Keeping Australian showbiz queen Joy Hruby’s community TV show Joy’s World spinning, By James Taylor - 2nd November 2015
(The Southern Courier)

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Joy Hruby shooting her show Joy's World from her Botany home. Photo: John Appleyard

JOY Hruby was three when she realised her life would be dedicated to dazzle of show business.

Standing in a rural NSW church in 1930, she took the whole congregation by surprise.

“I was standing in front of a big, big audience and I thought ‘I’m going to make them laugh’,” she said.

“So instead of singing ‘Jesus loves me this I know’ I sang ‘What will we do with the drunken sailor, what will we do with the drunken sailor’. So that caused a riot and I had everyone laughing.”

And that was it. For more than half a century the 88-year-old actress, TV presenter, producer, filmmaker, author, educator, agent and legend of Australia’s arts and entertainment industry has been hooked on showing people a good time.

Martin Meagher, Louise Sharah, Joy Hruby and Daniel Bird on the set of Around the World on Saturday Night variety show in 1999. Photo: Nicole Emanuel.

Early in the piece she spent her time entertaining soldiers in Dubbo, with an aptly named Dubbo Dazzlers troupe, before moving into the entertainment industry.

About 25 years ago Mrs Hruby changed pace, setting up her own community TV program Joy’s World.

“A couple of university students had started this little idea about community television and broadcasting around the flats (in Redfern). I heard about it, so I stuck my nose in to see what they were up to. It just grew from there,” she said.

It is now the longest-running show on Australian Community TV.

Run out of her small garden shed in Botany, Mrs Hruby and her loyal helpers have produced 1000s of episodes, aired on channel 31.

Mrs Hruby was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to entertainment in 2007. Photo: Timothy Clapin

But she needs help to keep it running and has launched an appeal to help fund new recording equipment.

The now-worn equipment has helped boost the careers of dozens of prominent Australian arts and entertainment industry identities — like Bryan Brown and Gia Carides.

“Every little bit helps I guess. We need new equipment, we need new recording equipment. I have an editor that comes here every Thursday and spends a few hours editing and he has lot of trouble sometimes, because some of the equipment is rather old,” she said.

Maroubra promoter Greg Tingle said it was the former Studio J actors’ agency head who had given his profile a kick.

“The show is so iconic. It would be a sin to lose it,” he said.

To help keep Joy’s World alive, aired on channel 31, visit joysworld.biz