Category: TV Shows

Variety on the cards again for Shaun

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Shaun has confirmed he will be filming a pilot for a new variety show on Channel 10.

Being interviewed for the Herald Sun, has admitted “I’m doing a pilot in July. Any variety show worth its salt is live. There’s a big taste for that at the moment.” He went on to describe his current relationship with Ten as a “good one”, which he wants to build on. He’s also talking to them about other projects.

He describes his current show, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, as having the most “real” version of himself, unlike shows such as The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) and even Micallef Tonight. Of the reason for using a “character” version of himself previously, “Perhaps I hid behind characters was, ‘What if they don’t like me?’ ”

He’s very flattered by the success of TAYG, which culminated in his winning of a Logie for Most Popular Presenter.

Let me be the first to say – if you need someone for your audience Shaun, I’ll be there with bells on!

Read the full article.

Laid starts tonight

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Marieke Hardy’s ABC comedy series Laid starts Wednesday (that’s tonight!) at 9:30pm – don’t miss it, as Shaun is almost certain to appear in the first episode. Besides, it’s an excuse to hear him say “Penis Aneurism” again!

It’s right after Adam Hill’s “In Gordon Street Tonight” at 8:30pm, so why not watch that too? 🙂

Edit: OK, so you’ll have to wait till next week to see Shaun’s bit, but at least it will be in context!

Vote 1 for Shaun!

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Voting has opened for the 2011 Logie Awards – Australia’s closest thing to an Emmy.

To vote, you’ll need to choose your favourites in a number of categories (including best new ‘talent’) – but the important thing is you can vote for Shaun as Most Popular Presenter and Most Popular TV Personality – ie. the Gold! You can also cast a vote for TAYG.

You’ll also need to supply your details to validate your vote – but it is well worth it…. for Shaun… 🙂

(PS. You have till February to cast your vote.)

A sneak peek of Laid

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As yet, no firm date has been set for Laid, Marieke Hardy’s new black comedy show which Shaun has a guest role – other than “next year”. But a sneak peek has been posted – and lucky us – it contains Shaun, playing a subtly strange gynaecologist.

(Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch – “I am a doctor. Actually, I’m a gynaecologist but this is my lunch hour”)

You can also “like” the show on Facebook.

Rewind: Newstopia begins on SBS

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It was October 2007, and the industry was abuzz of a new show on SBS. Some were already comparing it to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. But this was something unique – Australian, absurb and very Micallef.

Yes, it is 3 years since the first season of Newstopia began. “Shaun Micallef rewrites the headlines” was how The Age Green Guide described it. It was meant to debut during 2008, but was bought forward to coincide with the 2007 Federal Election. It would have no live-studio audience and could almost be mistaken for a real news show. And it would be a great platform to judge the news of the world because “we (Australia) have no control over it.”

Described as the “luckiest unsuccessful” comedian in Australia by The Age Green Guide, Micallef was quoted as saying “I’m a white-faced comedian rather than a red-nosed comedian. I don’t have baggy pants and a ‘love me’ attitude. If you want to find the joke, it’s here somewhere. You just have to look for it.” This goes some of the way why some people might ask: what’s so funny about this guy. To which an equal number respond: everything.

Memories of Micallef Tonight still loomed, even 4 years later. And Shaun himself acknowledged some of reasons why it didn’t work: his lack of experience, the overly-fast-past alienated some viewers – but he was still immensely proud of it.

During an interview, Shaun admitted “I do get depressed sometimes. But it’s not a huge thing. It’s really a very small dog. It’s a chihuahua.”

Shaun himself wasn’t sure Newstopia would be his ‘breakthrough’ success (leaving “target demographics” to the bean counters); he would just try to be funny.

For more information, see the Newstopia page

A sketch from MousePATROL

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The thought of Shaun Micallef and Tony Martin working on a TV project together sounds like it would be the most amazing thing EVER! Well, it almost happened in 2004.

A show with the working title MousePATROL was the vehicle, but unfortunately the ABC shelved it, and not much of the material was ever released. But this week, Tony’s post on Scrivener’s Fancy revisits one of the rejected scripts on the topic of ‘Footytainment‘.

Enjoy, and we’ll keep wishing these two comic geniuses will get the chance to work together again.