Alex Casey 
My Life in TV is a weekly feature interview with a member of the television industry. This week, Alex Casey talked to 7 Days producer Jon Bridges about bringing the competitive laughs each week. // Jon Bridges is the current producer of TV3’s flagship comedy panel show, 7 Days. Going into its sixth year now, and … Read more
Alex Casey recaps the ninth episode of Lightbox’s much anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. I have been hanging out all week to see if Chuck has beat his electro-magnetic condition. It really is the damning condition of our times, thank goodness he’s only in 2002 and not 2015. He wouldn’t last three seconds with … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a new sponsored feature where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for cool shows you might like to watch. This week, Alex Casey gives you a full rundown of all the blood-soaked, history-rich and superhero-stuffed shows arriving throughout April. // Wolf Hall (April 1) Based on the already classic Hilary Mantel novels … Read more
In a Spinoff exclusive, we have rare intel about where The Block 2015 is going down. An anonymous tipper, currently living in the Sandringham/Mt Roskill border sent us this lovely bit of mail this morning: There has been speculation that this is the potential spot for all of the drama, pregnancies and pant ripping that … Read more
For this Music Monday, Alex Casey finds a totally normal way to excuse yourself from devastating cricket chat with help from The Mighty Boosh. // Yes, the cricket final happened last night and some bad things happened. We were all there, no need to dwell. Actually, let’s. As someone who has struggled with watching sport … Read more
This is no April Fool’s joke, the critically adored BBC series is coming to New Zealand exclusively on Lightbox on April 1. Trust us, we wouldn’t joke about something of this televisual magnitude. Based on the iconic Hilary Mantel novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, the series is a historical drama straight out … Read more
More like Flop Gear Jeremy Clarkson was officially fired by the BBC this week, after punching the producer of Top Gear during a lovely steak dinner. After fronting Top Gear for 12 years, Clarkson has had his fair share of controversies. Racism. Sexism. Class Wars. His sacking could cost the BBC around £67million a year, with … Read more
Alex Casey talks to comedian Rose Matafeo about her eclectic TV upbringing, getting toenails in the mail and becoming a television star. // Rose Matafeo has already lived many television lives. Just 23, but already a grizzled showbiz vet, having been on the TV and comedy grind since the age of 15. That’s essentially child labour! … Read more
Alex Casey pitches ten potential celebrity candidates to perform on Dancing With the Stars 2015. // This afternoon, some incredible news was delivered down to us mortals from the reality TV gods: Dancing With the Stars will be returning to TV3 later this year. I’m floored. I’m ecstatic. I’m doing the Charleston all the way to … Read more
After all the drama in week two of The Bachelor NZ, Alex Casey delivers her second power rankings in our weekly series. If you missed week one, head here. What a show. What great television. What a time to be alive. This week The Bachelor became everything it needed to be. The tears started welling up, … Read more
Alex Casey recaps the eighth episode of Lightbox’s much anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. Ah, to open with Breaking Bad style flashback. Jimmy’s working his butt off as a trolley dolly at Hamlin & Hamlin. It’s a fancy and impressive space, amazingly well lit – the exact opposite of Jimmy, and the majority of … Read more
Alex Casey has a quick chat with Jonathan Banks, also known as the stony-faced assassin Mike Ehrmentraut of Breaking Bad and current spinoff Better Call Saul. // I really was expecting Jonathan to pick up the phone and to mutter a grumpy “hello” like Mike would, and then promptly shoot me in the head with a sniper rifle … Read more
Alex Casey recaps the seventh episode of Lightbox’s much anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. After last week’s slam dunk of an episode, I am feeling pretty confident in saying that Better Call Saul is one of the most interesting and unique telly shows on offer at the moment. Take the wonderful opening credits, for … Read more
Please enjoy this excellent episode of Shorty Street Scandal, wherein James Mustapic recaps the past week of Ferndale hijinks. This week? Bella gives Vinny a “pizza her mind”, Leanne saves the day and TK pretends to know everyone: Still crazy after all of these years (comas), Nicole ill-advisedly returned to work this week. She jumped at the opportunity to … Read more
Time is a Flat Bloner This morning Twitter blew up with the news that True Detective would feature an exquisite orgy scene in season two. Hiring a multitude of porn stars to fill the roles, The Hollywood Reporter stated that the show promises a “a deliriously vast, Eyes Wide Shut-caliber orgy sequence involving dozens of naked … Read more
My Life in TV is a weekly feature interview with a member of the television industry. This week Alex talked to Mike Puru, enamoured host of The Bachelor NZ. // Mike Puru has stepped back in front of the camera this week to host the journey of love that is The Bachelor NZ. On the day of the premiere, … Read more
In a new segment, Alex Casey tries recreate some iconic small screen meals. In this edition, she tackles 30 Rock‘s heart-attack-inducing Cheesy Blasters. // If there is one thing that Liz Lemon loves more than slankets – it’s cheese. Which is why, in season four of the show, it’s no surprise that she delightedly plays … Read more
Welcome to the debut episode of The Fantasy Suite, our podcast dedicated to all things The Bachelor NZ. Hosted by world renowned Bachelor expert Jane Yee, with support from The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and Duncan Greive. Reliving the first two nights at the Bachelor mansion, we discuss Arthur ‘Art’ Green, the bachelorettes, the first dates … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Guy Williams directly after his devastating loss to Ben Mitchell in the TV Guide’s Sexiest Man awards. // This morning I saw something that I knew was going to devastate Guy Williams, reigning champion of the TV Guide’s Sexiest Man award 2014. Anyone on Twitter will remember his extensive campaign to … Read more
After an exciting introduction to The Bachelor NZ this week, Alex Casey delivers her first in our weekly series of Bachelorette power rankings. I can’t believe it has happened. Our headless oiled Bachelor has finally washed ashore, and revealed his handsome mug to the nation. What a week it has been. There’s been tears, there’s been somewhat excessive … Read more
With Art Green confirmed as New Zealand’s first Bachelor, Alex Casey set about trying to find footage of his days as an extra on the swords and sandals sexfest Spartacus. // If you, like me, have been retracing Art Green’s life story every hour since he was announced as the Bachelor, you will know of … Read more
Appointment viewing… is a regular column which features a Spinoff writer watching one or more episodes of a current show and attempting to decode its appeal. This week: Alex Casey watches The Naughty Bits, a brief history of censoring nasties in New Zealand. // What’s it about? The documentary series is a three-part journey through the … Read more
Please enjoy this excellent episode of Shorty Street Scandal, wherein James Mustapic recaps the past week of Ferndale hijinks. This week? Harper gets bizarre with a ham, lads steal a laptop and Leanne is the human embodiment of this song: Our favourite London lovebirds Ula and Dallas sent a delightful postcard snap from the London Bridge this week. It … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for cool shows you might like to watch. This Friday the 13th, Alex Casey lines up some television brought to you exclusively by Lady Luck (or not, in some cases). // The 4400 If there is anything unluckier than being sucked … Read more
In case you missed it, last night John Campbell got the biggest treat of his life. It had just been a regular episode like any other, until there was an abrupt change in John’s silky schedule. Suddenly, Ali Ikram beams live from the Kings Arms. I mean beaming in both senses of the words, you can … Read more
NZ On Air announced a whole slew of true blue kiwi documentary projects today, so I decided to break down the lucky winners and see what televisual bang we are getting for our hard-earned buck. Our Big Blue Backyard 2, 6 x 1hr on TV One Buck: $2,066,927 Bang: A whale of a series, and an unsurprising … Read more
Appointment viewing… is a regular column which features a Spinoff writer watching one or more episodes of a current show and attempting to decode its appeal. This week: Alex Casey watches TV3’s new crime-comedy-drama Backstrom. // What’s it about? It’s a tale as old as time – a crime show that opens with a dead body, followed … Read more
Alex Casey recaps the sixth episode of Lightbox’s much anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. Can I just that this episode is so bloody beautiful and heart wrenching and perfect. It is easily my favourite so far, felt incredibly reminiscent of the Breaking Bad bottle episode “Fly”. Standing apart from the rest of Better Call Saul … Read more
Let us take a minute to step off the gilded X Factor NZ patios of Bangkok to the dusty suburban plains of TV1’s Our First Home. The other night whilst Joe Irvine was swimming at (presumably) the beach from The Beach, Robyn Schreuder was up to some true blue wheelbarrow mishaps. Being the card that she is, … Read more