Source : the age
A long time ago, Ed Kavalee was given a useful tip about working with Santo Cilauro on live TV. “Santo will have seven clips, they’ll all be called ‘clip’ but they’ll be out of order,” Kavalee was told. “And they were”.
Cilauro, seated next to him at the St Kilda office of production company Working Dog, doesn’t push back against the slight. Far from it. “Often you get your biggest laughs when something doesn’t go right, you know?,” he chimes in. “I mean, that’s the fun of it.”
TV rarely comes as lo-fi or seat-of-the-pants as on Cup Fever!, a suite of sport-themed panel shows that Cilauro, Kavalee and Sam Pang have been throwing together since the 2010 World Cup. The soccer-tragic partnership has enjoyed various incarnations and spin-offs since, such as a vodcast and podcast on ABC iview for the 2018 World Cup, a review show on Fox Sports and even a radio version.
But this year, it’s back at its spiritual home on 2026 World Cup broadcaster SBS as a nightly recap blending discussion of the day’s matches, analysis, guest spots and sketches.
With 48 nations competing, 16 more than previous stagings, and three host nations (the US, Canada and Mexico) it’s the biggest ever World Cup. Not that Kavalee and Cilauro have any plans to change the vibe of a show that is more Wayne’s World than Wide World of Sport. “Oily rags have now become a bit more expensive since the war, but it’ll be small, it’ll be small,” promises Cilauro.
Each brings to the show their own superpower. For Cilauro, it’s a deep, enduring and sentimental devotion to the world game and his European roots (just don’t mention that Italy didn’t qualify again) and a contact list that’s a who’s who of Australian players. Kavalee’s weapon is a near-encyclopaedic knowledge of the game past and present and a knack for whip-smart retorts.
There’ll be a new legend taking over what was “Bresci’s Diary”, a wry segment in which former Socceroo Mark Bresciano shared the highlights of his busy life in retirement, a possible reprise of Kiwi commentators Jim and Terry (played by Kavalee and Rob Sitch, though Kavalee can’t recall who plays which character) and pre-recorded segments, some of which were filmed with the Australian squad before they headed abroad. And while Sam Pang won’t be co-hosting, he is expected to make an appearance (hello, Kim Jong-Un).
“We’re lucky enough because we do Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Cheap Seats,” says Cilauro. “There are so many comedians around. It’s an open invitation, it’s a bit of an open house, so I suspect that there’ll be a few interesting faces dropping in. We can’t tell what it is, because we’re going to do it live. We don’t really know what’s going to happen.”
Besides which, the best-laid plans don’t always work out. Cilauro recalls being in the media section at the Australia-Croatia match at the 2006 World Cup, a historic game that ended in a draw but led to Australia progressing for the first time to the round of 16.
“The players were going crazy,” recalls Cilauro. “We were hugging and from behind I felt this big bear hug. It’s [team captain] Mark Viduka. I was in tears. And he goes, ‘Do you have any Late Show tapes on you?’ And you know when someone says something and you don’t actually believe it, so you ignore it. I kept on talking about the football and he goes, ‘Mate, we’re going crazy in camp. [The coach] doesn’t let us see anybody. We need some comedy. Can you get us a Late Show tape?’
Having players on board, coupled with the presenters’ genuine passion for the game, is the key to the show’s success.
“I think they trust us to know that we’re not going to make them look like idiots, because for a lot of people who are not in the world of comedy, [they think] you’re taking the piss,” says Cilauro. “‘Bresci’s Diary’ … he doesn’t come out looking like an idiot, you know what I mean? Because I would never let that happen.”
Adds Kavalee: “They trust us to be on their side, which we are because it’s not a gotcha show, it’s a celebration.”
The studio where they’ll be filming has space for a very small audience, what Cilauro calls “our starting 11”.
“It’s a party and it’s an Australian audience, too,” says Kavalee. “We know that on the day that Mexico plays, there’ll be a bunch of people in our crowd who are either from Mexico or families from Mexico. You bring that world party to your little room.”
As for who will win …
Kavalee: “If Australia doesn’t win, I think Brazil will.”
Cilauro: “Brazil?”
Kavalee: “Fit, angry, written off, and they have a European coach who is the most pragmatic man. Brazil for me.”
Cilauro: “France.”
And which coach will provide the best entertainment?
Kavalee: “Who’s gonna get the villain cut? [England coach] Thomas Tuchel, he already looks like a Bond villain.”
Cilauro: “You’re quite right, yeah. He doesn’t need any help, he’s got it. And does he get a bit sullen?”
Kavalee: “Oh yeah, really [sullen].”
Cilauro: “[Brazil coach] Ancelloti can get sullen.”
Kavalee: “Yeah, he sulks, which I like. Petkovic, the Bosnian guy that coaches Algeria, he’s got a wild look in his eyes, and if he’s not happy, you’ll know about it. He’s good fun.”
Cilauro: “Is [Australian coach Tony] Popovich going to do his nut, too, if things go against Australia?”
Kavalee: “I hope so. And why not? He doesn’t have an assistant. Sometimes people have an assistant that does it for them, but he likes to do it himself. Ancelloti has his son do it for him. He does this thing with his hand and his son goes over, ‘What are we angry about? OK, got it.’”
Santo and Ed’s Cup Fever! streams on SBS On Demand from June 12.
