▁two ▁years ▁following ▁the ▁break - up ▁of ▁DA AS , ▁Mc D erm ott ▁wrote ▁two ▁film ▁scripts ▁and ▁the ▁stage ▁show ▁M OS H !. ▁ ▁He ▁says ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁particularly ▁interested ▁in ▁returning ▁to ▁comedy , ▁which ▁he ▁came ▁to ▁regard ▁as ▁an ▁" ab err ation , ▁something ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁good ▁to ▁do ▁for ▁eight ▁years ▁but ▁now ▁it ▁was ▁over ," ▁until ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁he ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁as ▁host ▁of ▁the ▁sat ir ical ▁news - based ▁qu iz ▁show ▁Good ▁News ▁Week . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Mc D erm ott ▁and ▁Tim ▁Fer g us on ▁reun ited ▁to ▁tour ▁Australia ▁as ▁the ▁Doug ▁Anthony ▁All ▁Stars , ▁with ▁frequent ▁collabor ator ▁Paul ▁Living ston ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁" F la cco ") ▁replacing ▁Richard ▁F id ler ▁as ▁guitar ist ▁due ▁to ▁F id ler ' s ▁radio ▁commit ments . ▁ ▁Television ▁career ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Mc D erm ott ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁director ▁Ted ▁Robinson , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁previously ▁worked ▁on ▁The ▁Big ▁G ig , ▁to ▁host ▁Good ▁News ▁Week , ▁which ▁a ired ▁on ▁the ▁ABC ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁and ▁on ▁Network ▁Ten ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁then ▁returned ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁series .