Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell is an Australian comedy news television program hosted by Shaun Micallef. The show first aired on ABC at 8:00 pm on Friday, 25 May 2012. The show was named as Most Outstanding Comedy Program at the Logie Awards of 2016. Its title is a reference to the 1976 American satirical black comedy-drama film Network.
Cast
While Micallef hosts the program, a number of other cast members appear as a variety of characters. ;Notes
Broadcast
The program was commissioned without a pilot and the first series of 10 episodes originally screened from May to July 2012. The show was renewed for a second series of 12 episodes which aired in 2013. A third was announced in January 2014 and consisted of 10 episodes, shown weekly from 12 February 2014. A fourth series premiered later in the same year on 24 September 2014 and the fifth series premiered on 11 February 2015. A sixth series debuted on 11 May 2016. The show's seventh series commenced on 21 June 2017. An eighth series debuted on 31 January 2018, with a ninth series running from September 2018. A tenth series was confirmed for July 2019 by Micallef on Twitter in December 2018 and it debuted on 26 June 2019. At the ABC 2020 Upfronts, Micallef confirmed that two series would be produced in 2020 with the first season to air in early February. The second season for 2020 will air August 5.
Recurring segments and characters
Bill Shorten’s Zingers A regular segment during the early period of Bill Shorten's tenure as Leader of the Opposition. Micallef would play a short video clip of Shorten delivering a pun, dad joke or similar, usually when he was criticising the government, after which "Zinger!" would appear in bold text on the screen for humorous effect. The segment was noticed by Shorten himself, as he referenced it in a press conference when attacking the government on its funding cuts to the ABC, after which he said "I tell you what Mr Micallef, I'm as mad as hell and I'll fight for your show." This was made a zinger in the subsequent week's episode of the show. Lamentable Puns Micallef and "junior sub-editor" of the Daily Telegraph, Chris Lorax, go through a series of front page and article headlines of the newspaper. Micallef shows the headline in question for Lorax to explain, much to Micallef's bemusement over both the headline and Lorax's justification for it. Lorax usually responds to Micallef's bemusement with "It’s just a bit of fun." Darius Horsham Spokesperson for the Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann. Speaks in a thick Germanic accent in a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger and seen aggressively chewing on a cigar - in reference to controversy caused when Corman and Joe Hockey were filmed smoking cigars after delivering the 2014 Federal Budget. When asked by Micallef to elaborate on a point made, he usually responds with "Don't be an economic girlieman" or some variation. Corman himself, presumably in reference to the character, referred to Bill Shorten as an "economic girly-man". Dolly Norman The simple speaking and thinking speechwriter to politician Jacqui Lambie. Often includes short film clips of Lambie saying something seemingly nonsensical or offensive, to which Norman responds by explaining what Lambie "really meant". Lois Price Played by Emily Taheny A play on the "traffic chopper" on morning television programs reporting on traffic conditions, only Lois Price reports on current events. She usually signs off with an advertorial before saying "I'm Lois Price from Mad as Hell." Tosh Greenslade Played as himself. Micallef will usually introduce him as "Tosh Greenslade in a wig and glasses to talk about..." to explain the "reasons" behind government policy using novel concepts for humorous effect. In one episode, for example, Greenslade "explained" the government's asylum seeker boat turn-back policy using the layers of a lamington. Micallef then signs him out with a variation of the line "that was Tosh Greenslade in a wig and glasses talking about...". Casper Jonquil Played by Tosh Greenslade. A parody of a talkback radio shock jock and listener who complains loudly and unintelligibly. Vice Rear Admiral Sir Bobo Gargle Played by Francis Greenslade Sir Bobo Gargle is Vice Rear Admiral in the Australian Navy. He appears on the show to discuss Australian and international maritime matters. Sir Bobo Gargle usually ends his interviews by releasing the Kraken. Draymella Burt Played by Emily Taheny Draymella Burt is a spokesperson for the Liberal Party. She is best known for her brutal quips at Shaun about his left-wing bias.
