Just when you thought ABC had run out of ideas for half-baked interview shows, another one came along. Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction is an apocalyptic, bland comedy series that recycles the old “What would you bring to a desert island?” However, here a hypothetical meteorite is about to crash into the guest’s home, and the guest is only left with enough time to save some items. We’ll also be rolling out an equally old-fashioned “show-and-tell” routine that enhances activities suitable for elementary school students and brings guests’ valuable items into the studio.
Of course, the series is hosted by Micallef, continuing a long trend of shows that include his name in the title. Among them are Shawn Micallef’s World Around Him, Shawn Micallef’s New Year’s Rave, Shawn Micallef’s On the Source, The Micallef Program, Micallef Tonight, and, of course, the long-running There’s also Sean Micallef’s Mad As Hell, a great political satire. Like many people, I watch the latter most weeks and have enjoyed watching Micallef’s career evolve over the years.
When he announced his retirement from Mad as Hell in 2022, he tweeted, “After 11 years and 15 seasons, I felt it was time for a young person to take advantage of the resources and opportunities provided.” . He made similar comments when he appeared as a guest on Fran Kelly’s ABC talk show, Frankly, saying, “I would have liked to have given the microphone to someone who was probably younger, or maybe just a different voice.” spoke. And back to the Age: “We have limited resources here at ABC, so we wanted to pass the microphone to someone younger…We’d like to see more youthful and diverse programming.”
So what do we make of Micallef’s decision to host yet another comedy series with his name in the title immediately after Mad as Hell? In his words, what happened to passing the baton to young talent who were not given the same proportion of limited resources? It’s one thing to sound virtuous and it’s another thing to sound virtuous. Putting words into practice is something else entirely. Further reinforcing the feeling that the above comments are just a sham is the existence of another Micallef-led show that is scheduled to end soon. Sean Micallef’s Origin Odyssey will premiere on SBS next month.
Stephen Curry, Shawn Micallef, Felix Cameron. Photo: Kelly Gardner
Shortly after welcoming his first guest, actor Stephen Curry, to the debut episode of Eve of Destruction (the only episode ABC released in advance), Micallef did one of the most ABC things ever: said this. , Stephen and I know each other. ” This is really a network where the interviewer knows the interviewee, and the interviewer also knows the other interviewees, and maybe even the crew and a few department heads.
Once Micallef and Curry start joking about whether they’re friends or acquaintances, the show resembles one of those podcasts, with the hosts clearly having a good time, getting up close and joking around while the rest of us are outsiders. I feel like a person. Micallef reiterates that premise, telling Callie that there is plenty of time to take some things, as the meteor is heading towards the house. Curry says he’ll save on “chainsaws and air hockey tables.” When these objects are brought onto the stage, Micallef can feign a slight look of disbelief, as if this happened out of the blue.
We learn that Callie’s chainsaw’s name is Brian. This develops into the theory that “Brian won’t let you down.” Curry is certainly likable, but this show has some people screaming “filler.” Adding a second guest, Felix Cameron, star of the Teenage Boy Swallows universe, doesn’t help things, but that’s not his fault. The format is fake.
Experienced comedians like Micallef have every reason to be bold and experimental. They can ignore caution because they know they have an established personal brand with a built-in following that gives them plenty of room to take risks. But usually the opposite happens. As people grow older, they tend to become more cautious and set in their ways. Therefore, as Micallef himself has stated, we need a younger, more diverse program. Rather than replacing oldies (you gain valuable experience with age), work with them and enhance your overall product.
If Eve of Destruction had dazzled us with its wit, flair, colors, and ideas, none of this might have entered my mind. However, the method seems to have been as follows. Don’t bother trying new things. Shows like this make ABC look crasser than ever.
