Newstopia
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | October 10, 2007 |
| Founder | Shaun Micallef, Gary McCaffrie, Michael Ward, Jason Stephens |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Satirical comedy television series |
| Parent | Fremantle (company) |
Newstopia (presented as NEWStopiä) is an Australian satirical comedy series lasting thirty minutes per episode, hosted by Shaun Micallef. The debut season premiered on SBS TV on 10 October 2007 and ended later that year. Its second season was broadcast from 27 February until 30 April 2008, followed by a third season airing between 1 October and 3 December 2008.[1] The show was created by Micallef alongside Gary McCaffrie, Michael Ward, and Jason Stephens, with McCaffrie and Ward serving as writers. Although a fourth season was planned for 2009, it was ultimately cancelled due to scheduling conflicts involving Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation.[2]
Among the contributors were Matt Cameron, Doug MacLeod, Dave O'Neil, Tony Moclair, and Richard Marsland.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Format
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2009) |
Structured as a news broadcast, the program featured Micallef as the main presenter. Each episode commenced with his monologue connecting historical or contemporary topics to the show’s themes. The content combined actual news stories with surreal and satirical humor characteristic of Micallef’s approach.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
During commercial breaks, the series included fabricated advertisements styled to resemble genuine SBS promos, such as Inspektor Herring, a spoof of Inspector Rex. In seasons one and two, these mock ads displayed the SBS digital watermark, distinguishing them from real commercials; this watermark was eliminated in the third season.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
The show also incorporated subtle visual gags, briefly substituting images of Pope Benedict XVI with footage of Nosferatu, designed to be noticed but not immediately recognizable.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Cast
Regular cast
- Shaun Micallef
- Ben Anderson
- Nicholas Bell
- Julie Eckersley
- Miyuki Watanabe
- Peter Houghton
- Kat Stewart
- Imat Akelo-Opio
Special guests
- Ed Kavalee
- Roz Hammond portraying Lindy Spern
- Les Murray
- Bob Franklin
- Daina Reid
- Lee Lin Chin
- Francis Greenslade
- Barry Jones
- Tony Martin
- Anton Enus
- Chris Taylor
- Andrew Hansen
Internet streaming
Following each episode's original airing, the Newstopia website offered streaming access exclusively to Australian viewers for seven days through IP-based restrictions. Viewers could also leave comments in a guestbook to provide feedback on new episodes.
See also
- CNNNN
- The Daily Show
- Rick Mercer Report
- This Hour Has 22 Minutes
- The Beaverton (TV series)
- Hot Seat
- Real Time with Bill Maher
External links
- Newstopia SBS Television Program Website (Access might be restricted; for additional options, visit SBS TV official "Program Sites")
- Articles with short description
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles needing additional references from January 2009
- Articles with invalid date parameter in template
- All articles needing additional references
- 2000s Australian comedy television series
- Special Broadcasting Service original programming
- 2007 Australian television series debuts
- 2008 Australian television series conclusions
- Australian satirical television programs
- News parody shows
- Television series produced by Fremantle (company)
- Television productions set in Melbourne
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with script errors