New show for Mitchell

Press, 28 December 1989, Page 15

New show for Mitchell

The man dubbed The Colossus Of Comedy, Mark Mitchell; is to have hiw own show on Australia’s Network Ten next year. Mitchell who plays “Con Dikaletos” in “The Comedy Company” (Two at 7.30 p.m.) has been one of the popular stars along with “Kylie Mole" of the recently disbanded top Australian comedy show. While Mitchell is reluctant to give much away, he says the/ “Comedy Company” head writer, Doug McLeod, will be executive producer of his new show. “I would imagine Con will be there, I’d like to see Con driving a taxi, but

it won’t be sketch comedy. I see it as somewhere between The Jackie Gleason Show and An Audience With Peter Ustinov,” says Mitchell. The team who produce “The Comedy Company” announced recently the decision to end the show after the third season. The first series is currently being shown in New Zealand. Mitchell says producer, lan McFadyen, has always said he should do his own show and has been supportive of his venture. “But I’m not sure what he meant when he introduced me as ‘this is the face of evil’ at the final show party, but I’m sure it

was meant affectionately. We’ve been friends for many years.” He says he is now in the desirable position where he can focus solely on doing his work. “I wasn’t allowed to go to writers meetings because I tended to disrupt them. I’m a bit bizarre, a bit eccentric,” says Mitchell. With his new contract up his sleeve, Mitchell is sitting pretty after the completion of “The Comedy Company.” “I was only loaned to ‘The Comedy Company,’ like one might loan a mower!”