but the comic is forever bubbling underneath.

There’s also an energy to his presentation, a spark borne of enthusiasm for the show and clear affection for his traveling companion.

Relaxed and confident, Shaun is having fun, and that’s a big element of the show’s appeal.

But as mentioned, this isn’t actually a show about Shaun Micallef, as much as his personality is shot through it at every point.

Like a globetrotting cross between a travelogue and a documentary, the show seeks in each installment to rummage about in the heads of a prominent comedian, seeing what can be unearthed by putting them in contact with the land and culture their family has come from.

In episode one, the subject is Aaron Chen (subsequent episodes feature Dilruk Jayasinha, Michael Wipfli, Lizzy Hoo, Nina Oyama, and Arj Barker), and it’s a genuinely fascinating process to see Chen in China exploring the old haunts of his father.

Chen has risen to the top of Australian comedy with hit stand-up shows and parts in various productions, and his trademark is a low-key deadpan delivery shorn of overt passions.

To see him following his father’s story and experiences, about as different to his own life in Australia as they could possibly be – and containing a fair slice of hardship and darkness – is illuminating.

Shy and reticent, the narrative is one of Chen’s emotions being opened up to provide a whole new angle to our own perception of the performer.

The show contains dashes of many other shows: apart from the aforementioned comparisons, there’s the odd bit of travelogue, and when Chen gets a taste of work on a Chinese pig farm, there’s even a brief splash of reality TV.

The disparate influences aside, what makes it so strong is its willingness to mix humor and earnestness, joy and sadness, and lighthearted enjoyment with deeper reflection on some serious themes.