Mad as Hell
Wednesday 8pm
ABC1
DESPITE what you may have seen on Talkin’ ’Bout Your Generation and Mr and Mrs Murder, Shaun Micallef is the funniest man on Australian TV.
Mad as Hell, a half-hour look at current events is heavy on the laughs and lighter on the political messaging … a rare treat in the sledgehammer world of Australian political satire.
Two of last week’s offerings included: a rock climber trapped between two boulders who is about to cut his leg off before the screen fades to “It’s his ABC” and an interview with a monarchist about the protocols involved in the Islamic State black flag being flown over Buckingham Palace when the Queen isn’t at home.
The best that could be said about this show is that viewers wouldn’t even need to be up to speed with current events to laugh at the silliness of it all.
An interview with Finance Minister Mathius Cormann’s advisor was hilarious as he repeatedly said “girly man” in a Schwarzenegger accent with matching gap tooth grimace. Not really a sharp reflection on the state of political dialogue – but funny nonetheless.
While having a superficial resemblance to US-style satire like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Mad as Hell doesn’t seem to want to change the world through its comedy, and is content to leave viewers with a smile on their faces.
Anyone wanting to hear Micallef at his best should tune into Red Symons’ ABC breakfast show on 774 on Wednesday mornings.
Listening to the pair talk nonsense for 10 or so minutes before AM and Jon Fain unleash their diet of depressing reality is a more refreshing way to start the day than a 5km ocean swim.
In a world that seems to be getting crazier every day, it takes a man as silly as Shaun Micallef to ensure we can laugh, not cry.
– Danny Buttler
