in an hour. The boys head to France, where Hamish has the goal of buying a rollersuit, but after a disastrous trial run, Andy forbids Hamish from buying one. They also go to Gibraltar and set off on their aqua bike to Morocco, fueled by a Red Bull rip-off made by Hamish the night before, which was water with "every performance-enhancing vitamin in the store", Hamish also keeps a "captain's log" during the voyage. | |||||
| 7 | "Episode Seven: Pre Opening Ceremony Special" | 26 July 2012 | 1.118[27] | #3 | |
|
Australian Olympic athletes are the audience in the Lord Stanley for the filming of the episode. The boys go to Russia and act in Russian "cat theatre", a circus-type event involving cats. During the episode's filming, a torch, which was a model galah lit on fire (a flaming galah), was run from a Walkabout pub in London to light the Lord Stanley's fireplace. They head to Prague for some synchronized swimming, and run "vigorous psychological tests" on Australia's best Olympians. | |||||
Hamish & Andy's Gap Year Asia (2013)
The shows were broadcast from a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, called 'The Raintree'.[9]
| No. | Title | Timeslot | Air date (Australia) | Overnight viewers (Rank) Consolidated viewers (Rank) Total viewers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode One" | Monday 8 pm | 8 July 2013 | 1,566,000 (#1) 160,000 (#1) 1,726,000 | [28][29] |
| 2 | "Episode Two" | Monday 8 pm | 15 July 2013 | 1,490,000 (#1) 154,000 (#1) 1,644,000 | [30][31] |
| 3 | "Episode Three" | Monday 8 pm | 22 July 2013 | 1,455,000 (#1) 93,000 (#1) 1,548,000 | [32][33] |
| 4 | "Episode Four" | Monday 7 pm | 5 August 2013 | 1,191,000 (#4) 110,000 (#4) 1,301,000 | [34][35] |
| 5 | "Episode Five" | Monday 7 pm | 12 August 2013 | 1,228,000 (#4) 132,000 (#2) 1,360,000 | [36][37] |
| 6 | "Episode Six" | Monday 7 pm | 19 August 2013 | 1,299,000 (#3) 108,000 (#2) 1,407,000 | [38][39] |
Hamish & Andy's Gap Year South America (2014)
The shows were broadcast from Buenos Aires, Argentina. They also decided to include all of Latin America, rather than just South America, so they could go to Mexico and Central America.
| No. | Title | Timeslot | Air date (Australia) | Overnight viewers (Rank) Consolidated viewers (Rank) Total viewers | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode One" | 7:30pm Tuesday | 1 July 2014 | 983,000 (#7) 127,000 (#5) 1,110,000 | [40][41] | |
|
Hamish and Andy begin in Mexico and go to a town in which they partake in wearing paper-mache bull hats, which are loaded with fireworks. They go to Nicaragua and decide to fulfill two dreams: Climbing an active volcano, and cooking a lasagna on an active volcano. Hamish convinces Andy to see a Shaman to fix his sore shoulder, and in Cultural Eating, Andy gets Hamish to eat teredo worms. | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode Two" | 7:30pm Tuesday | 8 July 2014 | 967,000 (#6) 87,000 (#4) 1,054,000 | [42][43] | |
|
The boys once again begin in Mexico with a simulation border crossing. Neither of them 'make it'. Then they travel to Colombia to meet some tribesmen who specialize in blow darting, resulting in a game of (blow) darts, which Hamish and his partner win 24-22. By losing, Andy had to dress up in a monkey suit whilst villagers blew darts at him. Finally, in Cultural Eating, Andy had to eat an eye from a Bolivian "specialty" dish, called 'roast face'. | ||||||
| 3 | "Episode Three" | 7:30pm Tuesday | 15 July 2014 | 1,014,000 (#6) 123,000 (#4) 1,137,000 | [44][45] | |
|
Corporate Fat-Cat Racing | ||||||
| 4 | "Episode Four" | 7:30pm Tuesday | 22 July 2014 | 1,047,000 (#6) 102,000 (#5) 1,149,000 | [46][47] | |
| 5 | "Episode Five" | 8:40pm Tuesday | 29 July 2014 | 987,000 (#9) 216,000 (#1) 1,203,000 | [48][49] | |
|
Monkey Run: Players have 100 bananas strapped to them, and must shuffle across an obstacle course with their feet chained together and try to have less monkeys take away bananas than the other player. There is a banana attached to the player's groin which is a 30-point penalty if it is taken. The Player with the most bananas left is the winner. | ||||||
| 6 | "Episode Six" | 8:40pm Tuesday | 5 August 2014 | 1,000,000 (#8) 201,000 (#2) 1,201,000 | [50][51] | |
|
Photo Stalling: Players must offer to take a photo for a group of tourists in Rio, Brazil, but then stall as long as they can before taking the picture. If anybody in the group moves from their pose, the player loses. The second round challenged players to get the tourists to stand in as many different poses as possible before the tourists ask for their camera back. | ||||||
Ratings

| Season | Episode number | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1 | 1.456 | 1.069 | 1.057 | 0.993 | 0.895 | 0.847 | 0.733 | 0.822 | 0.850 | 0.883 | |
| 2 | 1.413 | 1.365 | 1.411 | 1.183 | 1.090 | 1.156 | 1.118 | – | |||
| 3 | 1.726 | 1.644 | 1.548 | 1.301 | 1.360 | 1.407 | – | ||||
| 4 | 1.110 | 1.054 | 1.137 | 1.149 | 1.203 | 1.201 | – | ||||
Awards and nominations
Hamish & Andy have won 5 Logie Awards from 16 nominations for their work on Hamish & Andy's Gap Year.
| Year | Nominee | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Hamish Blake | Most Popular Presenter | Nominated |
| Gold Logie: Most Popular Personality on Australian TV | Won | ||
| Hamish & Andy's Gap Year | Most Popular Light Entertainment Program | Won | |
| 2013 | Hamish Blake | Most Popular Presenter | Won |
| Gold Logie: Most Popular Personality on Australian TV | Nominated | ||
| Andy Lee | Most Popular Presenter | Nominated | |
| Gold Logie: Most Popular Personality on Australian TV | Nominated | ||
| Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year | Most Popular Light Entertainment Program | Nominated | |
| 2014 | |||
| Andy Lee | Most Popular Presenter | Nominated | |
| Gold Logie: Most Popular Personality on Australian TV | Nominated | ||
| Hamish Blake | Most Popular Presenter | Nominated | |
| Hamish & Andy's Gap Year Asia | Most Popular Light Entertainment Program | Won | |
| 2015[52] | Hamish Blake | Gold Logie: Most Popular Personality on Australian TV | Nominated |
| Andy Lee | Nominated | ||
| Most Popular Presenter | Nominated | ||
| Hamish & Andy's Gap Year South America | Most Popular Entertainment Program | Won |
References
- ↑ "'Terrifying' raid reconstructed". BBC News. 18 December 2003.
- ↑ "Lord Stanley, 15 St Marys Road, Plaistow E13". pubshistory.com.
- ↑ Cooke, Phoebe (7 August 2015). "Last orders? Pubs' fears over trade as Hammers move on". Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ↑ Archived 3 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Lord Stanley, Plaistow, London, E13 9AE - pub details # beerintheevening.com". beerintheevening.com.
- ↑ "001H81JYBU000 - The Lord Stanley 15 St Marys Road Plaistow London E13 9AE". pa.newham.gov.uk.
- ↑ Hopps, Kat (31 August 2016). "Upton Park's iconic pubs at risk as revenue and customers dwindle following West Ham move". Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ↑ "Hamish & Andy's Euro Gap Year". Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- 1 2 Archived 11 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Lowie - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Lowie - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Lowie - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Racer25 - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Thursday 25th August - Forums". Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Lowie - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Lowie - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "TJ. - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "TJ. - Five Capital City Figures, 6pm-midnight". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ "Thursday 29th September - Forums | Media Spy". Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ↑ Vickery, Colin. "Hamish and Andy's Euro Gap Year a winner with viewers". Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - 1 2 "Thursday 21 June 2012". 21 June 2012.
- ↑ "Thursday 28 June 2012". 28 June 2012.
- ↑ "Thursday 5 July 2012". 5 July 2012.
- ↑ "Thursday 12 July 2012". 12 July 2012.
- ↑ "Thursday 19 July 2012". 20 July 2012.
- ↑ "Thursday 26 July 2012". 26 July 2012.
- ↑ Knox, David (8 July 2013). "Monday 8 July 2013". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (16 July 2013). "Timeshifted: Monday 8 July 2013". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014.
- ↑ Knox, David (15 July 2013). "Monday 15 July 2013". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (23 July 2013). "Timeshifted: Monday 15 July 2013". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016.
- ↑ Knox, David (22 July 2013). "Monday 22 July 2013". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (30 July 2013). "Timeshifted: Monday 22 July 2013". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016.
- ↑ Knox, David (5 August 2013). "Monday 5 August 2013". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (13 August 2013). "Timeshifted: Monday 5 August 2013". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013.
- ↑ Knox, David (12 August 2013). "Monday 12 August 2013". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (20 August 2013). "Timeshifted: Monday 12 August 2013". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016.
- ↑ Knox, David (19 August 2013). "Monday 19 August 2013". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (27 August 2013). "Timeshifted: Monday 19 August 2013". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014.
- ↑ Knox, David (2 July 2014). "Tuesday 1 July 2014". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (9 July 2014). "Timeshifted: Tuesday 1 July 2014". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014.
- ↑ Knox, David (9 July 2014). "Tuesday 8 July 2014". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (16 July 2014). "Timeshifted: Tuesday 8 July 2014". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016.
- ↑ Knox, David (15 July 2014). "Tuesday 15 July 2014". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (23 July 2014). "Timeshifted: Tuesday 15 July 2014". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015.
- ↑ Knox, David (22 July 2014). "Tuesday 22 July 2014". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (30 July 2014). "Timeshifted: Tuesday 22 July 2014". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 4 August 2015.
- ↑ Knox, David (29 July 2014). "Tuesday 29 July 2014". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (7 August 2014). "Timeshifted: Tuesday 29 July 2014". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014.
- ↑ Knox, David (5 August 2014). "Tuesday 5 August 2014". TV Tonight.
- ↑ Knox, David (14 August 2014). "Timeshifted: Tuesday 5 August 2014". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014.
- ↑ Willis, Charlotte (22 March 2015). "Here's the full List of 2015 Logies nominations". news.com.au. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
External links
- 2011 Australian television series debuts
- 2011 English-language television series debuts
- 2014 Australian television series endings
- 2014 English-language television series endings
- 2010s Australian comedy television series
- English-language Australian television shows
- Nine Network original programming
- Hamish & Andy