Mad as Hell and Back (2020) by Shaun Micallef is a retrospective celebrating ten years of Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, the satirical ABC television program that skewered Australian politics and media with razor-sharp wit. The book revisits the show’s most memorable sketches, characters, and moments, capturing the absurdity of a decade’s worth of political spin and public scandals.
Alongside scripts, images, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Micallef reflects on how the series evolved in step with the political climate, shifting from sly parody to pointed commentary as governments and leaders changed. The tone blends comedy with cultural critique, showing why Mad as Hell became a defining voice in Australian satire.
Part archive, part comedy keepsake, the book serves both as a celebration for fans and a snapshot of an era in which politics and farce often became indistinguishable.
