A couple of days ago there were some controversial casting announcements for Season Two of True Detective. Uncharacteristically, the internet was unhappy and took to the keys with more gusto than Vince Vaughan frantically writing the entire script of The Internship two hours before it’s deadline. All the ranting and raving can be summarised in a few key points: … Read more
If you have been living deep within a gutter (black), an Outrageous Fortune prequel is on its way to our screens. Set in the 1970s, it will follow the hijinks of legendary safe-cracker and canny-career-crim Ted West, his wife Rita and their son Wolfgang. For the role of Wolfgang, TV3 and South Pacific Pictures have sounded an exciting wolf … Read more
Please enjoy this teaser webisode for the upcoming second season of Broad City, set to be released in 2015. Broad City Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows If you have never watched Broad City before, the show follows best friends (and writers of the show) Ilana and Abbi as they negotiate life in … Read more
Call the police, there’s a new host in town. It was announced yesterday that Detective Sergeant Rob Lemoto has been assigned the biggest case of his life: being on the telly. Beating over 50 applicants for the job, Lemoto will replace Ten 7 stalwart Graham Bell. This isn’t his first television rodeo. Lemoto first appeared … Read more
In the first of an occasional series, a TV insider who wishes to remain anonymous shares her thoughts on the local industry. First up, the awkward forced sentimentality of the TV news goodbye. // The Sunday edition of 3 News always seems to take forever to get to 7pm. New Zealand’s small population isn’t really … Read more
At last, the first room reveal on The Block NZ. If the past three weeks have been a marathon, tonight’s episode is the sprint to the finish. I’m ready: I’ve done my warm-up stretches, donned my favourite terry towel headband, and double knotted my Bata Bullets. Let us now together enter the virtual stadium that is The … Read more
Judgement day is looming. Looming, I tell you! It’s crunch time! The Wolf is let loose! It’s fun and games! With serious consequences! And a smashing challenge! Blimey, we’re only 43 seconds into tonight’s episode of The Block and already I’m equal parts astonished and terrified. It’s Day 14 on The Block. I know it, … Read more
This weekend will provide New Zealand with heavy rain up and down the country, so you should probably stay in and watch yourself some television. With only a week until the general election, it’s time to get involved in politics. A great way to do this over the next few days would be to fully … Read more
Yesterday it was announced that both Stan Walker and Mel Blatt will be returning to the X Factor NZ judges’ table. Ruby Frost and Daniel Bedingfield are still unconfirmed, with Frost selfishly working on her own career and Bedingfield still trapped in a rotating cube with some poor woman. But we needn’t panic, New Zealand has a wealth … Read more
Finally we got to explore the inner boardrooms of Corporate Dads Aaron and Josh. Unsurprisingly, their instant restaurant was inside a giant yellow mansion with a massive swimming pool. Just goes to show, there’s a hell of a lot of dosh in sexy fertility vitamins. Their background video shows them crunching numbers in a café, wearing Red … Read more
Last night John Campbell moderated John Key and David Cunliffe in an hour-long debate. They arrived in separate cars to what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse building. Faced with the desolate dystopian setting, it seemed the only suitable podium for Campbell was a zig-zag of metal that had clearly travelled here from the future. Many of the important issues … Read more
Young couple Jessie and Ricki (“The Christchurch Cuties”) were the hosts in this stormer of an episode. This pair always seemed mysterious, like there was more to them than just cuteness and Christchurch-ness. We all remember their well-timed decision to come out as a couple at the dinner table (causing the Corporate Dads to go into cardiac arrest). They have … Read more
Today is the fancy day when a man from Apple gets on stage wearing an infinity scarf and announces a new thing. If you have been living under a rock for the past three and a half hours: there is a new iPhone that is slightly bigger than the old one and a new iPhone … Read more
The Block viewers were in for a shocking shock at the end of last Thursday’s episode when it was revealed that Quinn and Ben are weirdly pregnant. Weird because they’re currently sleeping in what is essentially a highly-centralised Point Chev mini-slum. The Block’s best couple have obviously been enjoying their time under the tarpaulin. The pair don’t … Read more
Alex Casey asks whether this really is ‘the end’ for Joan Rivers. // The world and Donald Trump farewelled comedian Joan Rivers in New York today. A dark day, another shining and oddly taut star gone. For those of you who find yourselves crippled with grief – there is a light at the end of … Read more
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
With all due respect to everything New Zealanders have achieved in art and commerce, no serious person disputes Shortland Street’s position as this country’s best ‘thing’. It’s older than Lorde, weirder than the Wizard of Christchurch and more ripped than Ma’a Nonu. It exists in this strange microclimate where there is only one bar and two cafés, where … 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