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Ten picks up Ed Kavalee’s debut feature Scumbus

Ed Kavalee: writer, producer, actor of Scumbus

Network Ten has picked up first rights to a debut comedy feature by Ed Kavalee starring some of Australia’s best known comedians.

Scumbus is Kavalee’s first film, written, produced and funded by the comedian and directed by Luke Tierney.

The film, an idea of Kavalee’s and friend Josh Lawson, will be broadcast on Saturday 10 November at 9.30pm and later on Ten’s catch up service.

Kavalee told Encore: “It was conceived by myself and Josh Lawson before he got taken under the wing of Will Ferrell.”

“It was made for TV. No one is making comedy telemovies. So I thought let’s give this a go. Ten saw it, loved it and said they’d love to play it,” he said.

“It’s basically a little comedy about two life-long best friends who are also cops. One is a goody-goody and the other is out to get whatever he can get.”

Kavalee called in favours from his comedy friends including The Project’s Dave Hughes, Toby Truslove of Outland and Strange Calls, Tony Martin, Peter Helliar, Glenn Robbins, Lachy Hulme, Ryan Shelton, Kate Langbroek and Samantha Tolj to star.

Kavalee said: “I asked if they’d have one day, or half a day to spare. Once they all said yes, we had no excuse. We had to make the damn thing.”

“It was about getting everyone together in a comedy community. If you look at the cast and the crew, I can’t afford to pay them what they’re worth but the key was I wanted to show the industry we could do this with our great comic talent, which I think is underused in film.”

Kavalee said the film will have its US premiere at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival on 4 November.

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