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	Micallef on the record By Katrina Witham The Courier Mail 09sep04 IT SEEMS life is a breeze right now for Shaun Micallef. "It feels quite leisurely what I am doing at the moment because I am writing at my own speed," says the Melbourne-based former solicitor turned writer/comedian/actor. "I am just really doing my own stuff and that is what I have been doing for the last year." The last time we saw him in a permanent role on television was on Micallef Tonight– his Channel 9 tonight show that was cancelled by the network after just 13 weeks on air. Harbouring no hard feelings against Nine, Micallef says the powers-that-be had different ideas about the show's format. And despite Micallef insisting life is leisurely, he has not been short of work since. On Monday this week his new book, Smithereens – a collection of "all sorts of bits and pieces I have written" – was launched and he also released a DVD of the second series of his show The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) on the same day. "It is nice that the series won't be forgotten," he says. Micallef also has been working on the Channel 10 telemovie franchise Black Jack; begun research for a new SBS production; acted in Channel 7's Through My Eyes ; and putting the finishing touches on "a couple of projects for the ABC". His services are in demand and Micallef relishes the fact he can pick and choose his workload. "I haven't become as desperate as I thought I would once I chucked in being a solicitor and did comedy professionally," he says. "When I started out I was a desperately hungry writer because I wanted to get stuff on television because it is very competitive. "But I don't think I am competitive any more – I am just doing it because I enjoy it and I tend to pick and choose stuff now, which is a nice place to be in." His penchant for playing mostly weirdos in cardigans or inept official types comes to the fore in the highlights package on disc one of The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) DVD. Characters like Nobby Doldrums, Mr Memory and documentary host David McGahan and a host of spoofs make an appearance. Disc two collects his two most popular characters, McGahan and ex-boxer Milo Kerrigan and has a collection of text-based special features. Micallef says it was an enjoyable process going back to the editing suite and collecting material for the "extras" part of the DVD. "It was good fun sitting down with all the old cast and watching it again because we had never really seen it like that," he says. "We'd make it and then it would go to air and that was it, we would go on to the next one. "When picking the extra material we wanted to make sure we just didn't throw in rubbish so the 40-50 minutes of extra material is pretty good." While Micallef has no plans to revive his Micallef program – "I think I've done that and it's time to move on" – he is confident he will return to our screens next year. "Last year was very busy on screen but the year before I never did anything," Micallef says. "So this is the year when I prepare things and get things ready and I imagine next year I will be quite busy on screen again." This article was found at http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10706116%255E28377,00.html