Shaun Micallef: “I’m not retiring…. I’d be more than happy to mentor.”

When Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell returns on Wednesday it will be his final season as host, after an output of over 160 episodes, in which he has scripted, starred and produced.

That compares to 90 episodes of other sketch comedies such as Fast Forward (90) and Full Frontal (144 -which also included Micallef).

But he remains keen to see a well-oiled machine and audience favourite live on in another life, either with a new host or a rejigged format.

“There are resources here the ABC and I’ve enjoyed them for a long time. I think other people should use them, absolutely younger people,” he told TV Tonight.

“Mad as Hell I think is a good format. We’ve got a good team: writers, performers, crew. It would be great if it can continue and I see no reason why it couldn’t, with a few changes.

“So we won’t be around next year but we’ll continue talking and maybe see what we can do. Whether they’re spin offs, or whether it’s something new. Maybe it’s better if it’s something new, or whether it’s a 2.0 version of Mad as Hell.”

He confirms he is keen to stay involved behind the scenes, should the ITV Studios / Giant Baby series return.

“I certainly would be around, if I wasn’t getting in the way. I think I’ve still got a lot to offer as the EP, and script editor and stuff I do that’s visible to people who watch the show. I’m not complaining about it because it’s great, but it is a lot of work and it’d be good if I could just share that around a bit more.

“I’m not retiring. I just want to do different things that maybe aren’t even mine. I might just work with other people I’ve never worked with before or just help them. I actually said to management that I’d be more than happy -if people were interested- just to mentor people who are making a show. Having done it for 10 years, I think I know how to make a show on a weekly turn-around and I wish I knew a bit more when I had started the show.”

Mad as Hell returns 8:40pm Wednesday on ABC.