Personally I am just glad that Mr. Micallef is back on our screens. With that said, the show could use some improvement. I can't put my finger on it but there is something lacking - maybe a consistent tone?
Whatever, I'm sure it will get better as it goes on. Highlights for me were reporter Chris Walken, Kung Fu Fighting, and of course the many reprises of the cocaine snort.
To be honest, it was a bit too fast paced for me at first. quite a few of the jokes went over my head, but then i watched it again in parts on the sbs site and i got the jokes more...it probably just takes some getting used to.
Maybe he needs a studio audience for this sort of thing...i mean i'm totally against guided laughter as it cheapens the jokes, but maybe just for timings sake, its important. It probably adds to the experience to hear other people enjoying his humour at the same time...i dunno, i'm thinking aloud.
also I kinda cringe at the christopher walken gags...i mean he did one 3 jokes into the first ep...i was waiting to see how long it would take him.
and I know he's playing himself rather than the micallef character, which is probably more likeable, but perhaps a little less bighting; thus a little less hillarious.
I guess i'm just looking at it with a critical eye...I still loved it and i love shaun, and cant wait for ep 2.
Thoughts?
I also cringed at the Christopher Walken gag. The only voice i could think of that could fit would be the Milo Kerrigan voice.
I reckon the micallef character would be good, it would be a bit similar to how colbert report has the colbert character though. I wouldn't mind seeing more characteristics of the david macgahan documentary maker character too.
This show is a terrible ripoff of The Daily Show with John Stewart, and shows that the present SBS management are brain-dead.
I like Shaun Macallef's previous work, but this Newstopia is totally inept shyte.
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I loved it! What have you guys got against the Christopher Walken bits, i thought it was great. Hardly a 'rip off' of Daily Show, I like this format far better without a studio audience.
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matreya, you're an idiot. it was nothing like the daily show, you're a complete *beep*.
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You need to be quick witted in order to get micallef styled humour, as a lot of his jokes go unnoticed if ur not totally listening. personally this is what i love about micallef because he commands attention coz u never know when hes gonna kill u with a gag. personally i loved the grilled calamari gag, that was right up my alley. also, the way they did the george bush perversion of participatory democracy was so right, but many may not have understood its significance. go watch some of the old david mcgahan clips on youtube to get a feel for his humour. its unique and im so glad hes back. i loved it
shareComparing The Chaser to this is just.... retarded. Are you retarded? I think you're retarded.
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And you must be doing crack if you think they're comparable.
shareWho would have thought 'derekrulz66' would be an utter moron.
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You sound like a five year old. All you have done is spray insults without citing any actual reasons, even though that would be useless since comedy is completely subjective so why the hell are you guys arguing?
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I didn't say I or others didn't insult you. But the fact was your post did make you sound like a five year old. At any rate I stand by my comment about subjectivity.
shareRetards like derekrulz66 put me off fine shows like TCWOE. Grow a pair, douchebag.
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Hahahahaha. Troll'd. I'm just glad I have a life unlike derekrulz66 who isn't socially accepted so comes on the internet to argue with people more intellugent than himself. :)
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You're probably refreshing the page right now hoping for a new reply. UH OH I MADEZ A sPeLinG miSTAkE.
shareI love Chaser & I like Newstopia. The reason you can't compare the two is that Chaser looks at news & current affairs items plus other situations in the public eye (such as people speaking loudly on mobiles, listening to iPods, advertising, etc) and satirises them from this angle whereas Newstopia satirises the way news & current affairs programs are reported &/or presented - it satarises their format & the presenting of the news. They are both satires coming at things from two entirely different angels. You can't really compare the two as their approaches to satire are totally different.
shareYep. But it could be said that Micallef's show is a touch more creative than the Chaser.
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Anywhoo, I really love that Newstopia is developing more into Shaun's classic style with each episode. Last nights was almost like an episode of micallef programme with the 'But Right Now This' cuts and the almost subliminal Groucho Marx appearance. That was so unexpected and surreal I still laugh while thinking about it
Lol. I've liked the chaser since their newspaper. I was saying the two shows are nothing alike except for news satire (which even Thank God You're Here Is doing...). I like Shaun. I like The Chaser. If I had to compare, last wednesday's episode of Newstopia was funnier than the chaser.
"I bet you want them to get canned and go to prison because you've either never seen it, or are too stupid."
That is probably the dumbest thing I have ever read on this website. How old are you? 16? *beep* hell. Get a compregensive argument and come back, k?
I agree with joel. I like Newstopia more than Chaser, but really, it's just contained to this season. But that doesn't mean I think that the Chaser aren't still awesome.
You can't say that because Newstopia and Chaser are both news-based, political content driven shows and so therefore they're exactly the same. Because let's face it: they're not.
"They're so dramatic and flamboyant, it just makes me want to set myself on fire!"
I missed the 1st episode, watched everything since. It's OK, luckily it's on SBS which will give it time to develop - if it was Ch 9 it would've been canned by now.
Thankfully in Melbourne we get Micallef every morning on radio, it's a medium that suits him better than TV. Plus he has others to bounce off, his ad lib wit is often better than his scripted stuff.
Heathy is a champion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fcRYtd0pgw
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i Loved Newstopia.
Inspektor Herring, the introduction monologues and Sir Edmund interview were my favourites.
Some times i felt like it went over my head, which is fine.
The whole thing did have this awkward feel to it which i rather liked. It made me concentrate completely - to listen and to see. i thought it was challenging but worthwhile.
i hope it comes back for a second series. Australian TV NEEDS Micallef.