Bob Dyer

Dyer's early radio shows were "stunt shows... [that] were different from the other vaudeville shows on radio at the time for, instead of a comedian or a group of people getting up in front of an audience and telling jokes, the Dyer shows depended for their fun on members of the audience themselves".[10] The shows included Can You Take it? and It Pays to Be Funny. The idea for these shows came from the United States of America. Dyer was given permission by the American radio and television star, Art Linkletter, to use and adapt his scripts and stunts in Australia.[10] People enjoyed the stunts, apparently enjoying seeing "their fellows put into funny and sometimes embarrassing situations ... but few 'victims' came out of the stunt shows with hard feelings; Bob Dyer was always genial and good-humoured and the prizes for doing ridiculous things were substantial".[11]

Dyer's shows were sponsored by Solvol, Atlantic Union Oil (for which he used the greeting "Happy motoring, customers") and Colgate-Palmolive (with the greeting "Happy lathering, customers"). In one of these he included secret sounds, such as tearing a plaster off his arm, a dog scratching fleas, or a cat lapping milk.[2] Another, Can You Take It?, comprised "scrapes and dares [and was] designed to outdo a similar show by his friend and rival Jack Davey".[2] Barry Jones, long time quiz contestant on Pick a Box, wrote that "he had a long-standing rivalry, partly genuine, partly simulated, with Jack Davey, presumably modeled on the 'feud' in the United States between Jack Benny and Fred Allen".[8] Harry Griffiths says of the two that Dyer's "gags might have been more obvious than Jack Davey's slick humour but Bob knew what people wanted. His stuff was for the masses".[12] However, while Davey had the sharper wit, he "was essentially a radio performer who failed to make a fully successful transition to television".[8] Lesley Johnson, in his biography of Jack Davey for the Australian Dictionary of Biography, writes that "in contrast to Dyer's carefully written scripts, Davey's spontaneity and wit, delivered in the warm, rich voice, for which he was so well known on radio, did not attract television audiences".[13]

Australian radio personality John Pearce, who knew both Davey and Dyer, wrote in his autobiography that Dyer:

allowed the television people to tell him how it [Pick a Box] could be transformed into the new medium, realising that TV is eighty per cent visual, and a gesture, a piece of visible "business" is far more important than all the clever, rapier-fast dialogue. Bob really worked at it, and he took every piece of advice offered. Following the recording of one of his early shows, he turned from all the people telling him how good it had been and went to one of the cameraman. "I noticed you threw up your hands in horror at something I did. Where did I go wrong?" He was told, and never did it again. Davey would have been looking to have the cameraman sacked![14]

Some well known Australian actors, such as Bud Tingwell and John Ewart, worked as assistant comperes on Dyer's radio programs. As Tingwell had described it, the role of the assistant compere was to "do the big, posh Colgate-Palmolive commercials during the show as well as... the introductions" of Bob himself and the contestants.[15] Tingwell describes this period of his life as "an extraordinarily generous period, working with a very, very good professional"[15] noting that Dyer would release him for his film work and use a temporary assistant until he returned.

In 1948, when he was also compering Winner Take All and Cop The Lot, Dyer launched the quiz show Pick a Box on radio. He toned down his hillbilly twang and "replaced his yellow boots and loud checks with a respectable suit, tie and glasses".[2] In 1957, Pick a Box made its television debut. It was first sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive and later by British Petroleum (BP). It was the first big quiz show on national television.[2] Dyer's catch-cry on the show, "the money or the box", was a familiar phrase in Australia[9] decades after the show ended. "Howdy, customers, howdy" and "Tell them Bob sent you" were other well-known Dyer catch-cries.[9]

Early in 1957, ATN began simulcasting eight radio shows from the Macquarie Auditorium. These included two by Bob Dyer, It Pays to Be Funny and Pick A Box. Within a year only Pick A Box was still on the air.[18] It was simulcast for five years.[8][19]