Lance TV hangs up moustache with final episode

It’s the end of an era as the multi-award-winning variety show Lance TV airs its final episode this week.

Since 2017, Lance TV has been connecting communities across Victoria and beyond. Streaming weekly, Lance TV has grown thanks to the drive of drag king Lance DeBoyle.

It started when Lance moved from Darwin to Daylesford, performing a show with Gabriella Labucci.

Audiences were so entertained that they suggested they live stream. The idea stayed in the back of Lance’s mind.

But making it happen meant finding a home in Ballarat with a garage that could Lance could transform into a studio.

“We moved in April and were streaming via Facebook on 15^th June,” Lance told QNews.

“I knew a little how to mix audio, but I didn’t know anything else.”

Centering voices that wouldn’t see the light of day

“I was watching other queens streaming, beating their mugs and sitting around, and I thought there had to be more,” Lance explained.

“I’m old enough to remember the Graham Kennedy show, and that’s where the format came from.

Lance laughs, “When we began, we had to unpack it for people. They didn’t know what it was, so we had to make sure our guests were always interesting.

“When people understood what we were doing they helped by giving us that signal boost.”

Lance TV continued to build and grow in format and reach. After incorporating, they began streaming on regional queer Facebook pages.

In February 2020, the show won awards, airing on free-to-air community TV Channel 31.

Lance TV was the first TV show of drag queen Gabriella Labucci before she left to appear on Drag Race Down Under.

One of its joys has been how it has championed regional LGBTQIA+ communities.

“Being able to centre voices that wouldn’t normally see the light of day in the mainstream was important.”

“It’s good for urban areas to see what’s happening past their suburbs”.

Time to hang up the moustache?

After many years, Lance TV’s signal is powering down.

“It costs us about $1,800 a quarter to be on Channel 31,” Lance said.

“In the first few years, I think we were a bit of a novelty for people who would sponsor us.

“But promotions for regional queer businesses helped get us over the line.”

Streaming regional queer festivals also helped support the show, which had grown to become a full team.

But without the funds to support it all, Lance agreed it was time to draw the line.

When asked if the show could transform into something else, Lance admits that maybe it’s time to hang up the moustache.

“Look, I could end up being like John Farnham, but maybe this is my last hurrah,” Lance laughed.

“I don’t get many live gigs, so I think I might contact the Guinness Book of Records about being a Drag King with the longest television show.”

The final episode of Lance TV airs this Friday the 6^th of December. You can catch the final and every past episode here.

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