Alex Casey 
The multi-party leaders debate aired on Saturday night on TV1. Hosking took to the podium with his standard halo back-lighting. Although the angelic effect paired with his twinkling wet eyes was breathtaking, it was not enough to distract from the fact that he had seriously downgraded his wardrobe. Swapping out the three-piece suit of the first debate … Read more
In this episode we were dispatched to Lower Hutt, home of Ian and Sandy (aka “The Firefighter and his Flame”). There was much speculation about what Ian would be dishing up after his meat-aging-cauliflower-shaming opinions at the previous instant restaurant. It seemed pretty clear after seeing the pair at home cooking for their large family, as well … Read more
The Voice has taken a mildly entertaining and incredibly worrying turn. For those of you who have never seen the show, it’s part singing competition, part swivel chair advertorial, all sadness. And now, they’ve got the children. Please no, anything but the children. The intake for the show goes a little something like this: 1) … Read more
With the Bogans eliminated from Group One, this episode moved on to a whole new group of very loosely characterised teams. As anticipated, The “Corporate Dads” are the premiere dream comedy team, followed by “The Fireman and His Flame” (doesn’t seem like a real thing), rounding off with “The Christchurch Cuties” (who met at McDonalds). … Read more
Finally, we get to see the inner sanctum of zany couple Tracey and Neil, aka Beauty and The Beast. It is perfect that they hail from Orewa, a beach town jam-packed with their exact brand of dated and cheesey charm (for example, an excellent clothing store called ‘Charisma Fashions’ which Tracey undoubtedly has shares in). The … Read more
This episode welcomed us into the chilly Dunedin love-nest of newlyweds Christie and Dan. Their background introduction video showed long-haired Dan playing in his band, and doting Christie watching from behind the amps. The duo seem to enjoy chilling out with beanie-wearing friends at home, and just generally being young and in love. Although there … Read more
This episode invited audiences to, at long last, get better acquainted with the lovable heroes of the show: “Bogan Besties” June and Steph. Adorned with boob tube tops (featuring generic woman’s face) and bracelets made out of melted forks that can only be bought from a very specific type of crystal store, the pair seemed … Read more
Episode two took us to the heart of social media (Central Auckland), where social media gurus Sam and Dan used social media to create a social media themed restaurants for a room of guests who couldn’t care less about social media. In a gleaming montage featuring selfies and eating potato rosti with Shortland Street star … Read more
My Kitchen Rules NZ kicked off on TV One last night, grabbing much of New Zealand straight by the tongs. The show itself is part Come Dine With Me, part Masterchef and part Real Housewives. This stellar format promises to deliver cooking, judging and, best of all, tense times between contestants from all walks of … Read more
Warner Bros has announced that they are looking to reboot the family sitcom, which last aired in 1995, with John Stamos himself at the helm with a big Producer/Bouffant Liason. Rumour has it that a lot of the original cast will be returning, having waited for this phonecall for 19 years. So far D.J. (Candace … 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 month, it’s out with the old and in with the new as the cool content gets a mid-year shake-up. Here are the new shows that have arrived just in time for July: The Good … Read more