Have you heard? 2010 World Cup favourite “Santo, Sam & Ed’s Cup Fever” is officially back! Well, sort of. Early yesterday morning the date for the revamped version of Santo, Sam & Ed’s Cup Fever was announced.
From January 30th, the hilarious trio of Santo Cilauro, Sam Pang and Ed Kavalee will reunite in front of a live audience, with interviews, sketches and bad desk mugs. But while their previous effort together was a roaring success there’s been a few changes to the formula.
So are they good or bad changes? I’ll let you decide, but here’s the jist of it.
Firstly, the program is no longer just about the World Cup and the all-round antics of the world game. The show has been given another life covering all sports, hence the revised show name of “Santo, Sam & Ed’s Sports Fever”.
Good news is we don’t have to wait until the next World Cup to see these guys in action again and football fans won’t be the only ones who’ll get a kick out of the show. Bad news is that the broadness of sports they can cover might water down the hilarity into some lesser version of Roy & HG.
Another obvious change is the broadcaster.
The boys will no longer call SBS home. Instead, the show will air on Seven.
Each have experienced the ups and downs of commercial television, but none moreso than Ed Kavalee. His gig as host of “TV Burp” (on Seven) only lasted one season before being canned, and though his role as co-host of “Joy of Sets” (on Nine) was well received, the show was bumped to a later timeslot for the last few episodes. Such is the fickleness of commercial television.
Then there’s the Sitch-uation.
While Rob Sitch will be on board as a writer and producer, at this stage he will not be taking part in front of the camera. This video summarises just how great Sitch was in “Cup Fever”. When his bread and butter is sketch comedy, no Sitch would be a massive, massive loss to the show.
Finally, and in my opinion the most dramatic and potentially devastating change, is the timeslot. On SBS, even when we’d all be up in the early hours ready and raring for a World Cup fixture to kick-off, “Cup Fever” always had primetime.
It aired each and every time at 8.30pm, with later repeats on SBS TWO. But on Seven, “Sports Fever” will start at the 10.30pm timeslot (9.30pm for Queensland). Harsh way to start if you ask me.
Even with these obstacles, I’m truly hoping the show is a success, and like “Cup Fever” before it, is a lovely, lovely way to burn.
Euro 2012
Guest
Well, I am watching bits and pieces of Euro 2012 at the moment and REALLY miss those guys! Where are they? Not on SBS, not on Seven, not on the web? Please let me know where their coverage of the current Euro 2012 is, pleeeeease!
stabpass
Guest
Probably should not admit this, but the only footy show i watch is before the game, love the comedy which can be good, but am not that keen on Sam Lane ... in any sense.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Sounds like a perfect sketch for Santo.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
your fears are somewhat justified as seven have failed with every AFL show they've ever done. They apparently tried to get Before the Game from ten, but were unsuccessful, I see this as being sevens next attempt.
AL
Guest
The AFL ( cricket and all the other sports, apart from Football) will highjack the show. The cult show that was Cup Fever will be AFL'd to give the afl cred that it does not have and give the illusion that the afl is "international" much like the media headline that the afl will be playing in China in 2000 and somthing. The afl media spin machine will highjack the show to such an extent that people will think that the cup fever show was not about football but aussie rules.
Lucan
Guest
Bring back Sexy Football to C31. That show was a hoot.
Kasey
Guest
Midfielder, I'm not doubting that Seven Screwed Soccer, they admitted as much in their court case, but I am trying to find an article to give as proof in another discussion, some twit on bigfooty actually thinks "its a falsity"..ie one of those delusional things we soccer folk tell ourselves to make the AFL out to be the bogeyman. He might just be trolling, but I can only find message board reporting, rather than an actual newspaper article..help?
Midfielder
Guest
Football folk.... I understand .... http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-snc1/v271/201/106/669677886/n669677886_769343_7373.jpg But we need to at least watch.... before we assume...
apaway
Roar Guru
How about we watch a few episodes before jumping to conclusions? I mean, I know it's a different context, but Roy and HG made the transition to Channel Seven with the most brilliant sports show ever made - The Dream.
daniels
Guest
finely they are returning, the show was awsome. Lets hope they keep it going for many months, and they decide to let them on earler during the olympics
Melanie Dinjaski
Roar Guru
Love the sketch ideas Futbanous!
jamesb
Guest
I was a huge fan of Santo, Sam and Ed during the world cup last year. In fact, IMO, it was THE highlight of World Cup 2010. I hope I'm wrong, but this looks like its going to be a major flop. You have three guys who are passionate about soccer (football), and now they have to compromise by calling it a sports show. Sure there probably are a fan of other sports, but football is their number 1. Especially someone like Santo. Look the major codes already have their shows, like "the footy show", "before the game", "sunday roast" just to name a few. Don't you think its time we have a soccer ONLY program........please! How can i say this. For many years we always have Mars Bars and Snickers (AFL,NRL shows), but as a viewer, I want something different. Have a break..........have a KIt Kat (soccer). I want to eat some kit kat for a change, not the same old Mars bars and Snickers. I want a different taste. You know what I mean! Sure you have the "World game", but thats a serious show, simliar to "NRL sunday footy show" or "footy classified" The show is on at 10:30. Its not a bad time for it to be a soccer only show. There is so much material to cover, like J_league, Brazil, Bundesliga, EPL, La Liga, They would find so many funny moments in those leagues, i reckon the show would comfortably stand on its own 2 feet, regardless if the viewers are soccer fans or not.
Evan Askew
Guest
Gold!
Cpaaa
Guest
If it starts January 30. then it will be at the arse end of Football season. wishful thinking for focus on anything A-League. Channel 7 does it again.
Melanie Dinjaski
Roar Guru
Yikes! Fixed. Thanks Steggz. Still a horrid timeslot for a new show...
Axelv
Guest
ZING!
Bondy
Guest
I dont know what you wrote Kasey , but what a brilliant clip . Cheers mate .
Bondy
Guest
Football United . Well said mate , i could just imagine the 7 execs when the round ball was produced .
Futbanous
Guest
Heres just a few local tips for funny sketches Clive & Miron always A shot of Mehmet with worry beads The bowling alley sketch that saw 3 AU players hit the deck in tandem Massimo Murdocca & Erik Paartalu showing totally different methods of helping an old lady get a tin of beans from a supermarket top shelf Ian Ferguson smiling with a scene of birds dropping from the sky behind him Frank Lowy with the tape he keeps constantly in his pocket called the 'tape of World Cup hope" Ben Buckley talking to his wife about how "robust' the peas were at dinner Then of course the big Daddy Maradona's in town Many more locally of course & we havent even started on overseas.
Kasey
Guest
Even ex-Victory man Gary Cole being appointed CEO of Sydney FC on one day speaking about the need for stability at the club, then the very next day an article in the SMH appears questioning Vitja's re-appointment at the Sky Blues... Don't mean to pick on Sydney but football is a rich source of humour especially on the local front. Might help the image/mood of the game/fans if we can learn to take things a little less personally and remember to laugh at ourselves a bit more often.