25 May 2012 (2012-05-25) – 21 September 2022 (2022-09-21)
Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell is an Australian comedy news television program hosted by Shaun Micallef. The show first aired on ABC at 8:00pm on Friday 25 May 2012.[3] 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.[4]
Cast
Micallef hosts the program, with at least five other cast members appearing, each as multiple characters, including Micallef.[3][5]
The program was commissioned without a pilot and the first series of 10 episodes originally screened from May to July 2012.[9] The show was renewed for a second series of 12 episodes which aired in 2013.[10] A third was announced in January 2014 and consisted of 10 episodes, shown weekly from 12 February 2014.[5][11][12] A fourth series premiered later in the same year on 24 September 2014 and the fifth series premiered on 11 February 2015.[13] A sixth series debuted on 11 May 2016.[14] The show's seventh series commenced on 21 June 2017. An eighth series debuted on 31 January 2018,[15] with a ninth series running from September 2018.[16] A tenth series was confirmed for July 2019 by Micallef on Twitter in December 2018[17] and it debuted on 26 June 2019.[18]
At the ABC 2020 Upfronts, Micallef confirmed that two series would be produced in 2020,[18] starting with series 11, to air in early February.[6] The second half of the eleventh series saw the show taping without an audience, due to social distancing requirements amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] The twelfth series was scheduled to commence 5 August;[20][21] and began by recording new episodes without an audience.[19] A special Christmas episode was broadcast on 20 December 2020.[22]
In July 2022, news broke that the show would not be returning with its current cast.[23] Shaun clarified that discussions were ongoing with the ABC regarding evolving the show,[24] but confirmed that the "original version" with Shaun in the main chair would not be returning forever.[25]
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 with a roaring sound 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, I tell you Shaun Micallef, I'm as mad as hell and we'll fight for your show."[26] 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 (played by Tosh Greenslade), 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."
Political Singers/Clockwork Satirists
Often when prominent politicians were mentioned, they were immediately followed by a clip of singers incorporating their names into a song. For example, the mention of Barnaby Joyce was immediately followed by three USAAF women singing "Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?", and the mention of then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was followed by characters from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang singing "Yudhoyono Bambang, Yudhoyono Bambang, our fine four-fendered friend!". Also featured longer songs, such as a parody of Fashion that criticizes the Foreign Fighters Act of 2014 with Micallef himself participating, impersonating Christopher Walken.[27]
Played by Stephen Hall. Appearing from series 3 onwards, would often appear at the end of segments and subdue unwelcome guests such as the Kraken with a taser and drag them off the set. He would often do this to left-leaning characters too if their criticism of the Abbott government became too sharp.
Darius Horsham
Played by Stephen Hall. Spokesperson (sometimes stylised as "$pokesb0rg") for the Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann. He speaks in a thick Germanic accent in a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cormann himself, and often seen aggressively chewing on a cigar – in reference to controversy caused when Cormann and Joe Hockey were filmed smoking cigars after delivering the 2014 Federal Budget. When asked by Micallef to elaborate on a point made, or is otherwise criticised, he usually responds with "Don't be an economic girly-man" or some variation. Cormann himself, presumably in reference to the character, referred to Bill Shorten as an "economic girly-man".[28]
Dolly Norman
Played by Roz Hammond. 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". Her segments usually ended with a shot of Micallef looking aside to the camera in the style of Frank Underwood and making a remark to the audience in a southern accent with Norman staring vacantly in the background.
Vomitoria Catchment
Played by Roz Hammond. A right-wing blogger that was a loose parody of Miranda Devine, acts in a very smug manner while criticizing the then Labor government. Later becomes Press Secretary to Tony Abbott after the 2013 election.
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 by himself. Micallef will usually introduce him as "Tosh Greenslade in a wig and glasses to talk about ..." (to which Greenslade's intro is usually "exactly right, Shaun") 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. Jonquil has appeared since Series 2, and is seen to have had various occupations, including one sketch in which he claims to be a qualified osteopath, and another in which he is a member of the local neighbourhood watch, claiming that the boyfriend of his love interest, Spakfilla Vole, is in fact a terrorist. He also is shown to host his own talk show, Right Minded, and in one sketch, a quiz show, Why the Hell?, a parody of the real ABC quiz show Hard Quiz.
Vice Rear Admiral Sir Bobo Gargle
Played by Francis Greenslade. Sir Bobo Gargle is a 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 (played by Michael Ward, one of the show's writers).
Larry Sideburns
Played by Francis Greenslade. Often appears as a plot character in sketches as well as other segments of the show and is portrayed as an entrepreneur trying to monetise his next big thing. Often featured alongside his wife who is often spoken over.
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. In 2021, Micallef noted on Twitter that Draymella was a character created in 2013, while Queensland Senator Amanda Stoker only entered parliament in 2018, pointing out their coincidental similarities.[29]
Brion Pegmatite
Played by Tosh Greenslade. Brion Pegmatite is a spokesperson for Peter Dutton. He finds it painful to show remorse, pleasure or compassion, and is often seen wanting vengeance against Scott Morrison and other members of the Liberal Party, especially when leadership is brought into question.
Tamara Happenstance
Played by Christie Whelan Browne. Tourism Australia ambassador. Portrayed as a character wearing an Australian outback hat with corks dangling off the sides, as well as an apron with 'G’day' written on it with an image of the Australian flag. She often ends her sentences with common Australian tropes such as "put a shrimp on the barbie you bastards" that become increasingly vulgar as the segment progresses.
Ian Orbspider
Played by Francis Greenslade. An enthusiastic scientist that's a loose parody of Dr Karl, dresses in colourful shirts and usually speaks eagerly about scientific matters. Almost invariably becomes struck by lightning in every appearance and is reduced to skeletal remains. In one case he was struck at the start of his segment but continued to speak as a skeleton, then was struck again and returned to normal, much to his bewilderment.
Donald McEngadine
Played by Stephen Hall. Art Director and Dirt File Co-ordinator for then Prime Minister Scott Morrison, dresses in a high-vis vest and a hard hat. He assumes much of Morrison's mannerisms and speaking style as he attempts to spin negative stories into positives about his boss. Often at the end of the segments, he slowly "lumbers off the set like a hungry bear in search of berries".
Mary Brett-Punish
Played by Emily Taheny. Spokestherapist for then Attorney-General Michaelia Cash, speaks very forcefully and angrily about stories involving her employer. In particular she grows very annoyed by repeated use of stock footage of Cash marching briskly around Parliament with band music playing. In her final appearance, she marches off the set to the same music.
a.^ Originally scheduled to air on 17 July, episode 3 was broadcast in error. The episode was subsequently released on ABC iview, and broadcast on 18 July on ABC TV.[145]
