The Handmaid’s Tale recap: We’ve been sent good weather… or have we?

Alex Casey dissects episode four of The Handmaid’s Tale, including tense baby showers and a walk down memory lane. Contains spoilers, obviously. June, in the sacred words of Fur Patrol, am I surprised to see you here with Lydia? No. No I’m not. After last week’s literal plane crash disaster, I knew it was only … Read more

The Handmaid’s Tale recap: Blessed be the fruit loops

Alex Casey dissects episode three of The Handmaid’s Tale, including cereal gags, serious twists and a Gwen Stefani cameo, of all things.  First of all: I’m sorry. I tricked you with a delicious sugary cereal snack and a pun headline, just like episode three of The Handmaid’s Tale tricked me into relaxing a bit before … Read more

Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami are changing the game, one pube joke at a time

Alex Casey sits down for a yarn with Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek, as their film The Breaker Upperers opens in New Zealand cinemas. Madeleine Sami is hooning a beer and Jackie van Beek is sipping a kombucha, or “bin juice” as Sami prefers to call it. We are a few hours out from … Read more

Undies, roast chickens, and lots of sex: Horror stories from NZ cinemas

After a cinema in Hawera banned patrons wearing pyjamas last week, ex-cinema attendant Alex Casey shines a light on much grosser stories from the back row of theatres around the country. First published May 2018. Something extremely weird happens to people inside a cinema. Maybe it’s the enveloping womb-like darkness that reverts grown adults to … Read more

The Handmaid’s Tale is back to burn everything to the ground

Alex Casey reviews the return of The Handmaid’s Tale, available exclusively on Lightbox with new episodes every Thursday. Sweaty palm on heaving heart, there is simply no other television show that elicits such a violent, physical reaction in me like The Handmaid’s Tale. You should know the story by now, because it’s one that may … Read more

The mysterious case of Auckland’s upwardly mobile celebrity cats

As revealed on The Real Pod this week, cats Brian and Christine Rice-Green are having a second chance at living with New Zealand TV royalty. In a shock twist straight out of any M. Night Shyamalan thriller, The Spinoff has learned that the feline friends of Matilda Rice and Art Green are not who they … Read more

All the ways you can get hyped for The Handmaid’s Tale season two

With The Handmaid’s Tale season two arriving exclusively to Lightbox on Thursday, Alex Casey assembles a handy list of ways you can bide your time.  I wish I could tell you everything about The Handmaid’s Tale season two, I really do. I wish I could tell you why I was silently wincing at my office … Read more

The greatest hits from the Anika Moa and Hilary Barry era of Seven Sharp

Alex Casey looks back at two glorious weeks of Anika Moa guest hosting on Seven Sharp alongside Hilary Barry. It began with Anika Moa sitting in Jeremy Wells’ chair, proclaiming live on air that she was so nervous she felt like vomiting and reaching over to touch Hilary Barry to make sure she was real. … Read more

‘You look like my brother’ and more crushing awkwardness from First Dates NZ

Alex Casey watches the charming, awkward return of First Dates NZ, including a famous radio host and a Lannister situation for the ages. First Dates NZ feels like home, and not just because the greatest night of my life (X Factor NZ launch party where I was photographed with ½ of Brendon Thomas and the … Read more

Meet the woman bringing The Muppets to Wellington

Alex Casey talks to Nic Marshall, director of the Jim Henson Retrospectacle, about her decade-long mission to bring The Muppets down under.  If you thought it wasn’t easy being green, you should try organising a single festival for over 10 years like Nic Marshall, director of the Jim Henson Retrospectacle. A celebration of the Muppet … Read more

‘Would you like me to also be a different skin colour and male?’ – Anika Moa claps back at tattoo criticism on Seven Sharp

It only took a week for the Anika-era of Seven Sharp to get its first true fiery moment, writes Alex Casey.  Tonight on Seven Sharp Anika Moa proved that, if you take a swing at her, you best not miss. Following negative audience feedback regarding her prominent, glorious tattoos, Moa – aided by her co-host … Read more

NZ Bachelorette claims producers banned her from eating dessert

An ex-Bachelorette has opened up about her experience on The Bachelor NZ, claiming that producers monitored her weight and banned her from eating dessert. Ally Thompson of The Bachelor NZ season three and The Bachelor Winter Games has written about the pressures of appearing on the romance reality show and the impact that it had … Read more

Here’s why everyone is mad about the rude bum show

Alex Casey reads through the complaints against Naked Attraction, the very rude show that aired on TVNZ last year. Everybody knows that absolutely nobody has genitals. In fact, nobody has ever been naked. Before birth we are prepped with an in-utero uniform of jorts and a high vis vest, gifted to every growing foetus from … Read more

Does cosplay in New Zealand have a consent problem?

Public conventions like Armageddon Expo allow cosplayers to celebrate their biggest pop culture passions. But, as Alex Casey found out, they can also be an opportunity for unwanted photography, groping and harassment. When I was at university, I did some extremely fun part-time work for a team building company that required me having to dress … Read more

Raised by Wolves celebrates howling, hilarious working class women

Alex Casey introduces Raised by Wolves, a coming-of-age sitcom created by UK feminist firebrand Caitlin Moran. What’s the story? Raised by Wolves is a semi-biographical retelling of the childhoods of Caitlin and Caroline Moran, set on an estate in the working class city of Wolverhampton. Join Germaine (who I’m assuming is inspired by Caitlin via … Read more

Key learnings from an explosive final week on MAFS Australia

Alex Casey watches the final week of Married at First Sight Australia, and comes away with some important lessons for the new season of the New Zealand franchise. It’s been a difficult relationship with Married at First Sight Australia. Late nights have meant I haven’t always been there and, when I made the effort, sometimes the … Read more

In plain sight: the fashion industry responds to Pavement revelations

Nearly a week on from the publishing of In plain sight, we collate a selection of responses from people involved in the fashion industry and the Pavement scene at the time.  Since The Spinoff published In plain sight: behind the pages of Pavement magazine last week, more than 20 people from the New Zealand fashion world … Read more

How a kids’ show about a sentient roller coaster might just be the future of NZ TV

International co-production Nori: Roller Coaster Boy is one of two new Lightbox Originals, representing the TV service’s first foray into original programming. Alex Casey talked to the NZ creatives behind it. Nestled in the shadow of Peter Jackson’s enormous Park Road Post studio in Miramar is POW studios, a small sound production company in quiet … Read more

Keeping Up With The Champagne Lady is a real show now

Alex Casey watches the Anne Batley-Burton spinoff show the country has been waiting for. In a year where Gilda Kirkpatrick is entering Dancing With the Stars NZ and Julia Sloane is somehow making a TV show about sex, it is only fitting that Anne Batley-Burton now has a show entirely devoted to… herself. Keeping Up … Read more

Meet the retired women who refuse to stay in, dress down and fade away

Alex Casey has lunch with The Red Hat Society in Auckland, a group of retired women who don’t give a hoot about growing old.  It was honestly like Geoff’s Emporium threw up. An orgy of red tulle and faux fur, pearls, tiny top hats stapled onto larger top hats, diamantes, glitter and feathers. Whether intentional … Read more

‘I’ve already had my heart broken multiple times’: Ali Mau on hearing the stories of #MeTooNZ

Alex Casey talks to Ali Mau about the launch of #MeTooNZ, a nationwide investigation into sexual harassment and assault.  Ali Mau has never been busier. Not even one week after she launched #MeTooNZ, a nationwide investigation into workplace sexual harassment, Mau has been inundated with calls from hundreds of survivors wanting to share their experiences from … Read more

Five hidden gems tucked away on TVNZ Ondemand

Over the years, TVNZ’s Ondemand service has spat out some pretty weird offerings. Alex Casey brings us the best of whats hidden on the homegrown streaming service. Who can forget the classic series I Can’t Stop Farting? The reality show about the perils of teaching women to drive? Whichever iteration of budgies, cats, kids or … Read more

The best of David Seymour defending the mythical sexy meat Minotaur

Alex Casey rounds up the highlights from a very funny RNZ interview with David Seymour about his very stupid and sexist t-shirt. Everyone knows that meat = sex. Ham steaks? They are boobs. Chicken breast? Also boobs. Sausages? Phwoar. Rump? Come ON. It is in this hot and heavy climate of carnal carnivores that David … Read more

Bargain: cancelled TVNZ drama Filthy Rich has joined Trade Me to sell some very fancy stuff

The Filthy Rich Trade Me account reveals an embarrassment of riches, discovers Alex Casey.  In a discovery more intriguing than when Gloriavale was flogging bulk Geisha wigs and a haunted goat named Hector, the people behind Filthy Rich have started a Trade Me account to sell off their opulent wares. The account filthy-rich, registered under the … Read more

A villain from The Bachelor US dishes the dirt on UnREAL

Ahead of UnREAL season three arriving exclusively to Lightbox tomorrow, Olivia Caridi from The Bachelor US takes us behind the curtain of reality romance. To use the quote the astute words of Rachel from UnREAL, her job as a reality TV producer is basically “Satan’s asshole.” Working as a puppeteer behind the scenes of a … Read more

Can you survive Jordan Mauger’s ‘douchey’ return to The Bachelor?

Our local Bachelor exports have finally made it to the international stage in The Bachelor Winter Games, but at what cost to the nation?  For the longest time, I was steaming mad that no network in New Zealand had bought The Bachelor Winter Games for us to all to watch through our fingers with the … Read more