Talkin’ ’bout Micallef

“‘Is this is a good idea, it seems to be suggesting that we’re not coping with the expectations of the next year. Has anyone thought of this?'” asked Shaun Micallef.

TEN’s new promo with its Celebrity Support Group has certainly got people talking -online, on radio and even with the odd mental health experts questioning its intent.

When Shaun Micallef was given the script he couldn’t help but ask about it’s purpose either.

“But they said ‘Yeah we know, it’s self-deprecating.'”

But Micallef is very possibly one of the few network personalities who can get away with such wit. He would probably seems more out of place in a sincere ad, as he explained to TV Tonight.

“Fortunately for me there are very few things that I would be asked to do that would seem odd. I can understand why there are no newsreaders in it –although Carrie Bickmore is there. There’s a certain tier of personality or personage at Channel TEN who couldn’t possibly do that ad,” he said.

“There’s a few ad-libs in there too. I think Jolene Anderson is barking like a dog and that wasn’t in the script. We just added a few lines here and there but I’m pleased to see at least a couple of them turned up.”

Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation returns to TEN this weekend in its new Sunday night slot. Likely to run across the year as 2 x 13 episode blocks, the season premiere features UK puppet icon Basil Brush, Joe Hockey (as a Gen X no less) and Jolene Anderson.

It also includes a 3D segment, with red and blue glasses currently available with some some magazines. But most of Your Gen’s format is remaining untouched.

Micallef has become such a poster boy for TEN there have been rumours about him returning to a variety format, similar to his New Year’s Rave. Micallef says he doesn’t want to be accused of over-exposure.

“The network wanted to do it this year but because we’re doing so many episodes of Generation I was worried about being on air in the middle of the two blocks with another show. I just thought that might have been a bit too much to do, and probably too much for the audience to bear.

“But I’m very keen to get back to it as well as what I’m doing now, and to do some sketch and variety of my own. It will probably be next year, I said ‘let’s leave it this year,’ because there were some things I wanted to develop further. There are some things I wanted to iron out of the New Year’s Eve show. Just the structure and approaches –that sort of thing,” he said.

“(Writer / Performer) Gary McAffrie’s going through the DVD with a fine tooth comb at the moment and we’ll have some meetings. We’ll probably do another special at the end of the year, maybe actually do it live, I think that might be the go. So we’ll probably have (a new show) ready to go in 2011.”

If he had his way, the irreverent Micallef jokes that if he had his way he would give a new chat show an unexpected name.

“Uncle Shaun’s Nuthouse is what I want to call it –it’s just the worst title I can think of!” he laughs. “But I can’t see us getting guests. I think if you approached an agent overseas and said ‘They want you to appear on Uncle Shaun’s Nuthouse‘ they’d probably just turn you down without asking anymore questions.”

Meanwhile a quiet campaign to have him host the Logies -driven entirely by others- doesn’t seem to be making much progress.

“There was an intermediary –a bit like talking to Deep Throat– an unofficial source that said my name was on a list. But I didn’t actually get any phone call so I figured maybe that was not true,” he said.

“No, I haven’t been asked to do it and I dip my lid to whoever is doing it.”

Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation returns 7:30pm Sunday on TEN.