Mad As Hell is back for its second season- and this time Shaun promises he knows what he’s doing.
This year it has moved to Wednesday nights (from the original Friday night time), probably to line up with the ABC’s traditional comedy night.
It returns 20 February 2013, Wednesdays 8pm on ABC1.
(Now I need to calm down from all this excitement.)
Last year, I had the enviable task of interviewing Shaun about his latest works. Unfortunately we ran out of time, so he kindly answered the rest via email… and through the busyness of last year – I forgot to post it!
So, as originally promised, part 2 of the 2012 interview: (some facts may have changed since first answered)
Me: You’ve traditionally been very private about your family and home life, what made you decide to participate in Who Do You Think You Are?
Shaun: I would never want to take part in a documentary about myself. I don’t even like doing an interview unless I’m plugging something and I can do some shtick. Sometimes if it’s someone I know well, I’ll do it (like Tony Martin) but otherwise I just assume people really wouldn’t be that fascinated by me blathering on about myself. It’s okay on a website like this because people come looking for it – but on TV it’s a bit different and has a slightly higher obligation to be a bit entertaining (sorry Stuart). WDYTYA was a bit different though: part history lesson and part travelogue. I thought it would be interesting and was surprised that I opened up emotionally (for me).
Your appearance on the show got such a response from people who felt connected to your story. Did you imagine that would happen?
I must admit I hadn’t thought about that. I was amazed at the number of people who watched it, who actually knew my father. Quite a few people lived in the same street and remembered the bombing. My cousin contacted me (I have not seen her for many years) to tell me the two little girls who were killed (and who shared our surname) were, in fact, related to us. Very sad obviously. But the whole point of the series is to connect with people – and it did that.
Has what you found out in WDYTYA changed things for you and your relationships? (If it’s not too personal)
Well, it did for a while – I was all charged up with embracing my family and looking up relatives I haven’t spoken to in decades – but I have since reverted to my usual aloof self.
How long have you been planning Mr and Mrs Murder? Is there anything you can give away about it?
Mr & Mrs Murder was an idea Jason Stephens and I had a couple of years ago. We had been trying to hatch a project for myself and Kat for a while ) We’d both come up with Newstopia back in 2008 – along with Gary and Michael). There was a sketch show the ABC were interested in which turned out to be too expensive (the doctor-wants-your-husband’s-bed sketch from MAH was written for the Pilot). Mr & Mrs is the one that TEN liked. Can’t give away too much as TEN like thinking they are in charge and will get cross if I reveal anything…like that my character is a Martian and Kat’s character is actually a robot. Oops.
Are you looking forward to concentrating more on the acting?
I’m always acting – even when I’m not on screen. But I am looking forward to just acting and not having to produce or write the show.
You worked with Kat in Newstopia, and obviously developed a bond. Was it a preference to work with her in a more dramatic role rather than having her join Mad As Hell?
Well, I loved working with everyone in Newstopia but we wanted to make Mad as Hell a new show – or as new as possible, given the type of show it was – and that is why we didn’t use the same cast. I’d work with Kat in anything – the same goes for Nicholas Bell, Julie Eckersly, Ben Anderson and Peter Houghton. All brilliant.
Jenn asks: After a busy year with TAYG, MAH and Mr and Mrs Murder, will you be taking a break or are you keen to jump straight into the next project (or the next season of MAH?)
MAH returns early next year. Not sure what’s happening beyond that. I may get time to work on my new book.
There have been a few in-jokes in MAH – such as the parrot sketch reference, the two iced vovos, the TV guide description mirroring Welcher and Welcher – do you (or the other writers) like to add them for those who’ll notice them, or purely for your own enjoyment?
Michael Ward wrote the sketch with the dead parrot reference, Gary wrote the one with the iced vovos in it and I wrote the program descriptions. Personal tics and favourite references turn up all the time but are rarely the point of a joke or front and centre in a sketch. I suppose it’s a way of personalising the material. Gary’s sketches tend to have characters named after SANFL footballers and be about form rather than character, Michael’s tend to be mostly about characters who are idiots and mine involve me sitting at the desk, nodding.
Mr Griffiths asks: Where do you get your ideas for your sketches from?
There’s an internet site we use.
Have you enjoyed bringing back old characters like Nobby and Milo?
In MAH we had some jokes which required an immensely stupid character, so I resurrected Nobby. Milo didn’t make an appearance (unless you count Francis’s impression of him in the last episode). I did notice that Nobby seemed a bit sad and lonely looking. My hair is now so white Nobby had to wear a beanie.
What does Gary think of these old characters returning!?
I think Gary was happy to see Nobby. He used to write the sketches for him when he was on Full Frontal. Hard to tell what Gary is thinking. He’s so mysterious.
Has Mr William Duthie become a new favourite?
I liked him. Michael Ward and I wrote the sketches. He might have done his dash though as he became increasingly senile over his five appearances. Keen eyed viewers will note he looks a bit like a character I played in the Micallef Program who burns down a nursing home.
Alex asks: I’m all the way up here in Brisbane, and it’s hard for me to get down to Melbourne, but one day I would love to meet you Shaun! Do you have anything planned in the future in terms of a tour?
Nothing planned as yet, Alex, but I’m always thinking about doing a stage show of some description – perhaps with Francis. I have the title: ‘An Audience in front of Shaun Micallef (and Francis Greenslade) but no actual show written as yet.
Mardi asks: On the scale of one to ten, do you still have the superball I gave you?
Green.
Jenn asks: What is your weapon of choice in the inevitable zombie apocalypse?
Ka-Bar Black Cutlass Machete. Maybe also take out an AVO.
Thanks to Shaun for continuing to be pestered by my questions!
As I’ve not been watching Channel Ten recently, I hadn’t noticed that there’s been promos for Mr and Mrs Murder. If you haven’t either, here’s the most recent one:
There’s also another from earlier.
It’s expected to air in the next few months.
Not really news for us, but ABC has confirmed the return of Mad As Hell in 2013. The “what’s happening in 2013” video has a short mention of the show at the 6:55 mark. Hurray!
Shaun has been announced by the Australian version of GQ magazine as “Comedian of the Year” in their Men of the Year awards for 2012. Noted as the “silver fox”, he is described as someone who “grafts the subversive to the obscure.”
For someone who doesn’t easily fall into the traditional “comedian” category, it’s a great acknowledge for his wit and charm.
You can read the full story on the website or in the Dec/Jan magazine.
Filming is continuing on Mr and Mrs Murder at the moment, with reports that it’s looking quite good. Channel Ten have recently announced their 2013 line-up, with Mr & Mrs being a major element.
As for whether TAYG will return, Josh Thomas has again confirmed the end of it via a tweet: “I keep getting asked…Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation isn’t returning. Mostly because Shaun has run out of new ways to poor [sic] food on my head.”
And with another season of Mad As Hell next year, there’s plenty to look forward to. And maybe… another book… ?!
Strangely enough for a topic news show, the first season of Mad As Hell is making its way to DVD. It’s available from this Wednesday 3rd October from most DVD retailers or the ABC shop. We’re not expecting any special features, but if you didn’t tape it when it first aired, here’s your opportunity to complete your Micallef collection.
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Just who is Tosh Greenslade? Apart from seeing him play some great characters on Mad As Hell, and knowing he wasn’t related to Francis, he was an enigma to us all. Then I got to talk to him, after a taping of Mad As Hell, and it turns out he is just a big a fan of Shaun’s as we are! And very modest.
(And he agreed to have that photo posted!)
Me: There’s been a lot of interest on the website to learn more about you. (Tosh looks incredulous) I guess because everyone is familar with Francis, Roz and the rest of the cast, but you’re a new face. How did you become involved in Mad As Hell?
Tosh: Basically, Francis directed a show that I did at drama school about 4 years ago. At the time, I was like “awww it’s Francis”, because I’d never met him before. And then, last year in December I got a call from the production people, and they were like “Shaun Micallef want’s you to audition for his show.” I was at a call centre, at my job, and I had to pretend on the phone to everybody that I wasn’t pissing myself. And then, I auditioned for it. I hadn’t seen Francis really, except briefly (since the show). And he kindly recommended me for an audition!
Wow, fantastic. So you came in and did an audition…
Yes, that’s it. And then I went to America, and spent all my time there being like “I hope I got it… maybe I didn’t get it.” Then it got to April, and I was like, I can pretty much guarantee I haven’t got this – I’m going to work in a call centre the rest of my life. And then they called me, and said “Tosh, Shaun wants you to be in the show.” I was like *uurghn*, and then I was in the show!
How have you enjoyed working on the show, the format and the different characters?
Well, it’s pretty rediculous being able to work on the show. I know of (this website) because I’m a fan of Shaun myself.
I wish I had any talent to work with Shaun!
I mean, look at me, I’m working on Shaun’s show – it can happen to anybody. Most of the stuff I’d done previously, I’d done almost entirely theatre. It’s something where I work very much from a character perspective, and a lot of actors are entirely method and prefer to find realism in their characters. I’m usually like, “if I do a voice, thats a character isn’t it?” So it (the show) plays to my strengths, I think. Even if that’s not a lot…
So you enjoy the characters where you can work with them a little bit, but they might not be fully developed?
Yeah, I think the shortness of each scene and the chopping between scenes (works for me).
Lucy from the website wanted to know what your background is?
As an actor or a human being?
I guess as an actor. I mean, you’d been in theatre before?
Not paid – not of any profile! (laughs) I always wanted to be actor ever since I was 15 or 16 years old, and then I went to University and thought I should probably do something to fall back on. I did half of a science degree, and didn’t go to any classes and failed out of it. I failed a few semesters, and it got to the point where I thought, “they’ve let me in a lot of times, I really should do something else because they’re going to kick me out this time.” And then my friend said “go to drama school”, and so I did and I got out 2 years ago. It’s mainly been theatre shows and stuff with friends. Mainly indie-theatre. I haven’t been acting outside of drama school, in the public sphere for the that long, two years at most.
So this is your first…. ?
Yeah, this is my first job. It’s basically like if you left high school and got to be an Astronaut, or what ever you wanted to be when you were a child. “Here, let your first job be your dream job – enjoy that!” It’s rediculous, it doesn’t make any sense. Right up until we actually started filming, I thought it was a horrible, horrible joke that was going to end up with me being hit with a stick. It’s rediculously good.
You end up playing a lot of the characters in suits, trying to debunk theories….
Basically, all I do is I come in, I learn my lines… not always – as evidenced (on this website)! (Tosh breaks into laughter)
You had the most scientific lines possible, so I did preface that they were quite difficult.
Nah, I was just shit at them. I come in, get my clothes on, which is usually a suit. Then they do something with my hair, or put a wig on. And then I just do it straight, and the material is such that I don’t really have to do anything at all. It’s the easiest job I’ve ever done. If there is room to create a character, I will try to do a little bit of character stuff, but it’s almost entirely in the material. When I get the scripts, I read it and you can tell “that’s funny, Shaun’s written that” – it feels like something that Shaun’s written, and you know just straight away from the words. You read the rhythms of it.
You can tell when Shaun’s written something as opposed to one of the other writers?
To an extent. I probably can’t tell so much between Shaun and Gary, just because I’ve grown up watching Full Frontal or The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) where they write together. I’m starting to pick between them, and starting to feel the little differences. When I say, “that’s a Micallef script” – I mean that’s Shaun’s team, it’s that style. If you play it completely straight, the comedy just comes out of it. You don’t need to do anything with it. And when you try and do things to it, when you try and put a funny voice on it or put a funny character on, it wrecks it because it hides all the material. Basically I’m a prop that breathes.
You’re way too modest! It’s been fantastic.
The show’s very fantastic. I really like the show. I watch it myself, and I don’t like my own stuff.
Are you someone who would fast forward your own bits?
No, I’m somebody who would watch my own bits intently and say “that’s terrible.” Not self analyse, just beat myself up by watching my own performances. I go online a lot, and I look for people who don’t like my performances, and it’s very hard to find them. I’ve only found one, and I dwell on that. I’m getting it tatooed on my face.
You’re terrible. What thing have you done so far that you’ve enjoyed the most?
There’s some things coming up (in the final episode) that are really fun. And blowing up the van (in the 9th episode) – you didn’t see how big it was on the film, because it was shot from above. The fireball was massive, it was so good. If you listen to the audio of it, just after it cuts off you can hear me go “awwwww!” I would say Worksafe, but that wasn’t overly fun given that they had to belt my arm to my body, so I couldn’t feel it.It’s all fun. Any day I get to come into work is really fun.
We’re very lucky that’s you’re here doing it. Thanks Tosh!
Stephen Hall and Michael Ward – both part of the writing team for Mad As Hell and many other Shaun related projects – are bringing back their stage show, Bond-A-Rama!
If you didn’t think it was possible to fit 22 James Bond films into 75 minutes – you were wrong! It’s all recreated, from the villians, the Bond girls. to the stunts and gadgets. Emily Taheny and Ben Anderson, both Micallef alumni, round out the cast.
I went to see it last year, and highly recommend it. Whether you’re a true James Bond nut, or have just seen a few of the films, you’re going to enjoy this.
It’s playing at Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne for 4 weeks from the 17th October, with a national tour expected next year. Book tickets early and get a discount 🙂
Shaun Micallef is such a funny, pleasant and gracious person – on his fiftieth birthday, and after finishing the filming of the penultimate episode of Mad As Hell, Shaun Micallef gave me some of his time to answer my (and your) barrage of strange questions.
Me: I wanted to start out to wish you a happy birthday – a few people in the audience knew it was your fiftieth.
Shaun: Thankyou.
It got mentioned in Who Do You Think You Are that you were coming up to that.
We did that about a year ago, in August (last year).
Do you have any plans on how you will celebrate your birthday? Obviously you’re working on Mad As Hell at the moment, but maybe anything on the weekend?
No, it’s not really something that if I even if I had the time I would actually set aside, I’m not a party person anyway. So, for me it’s just spending a bit of time with the kids, which we did, we saw the Three Stooges film on the weekend. And my wife and I will go and see Barry Humphries tomorrow, so we’ll celebrate it going and seeing things… being amused by other people.
Was The Three Stooges any good?
It was alright – it was fine.
It worries me a bit.
You can’t be snobby about the Three Stooges, it’s not like they ever had high art. It’s sort of a low rent approach to the jokes, the Farrelly’s didn’t high tech it. It doesn’t look like a Jim Carrey film, it looks like a Three Stooges film. It looks like 3, Three Stooges shorts tacked together, so there’s a certain ramshackle, shit quality about it, but it works.
It’s like maybe if someone did the 60’s Batman again (which got mentioned during the recording) today…
It might be a bit too self aware, that’s the trouble with irony. There’s no irony in this film, which is good.
Mad As Hell, how has it been working back to the ABC? The last time was of course Welcher and Welcher.
It was too. A very different show, although Welcher and Welcher was originally designed to be in front of a live audience, that’s why the sets look so cross-arched, they look very theatrical. It was my first time writing a sitcom, I didn’t write it properly. It was so complicated, there was no way it could have been shot in front of an audience. So we shot it like… I don’t know what it was like. It fell between the stools I think, it wasn’t quite farce, it wasn’t quite drama, and it wasn’t quite a sitcom. And because we didn’t have an audience, it played faster, so we often finished 3 minutes down on time. So I’d be off writing another scene, or if I couldn’t think of one, Francis and I would muck around, which we did a couple of times.
Is that how you ended up with the bin scenes and things like that?
Oh that was planned, but things like singing George Formby songs and Francis attacking me with a Frankenstein mask on, just a few bizzare endings were… and one show we book ended with as a memory because we were 5 minutes down.
So it was missing the pacing of the audience laughs?
Well it was too fast, because it wasn’t riding the audience response and relaxing – it was quite fast. But anyway, I must admit I haven’t watched it since it went to air, it’s been many years now. I’ll look at it again one day, I’ll learn how to do a sitcom and have another crack at it.
The title Mad As Hell, was that a spur of the moment thing when you began talking with the ABC, or was it something you’d planned to do?
It was originally called Newsnight, which oddly enough is the title of the show on Channel Ten. They’ve decided to use Newsnight, which is an old English show hosted by Jeremy Paxman. And the ABC said it’s a bit too straight, so Gary came up with Mad As Hell, which we thought was funny… Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, so we suggested that, they liked it and we went with it. Originally it was just going to be called Mad As Hell, and Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell in the press materials, but it seems to have become… as much as I would prefer my name not to be part of the title… Myf Warhurst’s Nice, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey… you put the comedians name up front – that’s the franchise.
Were you always keen to get the Newstopia writing team back together? I know you worked with a number of them on TAYG, but was that always something you wanted to bring back?
I had always wanted to do a bit more with Newstopia, I always thought that it had been cut short of where it was going to go. Indeed the next step of Newstopia was going to be a live audience, and opened up. But we couldn’t do it because of TAYG. I suppose we brought that approach of having a live audience, and… not softening the material, but making it a little more accessible. And one of the major differences between this and what we had in mind for Newstopia is that the material is a lot more domestic and obsessed with Australia. And we don’t tend to do that sort of “let’s make light of something serious and horrible” which is what we were doing on Newstopia, which you can do without an audience, quite easily without seeming cold and heartless. But if you do it in front of an audience, they’ll either shrink from it, or they’ll laugh and the folks at home will go “ooh that’s a bit… you can’t make jokes about that.” Some of those jokes we did on Newstopia….
.. there were a lot of things in warzones and …
that’s right, obviously being on SBS, we were obsessed with international news and on the ABC, we’re not as obsessed, which is good I think.
Do you think that focus has come about due to the change in station?
A little bit, that’s true. But also on the second episode we did a story about Syria, which would have been at home on Newstopia, and it just didn’t feel right. And there were a few jokes that were sort of a little harder, and we thought “we just don’t want to make that show, we want to make sure it doesn’t look like it’s insensitive.” So therefore, apart from a few of those, we call them TJs, those three jokes where we say coming later on it’s this, this and this, where we can deal with international issues very quickly without dwelling on it, we don’t tend to deal with international stories at all. It’s mainly… the obsession is the pettiness that is Australian news. Or occasionally, as we do with Sky News, just the way some Australian media reports things. Very rarely, because that’s the Hamster Wheel’s gig and we don’t want to go into their territory, or even Jonathon Holmes’ territory on Media Watch, so we don’t tend to do that much. But we’ve done that 3 times, and we seem to be whipping Sky News, which I quite enjoy.
The cast, you mentioned (to the audience during the taping) it was a concious thing to mix up the age range…
I didn’t want it to be an old show.
How did you come together? Obviously you’ve worked with Francis and Roz before.
That was the appeal, I would always do something with Francis, and it had been a while since I’d specifically worked one-on-one with him. Roz, I hadn’t really worked with since The Micallef P(r)ogram(me), and I scratch my head now thinking “gosh, she’s just so good, why wouldn’t I use her in everything?” The truth is, I enjoy collaborating with new people, and I think this show is bit of both. The certainty of Roz and Francis… just the pleasure of working with them. I’d seen Veronica on the Ben Elton show, Live From Planet Earth, and I thought she was fantastic in it. Quite coincidentally, Andrew Denton recommended her because he worked with her on Hungry Beast. And Veronica and I corresponded, and we auditioned, and I think she’s fantastic. Emily, Gary had worked with on Comedy Inc, when he was writing for Comedy Inc, and I thought she was great too. She was almost in Newstopia, we almost approached her to be in Newstopia, but I think was doing Comedy Inc at that time. So that was nice to work with her. And Tosh Greenslade, is actually… I think this is his first TV, in fact I’m absolutely sure of it. Francis worked with him in theatre, and recommended him, not just because of his name. And he’s great, I mean he’s really good.
It has been mentioned, “there’s nothing about him” and “where has he come front?” And you had to press release a few times that he’s not related to Francis.
It’s just an unusual name, and for it to turn up twice in a credit roll begs the question doesn’t it?
And this question got answered (in discussion with the audience), will there be another series of Mad As Hell – you’ve said yes, absolutely there will be.
From about mid-February on.
So next year. And you’re hoping (another) for the election later next year?
I hope so. I’m doing a drama, so we’ll see if that’s shooting or not.
More generally, something I have noticed with some of your work you do, I noticed it on TAYG, even with Tom and Alex (on Triple J), you’re very good at slowly unleashing the absurd-ism. On TAYG, you were a little bit straighter to start with, and slowly the Meercat came out, and the use of the Blue Juice music, and on Triple J it only took a 3 or 4 weeks before you were playing sound effects on tape decks. Is that a concious thing, or does it just happen that way?
Oh I think it happens, but it’s different though. On Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, I was a hired gun to front someone else’s show. So the process was a bit slower, but once you’re in charge of the writing you can start to bend things. You could argue that the more absurd it got, the more alienating it got for certain members of the audience – maybe not, I don’t know. I think I just started to get comfortable with it. It’s not a concious thing. You can see it with the development of this show, it’s quite odd now. We’re back in the world that we always inhabit, we start bending the edges and playing with the transitions. The content is always there, make sure all that fun doesn’t overwhelm the content, it still has to mean something and be about something. It’s a particular song, with a particular bunch of lyrics, but the way we sing it is peculiar to us I think.
And when I’m guesting on things, like Tom and Alex or Gordon Street Tonight or whatever, the agreement is always “we’ll can I just have fun, can I do what I like?” And they’re like, “sure, do what you want”. Usually, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, like the Channel Ten breakfast show.
That was hilarious, because at the time that happened, I noticed it, blogged about it, and a few people watched it, and then 2 months later it hit the Internet and people were saying it happened the other day. But it happened in March or the end of February.
I think people assumed it coincided with when this show (Mad As Hell) went to air, and thought it was a plug for that show.
But Your Gen was still on?
Yeah, it was about TAYG. It hadn’t actually gone to air.
I’ve been reading your books, Preincarnate, The Moment, which I’m still not sure what to think, and your latest, Ahead of the Game. All of these had an element of time shifting in there, is that a subject that fascinates you?
Might be, yeah, I hadn’t really thought about that, but I guess that’s true. It’s all about perception, which is a particular thing I quite enjoy. It might be because my grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and over the course… I could see hunks of her memory disappear. So that might account for some of the stuff, that’s all happening in the mind. Time travel… maybe I just like time travel stories.
Do you plan to write any more fiction? I know you said Preincarnate was to be your only novella.
I’m writing another book at the moment, but it might be another year or so before I get time to finish it, but that will come out.
And while Shaun ran out of time on the night, he agreed to answer more questions by old fashioned email. So stay tuned over the next few weeks, as I add the interviews with Tosh (Greenslade), Stephen (Hall) and the part 2 of Shaun!