In the lead-up to Good Evening starting its run in Brisbane, the Brisbane Times has an interview with Shaun on his career and approaching 50.
No real news, but worth a read if you have some catching up-to-do. There is also a video preview of Good Evening, shot when the show played Sydney last year.
After a 2-week break, TAYG returns on Tuesday the 19th with the last few episodes for the year.
Guests for next Tuesday are former cricketer Merv Hughes (for the Baby Boomers), actor Deborah Mailman (Gen X, currently starring in Offspring) and television presenter Maude Garrett (Gen Y).
For the end-game challenge: Which is the Greatest Generation at… running a delicatessen!?
The following week, it looks like we can expect a Halloween theme!
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.
The third season of The Librarians starts this Wednesday 13th on ABC1 at 8:30pm.
OK, so Shaun isn’t involved, but many friends and colleagues of Shaun are: Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope, Roz Hammond and Tony Martin. And if the previous seasons are any indication, it should be very funny.
Yep, you heard it. Shaun’s first (and possibly only) novel ‘Preincarnate’ is due for release one month from today – November 1st.
The publisher, Hardie Grant Books, have a full Micallef-esq description on their website.
At only $30, there is no excuse to not buy a copy for yourself and one for a friend’s Christmas present.
Personally, I can’t wait!
[Update – Shaun will be at a Sydney event for his book, 27th October! – Thanks Andrew for the alert!]
Shaun took Amanda for a ‘drive’ in a Mini Moke before introducing the guests: singer Leo Sayer (BB), actor Kimberley Davies(Gen Y) and model, come-actor Scott McGregor (Gen Y).
Games played were:
The four buttons round had the options King Kong, Dr. Zaius, Cheetah and Trust Me.
For the Your Gen round, each team was quizzed on The Ocean, with Shaun being particularly cruel with the questions and the accuracy of the answers.
The Phantom delivered the end game envelope, which revealed the challenge as: Which Generation is Best at Delivering Newspapers. The teams rode around a make-shift block, and their accuracy and time was measured. Gen Y won the 2004 Most Improved Jumping Trophy, donated by Astrid Vinycomb and Happy, from Williamstown.
Bad news is that “TAYG” is on break until after the Commonwealth Games, so we’ll have to wait till the 19th for our next fix of Shaun. But at least we got a brief Christopher Walken impression this week!
Joining Shaun and the team captains this week are singer Leo Sayer (BB), actor Kimberley Davies (Gen Y) and model, come-actor Scott McGregor (Gen Y).
Spoiler – this week’s end game is: Which Generation is Best at Delivery Newspapers!
In case you’ve forgotten: Tuesday, 7:30pm, Channel 10
Tonight on TAYG, the guests were Mark Trevorrow (Baby Boomers), Claire Bowditch (Gen X) and Josh Lawson (Gen Y).
Josh (Thomas) revealed Shaun had taught him to shave that day and Claire tuned Shaun’s guitar.
Games played were:
In the four buttons round:
Clint Eastwood was the Your Generation topic, and the end game challenge was “Which Generation is Best at Going to Market?” – with the envelope delivered by ninja. Gen Y managed to herd the animals fastest, winning the Tullamarine Country Club Hole in One trophy donated by Claude DiCianni.
I just want to take a few moments to thank everyone who has been visiting and making this site such a success.
Since launching only 3 months ago, we’re now getting 500 visitors a month. Looks like there are a number of Shaun fans out there!
Keep your comments coming, email me your suggestions and please recommend this site through-out the Internet – this will help us get towards the top of Google, and therefore spread more of the love for Shaun!
The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne is hosting an event with Shaun Micallef, on the subject of his new book ‘Preincarnate’, “a novel of such breathtaking brilliance that if Patrick White were alive today he’d hurl his own typewriter into the sea and start a lawn-mowing business.”
It is being held on Monday 22 November 2010 and is free! (Booking is recommended) Not sure what to expect, but I’m sure it will involve some Q&A and a reading.