Fat Pizza (simply known as Pizza, titled Fat Pizza: Back in Business from season six onwards) is an Australian comedy television series created by Paul Fenech.
The series premiered on SBS on 24 April 2000 where it aired for its first five seasons between 2000 and 2007 before moving to 7mate for its sixth and seventh seasons, in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The series has a spin-off feature length film, Fat Pizza, released in 2003, and a best-of highlights video and DVD that featured previously unreleased footage and a schoolies exposé, released in 2004. In addition to this, a theatre show entitled "Fat Pizza", starring several characters from the show, toured the Australian east coast. In 2014, the storyline of the series was combined with that of Housos to create the motion picture Fat Pizza vs. Housos. The film was shown in Australian cinemas from 27 November 2014.
Through some ironic and self-conscious references, Pizza involves themes of ethnicity and stereotypes (similar to Acropolis Now), cars, sex, illicit drugs and violence to produce its dark humour. The television program is noted for its frequent cameo appearances of numerous Australian celebrities of all varieties, including actors, comedians, professional athletes and other public figures.
History and development Pizza began in the early 1990s as a black-and-white short film entitled Pizza Man created by Paul Fenech, in which he starred as the eponymous pizza man. In 1995, the short film won third place in the Tropfest film festival.
The subsequent television series Pizza was written and directed by Paul Fenech, who portrays the protagonist of the series, pizza deliveryman Pauly. In a few of the episodes, Pauly breaks the fourth wall and as Paul Fenech, the self-described "fil-um maker",[sic] presents featurettes that reveal the history of the series, often in a tongue-in-cheek or parody manner. It was first broadcast on the SBS network in 2000 until the fifth season in 2007. The half-hour program was part of the SBS Monday comedy slot, noted for its offbeat comedy shows including South Park and John Safran.
The Fat Pizza feature film was released in 2003 and the second Fat Pizza vs. Housos in 2014, also featured characters from another Paul Fenech comedy series Housos.
Season 4 saw the shop move locations from Greenacre to Station Street, Fairfield Heights, NSW. This season also coincided with the addition of new cast members to the main Fat Pizza crew. The start of season 5 once again saw the store move locations, this time to a small shopping complex situated on Canberra Street, St Johns Park, NSW where it remained till the end of the series before its subsequent reboot of the series in 2019 which began season 6.
In August 2019, it was announced the series would be returning for a new season on Seven Network's multichannel 7mate, titled Fat Pizza: Back In Business. The season premiered on 5 November 2019. On 29 January 2020, it was announced that Fat Pizza: Back in Business had been renewed for another season. The season renewal was officially confirmed at Seven's Upfronts in October 2020, and premiered on 8 September 2021.
Synopsis The show focuses on the activities of Pauly and his co-workers, as they deliver pizzas for "Fat Pizza", the Sydney-based pizzeria of Bobo Gigliotti, whose slogan is "they're big and they're cheesy".
Throughout the series, the dangers of pizza delivery are exemplified by encounters with aliens, killer kangaroos, bikies, bogans, petty criminals, muggers, drug dealers, addicts and/or cartels, dominatrices, celebrities, the CIA, ASIO, Australian Border Force, the Australian Taxation Office, the New South Wales Police Force, the National Rugby League, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Army, Arab and Asian terrorists, organised crime gangs and even evil Satanic forces that conspire to bring about the end of the world. In spite of this, the characters remain unfazed and unsurprised, and they persist in their dead-end, below-minimum-wage job, which pays A$2.00 per hour.
Cast
Main Actor Role Character description Paul Fenech Pauly Falzoni Main protagonist, pizza delivery man, boxer, aspiring 'fil-um maker', one of Fat Pizza's longest-serving employees and (since season 6) the owner/manager of Fat Pizza. Pauly's father is Maltese and his mother is Mexican, and he also has Italian and Spanish roots. In season 6, Pauly reopens the shop after Bobo is imprisoned. Paul Nakad David "Sleek the Elite" Arafat Main co-star in the first two seasons and the movie. An aspiring rapper, ladies' man and pizza delivery man who dubs himself the 'Lebanese Lover' or 'Lebanese Legend'. He is kidnapped by Islamic terrorists while holidaying in Lebanon, for "rooting all their women". He is portrayed as a closeted bisexual male. He is replaced by Rocky's other cousin, Slick, who is killed off by Bobo. Sleek returns to work for Bobo in the Fat Pizza vs. Housos movie, after a stint in Guantanamo Bay for being mistaken for a terrorist, and eventually runs his own kebab shop. He is arrested after being mistakenly blamed for the attempted assassination of Premier Campbell Abbott, after which he shares a prison cell with Bubbles from Housos. John Boxer Bobo Gigliotti Psychotic chef and owner/manager of Fat Pizza. He is impatient and those that cross him usually end up on the wrong end of his chainsaw. He is a stingy, crooked boss, consistently docking the delivery boys' pay for any deviation from schedule. After his Vietnamese mail-order bride Lin Chow is deported, Bobo becomes engaged to former porn actress Ruby a.k.a. 'Mama Jugs' (Angela White), much to the disgust of his Mama. Bobo makes a cameo in a Housos episode with his trademark chainsaw. Bobo is imprisoned for 25 years after the events that transpired in the Fat Pizza vs. Housos movie, but escapes from prison, stealing his chainsaw from the shop. He returns to rescue Pauly from Ronnie McDoggle. Pauly helps get the charges against Bobo dropped, and he returns to work at Fat Pizza, but is eventually fired after Pauly finds dismembered body parts in the freezer. Tahir Bilgiç Habib Halal Habib A supporting character in the earlier series of Pizza and a main role in Fat Pizza. A friend of Sleek's, he is a stereotypical young Lebanese drug-dealer and fence of stolen goods. He is eventually employed at the shop as a delivery man, which he uses as a front for his illegal activities. He claims that he is socially inept, and used to be moderately successful with attractive women, but has developed a fetish for 'fat chicks' and has hitched up with Toula. Jason "Jabba" Davis David 'Davo' Dinkum A stereotypical bong-smoking Aussie bogan. Being the only non-'choco' at Fat Pizza sometimes leaves him discriminated against, but is friends with Habib. Introduced in the movie, he has appeared ever since. Davo is eventually sacked and spends most of his time getting stoned and drunk and looking for pot-smoking bogan chicks from Hashfield. He wears thongs as training footwear. Maria Venuti Maria 'Mama' Gigliotti Bobo's overbearing Italian mother who once owned Fat Pizza. Despite her being physically abusive, Bobo loves her and lives with her, until he is sent to prison. Since Bobo's imprisonment, Mama has been in a state of shock and is looked after by her nephew, Renzo. George Kapiniaris Ronnie McDoggle The mascot of McDoggle's and Pauly's archnemesis. After a car accident with Pauly, Pauly kicks him in the testicles, causing him to be infertile and lose his sanity. He makes a cameo in Fat Pizza vs. Housos, plotting a drive-by shooting on Pauly. The plan changes, and Ronnie instead coward-punches Pauly. He is the main antagonist of seasons 6 and 7, in which he makes many failed attempts to harm or kill Pauly, eventually succeeding in cutting off one of Pauly's testicles.
Supporting Actor Role Character description Rob Shehadie Robert "Rocky" Shekazbah Self-stylised 'Lebanese Rambo'. A tall, muscular, homophobic, egotistical Lebanese friend/second cousin of Habib (often role of enforcer), seems to be able to score with any number of young (and likely underage) women. Rebel Wilson Toula Maccalopolous Habib's obese Greek-Australian girlfriend then wife. She refers to him as her 'Habibi'. She is a voracious eater. She accompanies Pauly and Rocky in the Pizza World mockumentary. She is obsessively controlling over Habib's life. She uses her gang, 'Fat Chick 12' to prevent strippers from attending Habib's buck's night. After they are married, she prevents Habib from returning to work, however in season 5, he returns to work and avoids her, saying he is busy with work. Katrina SpadoneSpadone Katrina (Kat for short) Toula's best friend and Rocky's girlfriend. In the recent series of Pizza, Katrina develops a crush on Pauly when Rocky mistreats her. She breaks up and re-unites with Rocky several times. In World Record Pizza, she joins Pauly, Habib and Kev on their trip around the globe. However, she decides to remain in Brazil with her new boyfriend. She has since re-appeared throughout seasons 5 and 7. Tuyen Le Lin Chow Bang Bobo's Vietnamese mail-order bride. The Fat Pizza movie partly deals with the arrival of Lin Chow and her family, and at the end of season 3 she is deported back to Vietnam, due to Habib and Rocky turning informant in order to avoid drug charges and jail. Annalise Braakensiek Claudia MacPherson Dimwitted, rich, blonde, bulimic and attractive supermodel, her name is a play on Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson. She is a regular customer, and often has run-ins with Pauly and Sleek. Murray Harman Officer Murray Hot headed cop who does not like paper work, and has many run ins with Pauly. (In seasons 6 and 7, Harman reprises his role as Officer Richard Head from Housos). John Mangos The Newsreader
Employees at Fat Pizza Actor Role Character description Kevin Taumata Kev the Kiwi Stereotypical Māori Australian, who often sneaks to a local pub to "git on thuh puhss." Kev often uses New Zealand slang including "choice!" and "bro". He also has a small rivalry with Junior and is always seen with his sunglasses on. Taumata also appears in Series 6 and 7, as his character, Kevin Takamata, from Housos. Andrew Ausage Junior Bobo's apprentice chef, who, like Bobo, abuses the other employees. Sometimes Junior adds Samoan-inspired ingredients on pizzas, such as pig snouts, turtle meat and cooked Hāngī meat. In season 7, Junior returns after Pauly hires him as chef, but is fired, after repeatedly ignoring Pauly's instructions to not give away free pizzas to his relatives. Alex Romano DJ BJ 'BJ' ('Big Jams') is young employee, and the main target of Bobo and Junior's abuse. He enjoys playing his turntable but is also clumsy and weak, resulting in occasional accidents and injuries. Anh Do Chen Chong Fat (a.k.a. Keith) Stereotypical Asian, who tries to get into Australian culture, eating pies and sausage rolls and using outdated slang. He is eventually framed for eating a police dog and is sent to jail. Joe June Jingping The first chef to be hired at the new Fat Pizza in season 6. He only speaks Chinese and communicates with Pauly via a translator. After being blackmailed by Ronnie McDoggle, he resigns, upon which Pauly discovers that Jingping was also an animal smuggler. He is eventually rehired as chef after learning English, under the pretense that Pauly helps him with his animal smuggling. Peter Chidiac Jayden Brown Umit Bali Umit Yasmin Horner Yasmina Giani Leon The Kid A mute, BMX-riding employee who begins working for Pauly. He is a good pizza deliverer, often disappearing from view immediately after handing the customers their pizzas. He is also an excellent fighter. Maria Tran Suzie Jingping's daughter, who first appears alongside her father during his job interview with Pauly. She begins working as a deliverer, when her father is rehired as chef. Pauly is unable to pronounce her Chinese name, so refers to her as 'Suzie'.