The Micallef P(r)ogram(me)

Last updated

The Micallef P(r)ogram(me)
Micallef programme series 1 dvd.jpg
DVD cover of series 1
Also known asThe Micallef Program
The Micallef Programme
The Micallef Pogram [1]
Genre Satire
Presented by Shaun Micallef
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production company Artist Services [lower-alpha 1]
Original release
Network ABC TV
Release11 May 1998 (1998-05-11) [2]  –
9 April 2001 (2001-04-09)

The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) is an Australian sketch comedy television series hosted by Shaun Micallef, and written by Micallef and Gary McCaffrie, that ran from 1998 to 2001 on ABC TV. It was known as The Micallef Program in its first series, The Micallef Programme in its second series and The Micallef Pogram in its third series. The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) is an umbrella title used for the DVD releases.

Contents

Format and cast

Airing on Mondays (Friday for the second season) at 8pm, [3] the show took the loose guise of a fictional variety show that featured mock interviews, host monologues, audience participation segments and competitions, bookending character-based sketches. The characters of Milo Kerrigan and David McGhan from Micallef's previous sketch series Full Frontal also reappeared in this series. The show was written and produced by Micallef and Gary McCaffrie: the small number of writers and small cast, as well as the different requirements of the ABC, meant that the show was far more surreal and abrupt than Full Frontal - the humour was frequently bizarre (notoriously evidenced by Attentione il est MYRON!, a recurring parody of European claymation programs).

As host, Micallef adopted the persona of an arrogant, thin-skinned, self-obsessed pedant. His monologues featured a large amount of deliberately confusing wordplay (garden-path sentences; for example, "As a Chinese person who is bilingual might say, 'gute Nacht!'"), and his interviews would revolve around him confusing and belittling his guests, both real and fictional: these included John Clarke, Tim Freedman of The Whitlams, Tim Rogers, and Andrew Denton. To balance this out, however, Micallef tended to play shabby and frequently crazy "low status" characters (such as Kerrigan) in the sketches, and was himself frequently humiliated by the other members of the cast."

As the program went on, it became stranger and more surreal. The third series was particularly notable for this, and gained much media coverage from a sketch that never made it to air. The sketch was supposed to show Shaun introducing a segment in which war hero Weary Dunlop would be shown as a transsexual and a few seconds into the sketch it would cut to the ABC switchboard lighting up with complaints. However, the sketch got complaints before it was even shown and subsequently never went to air - the irony of the situation lost on many of those who complained. Micallef made light of this by putting several sketches in his book Smithereens that ended with Dunlop entering in a dress. The sketch is however contained in the DVD release of the third series and appeared in the ABC TV retrospective series, Shock Horror Aunty.

Although the show made frequent use of minor celebrities, it shied away from direct parodies of television or actors, although the David E. McGhan character performed in stereotypical medical and legal dramas in the first two series. Its use of popular culture was better demonstrated in the opening show of the third series, where chanteuse Julie Anthony gave a strange rendition of Mi-Sex's 1979 hit "Computer Games" while a small dog pulled around a plastic cart with a single orange in it.

The show featured the talents of Wayne Hope, Roz Hammond, Francis Greenslade and, in the third series, Daina Reid. Micallef would go on to host a short-lived "real" variety show, Micallef Tonight , for the Nine Network in 2003.

Name changes

The name of the show changed each series, due to audience complaints which Micallef turned into a running gag. [1] The first series, entitled The Micallef Program, encountered complaints from ABC viewers who objected to the spelling of "program", despite the American "program" being the standard Australian spelling. [4] This linguistic issue is particularly sensitive among viewers of the ABC, which broadcasts a relatively large amount of British content. In the second series, which began on 20 August 1999 and ended on 8 October 1999, the title was changed to the British spelling of The Micallef Programme, and Micallef "thanked" his viewers in the series premiere:

There's been a few changes since last series: we're spelling "programme" correctly this time – the French way with two m's and an e. That's entirely due to your feedback and we thank you for that. Certainly don't get that level of pedantry from viewers of commercial television. [5]

In the third series Micallef continued this gag, mispronouncing program as 'PO-gram'. When the ABC literature advertising the show changed it to The Micallef Pogram, the closeness to the word pogrom made what Micallef called "a far darker joke than was ever intended". [6]

DVD releases

The second series was released on DVD in 2004, preceding the first and third series because the distributor, Shock Records, thought that the second series was most marketable. The third series was released in November 2005, and the first series was released in early 2006. A combined boxset of all three series called Micallef in a Box was released on 28 November 2006. Writing on the cover of the boxed set notes: "You own the award winning second and third series, now for the sake of completeness you can own all three".

In 2011, Shock Records released a box DVD set, The Collected Shaun Micallef, which included all three seasons of The Micallef Program along with The Incompleat Shaun Micallef, a compilation of his work on Full Frontal together with a Seven Network pilot Shaun Micallef's World Around Him, The Expurgated Micallef Tonight (highlights of Micallef's short-lived 2003 show Micallef Tonight on the Nine Network) and a bonus audio CD His Generation.

The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) Series Un
Micallef programme series 1 dvd.jpg Set detailsSpecial features
  • 2 discs
  • 7 episodes
  • 30 minutes unreleased footage
  • Audio commentary
Release dates

2006 (Australia)

The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) Series Deux
Micallef programme series 2 dvd.gif Set detailsSpecial features
  • 2 discs
  • 8 episodes
  • Additional sketches
  • Audio commentary
Release dates

2004 (Australia)

The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) Series Trois
Micallef program series3.jpg Set detailsSpecial features
  • 2 discs
  • 8 episodes
  • Deleted sketches
  • Commentary
Release dates

November 2005 (Australia)

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Monkey Dust</i> British comedy sketch show

Monkey Dust is a British adult animated satirical sketch comedy series created by Harry Thompson and Shaun Pye. The series is characterised by its dark humour, frequent shifts in animation styles, and handling of taboo topics such as bestiality, murder, suicide and paedophilia. Three series were broadcast on BBC Three between 2003 and 2005. Following co-creator Thompson's death, no further series were made.

Full Frontal is an Australian sketch comedy series which ran on the Seven Network from 1993 to 1997. It launched the television careers of Eric Bana, Shaun Micallef, Kitty Flanagan, Julia Morris, Daina Reid and Denise Scott.

The Big Gig was a popular Australian television sketch comedy music/variety series based on the British TV series Saturday Live. It was produced and broadcast on ABC TV in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was produced and directed by Ted Robinson, who started his career as the director of the second series of the acclaimed The Aunty Jack Show in the early 1970s, and Neil Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Micallef</span> Australian comedian, actor, writer and television presenter

Shaun Patrick Micallef is an Australian comedian, actor, writer and television presenter. He was the host of the satirical news comedy series Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell on the ABC. He also hosted the game show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation on Channel 10.

Gary McCaffrie is an Australian television comedy writer and producer, best known for his work on Fast Forward and Full Frontal, and his many collaborations with comedian Shaun Micallef. Most recently he was the creator and co-writer of Very Small Business (2008).

<i>The Weird Al Show</i> Television series

The Weird Al Show is an American television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions and taped at NBC Studios, it aired on Saturday mornings on CBS. The show ran for one season, from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006.

The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for two series, between 1986 and 1987. A further four specials were broadcast on the Seven Network between 1988 and 1989. The show would also serve as a stepping stone for many early incarnations of iconic characters, including Lynne Postlethwaite, Gina Hard-Faced B***h, Eileen Maverick and Kelvin Cunnington.

<i>Micallef Tonight</i> 2003 Australian TV series or program

Micallef Tonight was a short-lived Aria Award-winning Australian variety show that aired on the Nine Network in 2003. It was hosted by comedian Shaun Micallef and also featured the talents of Francis Greenslade, Jason Geary, Livinia Nixon and Pete Smith.

Francis Greenslade is an Australian comedic actor and acting teacher.

Grahame John Bond AM is an Australian Bachelor Architecture, actor, writer, director, musician and composer, known primarily for his role as Aunty Jack.

<i>The Chasers War on Everything</i> Australian television satirical comedy series

The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television station ABC1. It has won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Television Comedy Series. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts. The series is produced by The Chaser, an Australian satirical group consisting of Chris Taylor, Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel, Andrew Hansen, and Chas Licciardello. Fellow Chaser members Dominic Knight and Charles Firth are not part of the regular on-screen cast. However, Knight is a writer, and Firth compiled roving reports for the show from the United States, until he left the group to start a satirical newspaper in mid-2007.

Welcher & Welcher was an Australian sitcom written by and starring Shaun Micallef which aired on the ABC in 2003. The show revolved around a husband and wife run law firm.

Rosalind Hammond, often credited as Ros or Roz, is an Australian actress and writer who has worked for more than 20 years with an extensive career in theatre, film and television.

Stephen Hall is an Australian actor, writer and producer.

<i>Newstopia</i> 2007 Australian TV series or program

Newstopia was an Australian half-hour satirical comedy programme hosted by Shaun Micallef. The first series premiered at 10:00 pm on SBS TV on 10 October 2007 and concluded on 3 December 2007. A second season began on 27 February 2008 and concluded on 30 April 2008. A third season of the show screened from 1 October to 3 December 2008. The show was developed by Micallef, Gary McCaffrie, Michael Ward and Jason Stephens, with McCaffrie and Ward working as writers on the programme. A fourth series in 2009 was planned, but cancelled due to production clashes with Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation.

Shaun Micallef's World Around Him was an Australian sketch comedy television special. Its title is a parody of the Australian documentary series The World Around Us. Airing on the Seven Network in 1996, the special provided a major stepping stone for comedian Shaun Micallef. The show helped to develop much of the style and content of Micallef's successful sketch-comedy series The Micallef Program which began airing on the ABC in 1998.

Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation is an Australian game show produced by Granada Productions which premiered on Network Ten on 5 May 2009. The show was originally hosted by Shaun Micallef.

<i>Late Night</i> (franchise) American late-night talk show franchise

Late Night is an American late-night talk and variety show airing on NBC since 1982. Four men have hosted Late Night: David Letterman (1982–1993), Conan O'Brien (1993–2009), Jimmy Fallon (2009–2014), and Seth Meyers (2014–present). Each iteration of the show was built around its host, and maintained distinct identities aside from the title, time slot, and network. The longest-serving host to date was O'Brien, who hosted Late Night with Conan O'Brien for almost 16 years, from September 1993 to February 2009.

Emily Taheny is an Australian comedian, television actress and singer known for her multiple appearances on the sketch comedy television series Comedy Inc. from 2003 through 2007, her role as "Kat" on the 2009 series The Jesters, and as a regular cast member on long-running satirical news program Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell. She was born at Warooka, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

<i>Shaun Micallefs Mad as Hell</i> Australian television series

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Melloy, Neil (19 October 2000). "Same face, new name". The Courier Mail . p. 36.
  2. ↑ Yeaman, Simon (6 May 1998). "The law according to comedy". The Adelaide Advertiser . p. 49.
  3. ↑ Conway, Andrew (5 April 1998). "Negus turns funnyman". The Sydney Morning Herald . p. 2. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Macquarie Dictionary", Fourth Edition. The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd, 2005.
  5. ↑ Archived 25 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Doherty, Ben (16 February 2001). "The New King of Comedy?". Newcastle Herald . p. 5. Retrieved 26 April 2012.

Notes

  1. ↑ Known as Red Heart during series 3
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.