Have you ever visited a quaint country town, spotted a 'For Sale' sign above the local pub, and felt tempted to buy it and completely reinvent your life? It's a common dream, but one that comedian Shane Jacobson has turned into reality, alongside his long-time friend and creative collaborator Dean Murphy.
The pair, who have worked together for over twenty years, are now the proud owners of the historic Dederang Hotel in country Victoria. Their journey has been captured for a new series coming to Seven, aptly titled Ooops! I Bought A Pub.
"I actually purchased it sight unseen," Jacobson explains. "Dean sent me an email, and at the bottom of it, he said, 'By the way, have you ever thought about buying a pub?' I rang him straight away and said, 'What the hell are you talking about?' Because — and I know Dean doesn't mind people knowing this about him — but he doesn't drink. Like — he's never had a drink in his life! That's when he told me, 'It's not just a pub — it's the Dederang Hotel.'"
Murphy had grown up in the tiny rural idyll, which is 50 km from Falls Creek and 325 km from Melbourne. He had recently moved back to the area. When he found out the beloved pub was for sale, he knew he had to do everything in his power to try to save it.
Jacobson's interest was piqued immediately, as was his other half's. "My wife, she comes from Irish heritage and her grandmother was born and raised in a pub, so there's a bit of a romantic notion of it for my wife," he says. "She was keener than me from the start — if she'd said no, I would have said no, but she said, 'Oh, that looks beautiful, I love it.'"
Not long after that conversation, Jacobson was en route, purchase papers in hand and a film crew trailing behind. "The TV show was an afterthought, actually — which I don't think people will believe," he admits. "I think they'll believe that we bought a pub to make a TV show, but it's not true. The idea was to buy the pub and save the pub first, and then after that, because we are both producers of content, that's when we said, 'We probably should make a show about it.' But the idea of the pub came first."
Boasting various accommodation options, an outdoor beer garden, and a restaurant, the venue was a going concern. It had been owned for 35 years by much-loved publican Dave McKnight, who was looking for the right people to take over his beloved business.
Jacobson is still heavily involved in the entertainment industry — right now he has two films in cinemas (The Deb and How To Talk Australians), he's on the Gold Coast filming a new project, and he is about to front a new game show on Seven — but he knew he wanted to get behind saving the iconic venue, even if it meant he'd have his hands full.
"When I saw the photos of the area — and when you visit in person — you realise it's special," he says. "From inside the bar, you kind of go, 'It's a really beautiful old country pub.' And then you keep going room after room, and the manager's quarters — it's a whole residence. It's this block of land, literally sat in the middle of this valley… and when you get there, it blows your mind, it's so beautiful, with this big mountain range that wraps around the whole property."
Camera crews were there to capture his first glimpse of the pub, and from there it was full steam ahead on renovations and filming, all captured for the series. The pub's accommodation was given a thorough overhaul, changes were made to the kitchen, and the roof and floor were replaced.
"We had to keep the pub going — that was our mission," Jacobson said. "We promised the locals two things: that we would never shut the pub, and that it wouldn't have pokies. We said that from day one."
Save for two weeks where the venue's roof and floor were replaced, they stayed true to their word. A few weeks ago, Jacobson, Murphy, and their team finally celebrated the successful completion of their passion project. "I don't want to give it away, or blow the story for you, but guess what — we did it," Jacobson laughs. "It was a long road, and a whole lot more work than we imagined — and we knew it was going to be a big task... but we have no regrets. Because now the Ranga is up and going, and people are loving it."
Ooops! I Bought a Pub premieres Saturday May 2 at 8pm on Seven and 7Plus.
