Keep an eye or ear out for Shaun over the next few days as we count down to Mad As Hell on Wednesday – he’ll be appearing on a number of radio and TV programs to spruik what Tony Martin calls “the best comedy show in the country”.
Check our Twitter feed for the latest sightings/hearings as they occur.
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As many will already know, Mad As Hell is back from next week, the same time slot as last season – Wednesday 8pm on ABC1 (plus repeated throughout the week).
The cast and crew have already been back in the studio filming some sketches, which hopefully we’ll get to see throughout the season.
The ABC have also launched a new website for the show, although it seems like it’s more to suit their new style, as there’s actually less content on this one (so far).
In the meantime, strap yourself in for the Micallef train!
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) (formerly known as the AFI), held their annual awards for 2014 on January 30th.
And the winner for Best Performance in a Television Comedy? Shaun Micallef (of course), for Mad As Hell. Apparently he gave a cheeky speech poking fun at his fellow nominees (but I’ve haven’t seen it yet).
And Kat Stewart, his Mr & Mrs Murder co-star, won Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for her role in Offspring.
Huzzah!
(You can now watch it at TenPlay; Shaun’s award is at 43:20 and he presents Best actress in a television drama at 52:00)
The word is that the third season of Mad As Hell will be hitting our screens “sometime before March”, but we’re waiting on official confirmation from the ABC on the exact date (or even day of the week: will it stay on Wednesdays?!)
With the season starting so early in the year – could we expect a double-hit this year? I don’t know, I’m asking you!
As part of the ABC “New Years Eve 2013” broadcast, month-by-month highlights of 2013, separated into 4 parts, were scattered throughout the broadcast. And they were all voiced by Shaun, in his usual style, and were some of the funniest moments from the whole show.
You can watch the broadcast on iView until the 14th, the packages are placed: at the start, 41min, 1hr 16min and 2hr 15min.
Shaun also sent his personal New Years greetings whilst on his Mykonos holiday with Tony Jones.
Shaun joined Tom and Alex on Triple J Breakfast today, and was his usual irreverent self, discussing his award wins, his impressions and the non-sequitur discussions on his Vega breakfast show.
He also revealed he has been working on a book in his break from Mad As Hell, which he revealed as being titled “The President’s Desk” (although this could be a red-herring). We should expect to see it hit real and virtual bookshelves next year! Hooray!
The ABC series “Shock Horror Aunty” has aired over the last few weeks, looking at ABC TV’s most shocking moments.
The last episode concentrated on those who dared take on society’s sacred cows, and the Micallef P(r)ogram(me) was noted for two sketches: Wayne’s character’s statue of the horrors of war, complete with erections; and the documentary of Weary Dunlop: Transexual. The ironic part about the Weary Dunlop sketch is that it was never aired because of the media backlash over the very thought of it, however the sketch itself actually only went for 10 seconds before it was designed to cut away to a complaints desk – mocking the exact scenario that actually happened!
It’s a Date has been an eight part comedy series on the ABC focusing on couples and the rules of dating. Each episode has featured 2 couples, and revolved around topics such as “How Important Is Honesty On A First Date?”. It featured an all star cast, including Asher Keddie, Lisa McCune, Shane Jacobson and Ross Noble, and was created and primarily written by Peter Hellier.
In the last episode, “Does Age Matter?”, one of the stories focused on Michael and Alison, two med students who may be about to move to the next stage of their relationship, if it doesn’t all fall apart. And it was written by Shaun! Check out the episode on iView (for the next 2 weeks) – so I won’t spoil it here, but I will post in the comments…
It’s hard to imagine any of Shaun’s standout TV shows without Francis Greenslade; from the bumbling stage manager on The Micallef P(r)ogram(me), to Peter/Paul Cohen on Welcher & Welcher to the second banana on Micallef Tonight – not to mention his brilliant characters on Newstopia and Mad As Hell.
He’s launched his own website: www.francisgreenslade.com. So check it out, won’t you?
Stephen Hall, one of the writers of Mad As Hell and star of Bond-A-Rama (and also interviewed on this site), is performing a new show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival during September and October: Raiders of the Temple of Doom’s Last Crusade.
As you might have guessed, it’s the first three Indiana Jones films (or all three, if you don’t count the fourth as being worthy) packed in to one hour.
Bond-A-Rama was a thoroughly entertaining show and Stephen is very funny, so if you’ve enjoyed any of the Indiana Jones films – you’re going to like this.
More information at https://www.facebook.com/raidersofthetempleofdoomslastcrusade. Tickets are on sale now.