Cameras roll on Micallef’s Ex-PM comedy

Shaun Micallef’s latest comedy series The Ex-PM, began filming in Melbourne today.

In the six-part series created, Micallef plays Australia’s third longest-serving Prime Minister, Andrew Dugdale -once a man who mattered.

He dined with Presidents and Kings, hosted world summits and changed the lives of millions of his fellow Australians. But now he’s retired, this not-so-elder statesman has far too much time on his hands and no-one to waste it on.

After blowing the advance for his memoirs but writing nothing in return, Dugdale has to accept a ghostwriter, Ellen (Lucy Honigman), into his dysfunctional household (one that includes a wife in name only, a grown-up daughter with father issues – plus her son, a bodyguard who watches too much Person Of Interest on his iPhone, a PA who knows where all the bodies are buried, a chauffeur with a metal plate in his head and a heart of gold – and a cook on a 457 Visa).

So begins a comic tango between truth and spin as Ellen and Dugdale take to the dance floor. A tale of redemption somewhere between House of Cards and One Foot in the Grave.

The ensemble cast also includes Nikki Wendt, Kate Jenkinson, Nicholas Bell, Francis Greenslade, Jackson Tozer, Ming-Zhu Hii and John Clarke.

“I am very much looking forward to stepping in front of the cameras for my new series The Ex-PM. Hopefully they will be switched on,” said Micallef.

Micallef is writer on the series with Sian Davies (Offspring, Mr & Mrs Murder) directing and Nick Murray (House of Hancock, Stupid Stupid Man) producing for CJZ.

Nick Murray says, “I can’t wait to start shooting The Ex-PM. It’s a rare pleasure with such a great cast and Shaun’s scripts are wonderful.”

ABC Head of Comedy Rick Kalowski, “Not too sure who this Micallef kid is, but we’ll give anyone a go at the ABC.”

It will air on ABC later this year.