Party Tricks: How Rodger Corser put Eddie McGuire in the hot seat for his new role

IF you tune in to Party Tricks tomorrow night and notice one of the main characters bears a suspicious similarity to Eddie McGuire, you’re on the money.

Collingwood vs Carlton

WHEN Rodger Corser started researching his Party Tricks character — media identity-turned-politician David McLeod — he turned to Eddie McGuire for advice.

That is because Corser’s McLeod shares a number of similarities McGuire, host of Channel Nine quiz show Hot Seat.

McLeod is a charismatic television presenter whose life changed when wife Alison died of cancer, leaving him to raise teenage daughter Matilda on his own.

He becomes involved in philanthropy and is also a board member for AFL’s Hawthorn Football Club and Chairman of the Melbourne Public Events Committee.

That makes him an ideal candidate for the Liberal Party — up against former flame Kate Ballard, played by Offspring star Asher Keddie — in a state election.

Life imitating art? Rodger Corser drew parallels between his Party Tricks character and Eddie McGuire.

McGuire hasn’t experienced McLeod’s family tragedy but his resume includes former Nine CEO, president of the Collingwood Football Club, extensive charity work, and director at the Victorian Major Events Company.

“My character is brash and cocky and confident,” Corser says. “You look at Eddie, who has got his fingers in so many pies — and his brother (Frank) is involved in politics.

“Eddie was great. I wanted to know how he juggles so many things. One job is enough for a lot of people.

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“I wanted to know how he puts his different hats on. He will go from talking to the boys (Collingwood footballers) in the change room after a game to rubbing shoulders with guys in a boardroom.

“Also I asked him about (dealing with) controversy and how that affects him and his family.

Party Tricks has been a long time coming. It started life when Keddie guest starred in seven episodes of Rush back in 2009.

“They (producers John Edwards and Imogen Banks) wrote it with us in mind,” Corser says. “Asher and I really liked working together and this was an opportunity to do that on a bigger scale.

“We thought it might have been sooner but Asher happened to have a runaway smash hit show — so it has taken this long.”

Finally working together ... Corser and Keddie.

While political dramas currently dominate the TV — think ABC’s The Code, Kevin Spacey’s House of Cards, and Tea Leoni in Madam Secretary, Corser says Party Tricks is different. The tone of the six-part dramedy is more playful — think the banter of Moonlighting.

“They (Ten) didn’t want a dry political show,” Corser says. “The heart of this is an affair and scandal. There are lighter moments.

““When it came to my character giving speeches I realised I sounded a bit like Ray Martin. There is also a bit of Karl Stefanovic thrown in there — cheeky and daggy and not afraid to take the mickey out of himself.”

PARTY TRICKS

MONDAY, 8.30PM, TEN

Originally published as Party Tricks: How Rodger Corser put Eddie McGuire in the hot seat for his new role