Duncan Greive interviews David Dallas about his furious new single ‘Don’t Rate That’. David Dallas might have the most consistent trajectory in New Zealand hip hop. He’d established an instantly familiar style, and spent his last couple of albums polishing it, crafting huge hooks and eyeing up the America. It worked out pretty well by him: he got … Read more
James Mustapic of Shorty St Scandal presents his annual awards to the good people of Ferndale in 2015. Gather round all ye doctors, nurses, patients and receptionists of Shortland Street, James Mustapic is here to shine a light on the best storylines, characters and moments from Ferndale this year. From Chris Warner’s “playa days” to Murray’s meatballs, … Read more
The second in our week-long series, counting down the greatest New Zealand television moments of the year. Click here for the first instalment. Contributions by Alex Casey, Calum Henderson and Duncan Greive 40) Burning Man? More Like Burping Man Dancing With the Stars NZ was rocked to the very core after one audience member in the … Read more
TV3 may have missed its chance at a 5.30pm answer to TV2’s Home and Away, but the original surf-and-sand teen soap is still going strong. Ellen Moorhead looks back at the year’s maddest storylines. It’s been a hard year in The Bay. 2015 has seen an endless stream of classic soap-tropes plague the good citizens … Read more
Neighbours turned 30 this year with the same soapy melodrama and sense of humour that have been the show’s hallmarks since 1985. Ethan Sills wouldn’t have it any other way. Anniversaries are a big deal for soap operas. When Coronation Street turned 50, a tram crashed into the street. When Shortland Street turned 20, a … Read more
Tara Ward recalls the most memorable moments from last night’s bloody Shortland Street Christmas cliffhanger (CONTAINS SPOILERS). 10) Gareth locks Dave the security guard in the supply cupboard Have you seen Security Dave? The guy is a freaking giant compared to Gareth. I’m no scientist; in fact, I can barely spell the word. But I … Read more
Duncan Greive watches as Ferndale endures a hostage crisis on a Christmas cliff for the ages. They’ll never beat the truck. That’s the yardstick against which all of Shortland Street’s Christmas cliffhangers will be measured, and invariably come up short. It was the first time the show embraced the dramatic tension afforded by a break, … Read more
The first in our week-long series, counting down the greatest New Zealand television moments of the year. First up? Ali G, jizz smears and secret burps. Contributions by Alex Casey and Calum Henderson. 41) Takes two tractors to tango The triumphant TV One show This Town spent time chilling out with regular New Zealanders and … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Shortland Street producer Simon Bennett about the jaw-dropping Christmas cliffhanger (contains many, many spoilers). My first question is: were you making a concerted effort to make the whole of New Zealand feel physically sick? The aim wasn’t to make people feel sick, but to make people think ‘I can’t believe they just … Read more
Cool TV freaks Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, creators of batshit cult sketch show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! are playing Auckland’s Sky City Theatre this Friday. Joseph Harper called them for a chat. Those who are already fans need no introduction to the work of Tim & Eric, and the uninitiated should … Read more
Tara Ward brings you this week’s Shortland Street Power Rankings, including Virginia’s car crash, Gareth’s window shopping and the saddest Christmas tree yet. 1) Boyd said bye bye to bachelorhood with a hangover from hell Boyd knows how to party like an S-Club party. He spent his last days as a single man in a … Read more
The Spinoff is proud to present the exceptional music video for ‘Hold Your Hand in Mine Harry Warner’, the debut pop single from Shorty Street Scandal‘s James Mustapic. More from The Spinoff on Shortland Street: – An interview with James Mustapic about creating this Shortland Street-themed musical magic – Interviewing Shortland Street producer Simon Bennett about tonight’s … Read more
With the much-anticipated Shortland Street finale airing on Monday night, Alex Casey sat down with producer Simon Bennett to talk cliffhangers… on a cliff. The Shortland Street cliffhanger airs Monday on TV2 at 7pm, click here to get up to speed on TVNZ Ondemand This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought … Read more
Good Morning has sung its last song, danced its last dance, and broadcast its last advertorial. Calum Henderson watched the lights go down on a New Zealand TV icon. “I don’t want this day to end…” These plaintive words from host Jeanette Thomas perhaps best summed up today’s final episode of Good Morning – a … Read more
Alex Casey plates up her unconventional power rankings for week eight of My Kitchen Rules NZ, including a stonking good name and some pampered pork. I am very very late this week, and I sincerely apologise. This truth is, I’m exhausted. I’ve been up all hours scribbling equations on whiteboards, rifling through old books and … Read more
‘Good Night to Good Morning’ is a three part series farewelling the iconic TVNZ variety show. In part two, former employee Robyn Gallagher recalls how Good Morning once enthralled a nation. For three years in the late 2000s, I worked on Good Morning. It was easily one of the most enjoyable – but dramatic – … Read more
Alex Casey chats to Keith Powell about his role as Toofer on Lightbox’s 30 Rock, and how one humble network sitcom changed the face of comedy over its seven joyous years. Tina Fey’s 30 Rock is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of my favourite television shows of all time. I remember buying season one … Read more
Calum Henderson watches Adele return to the stage, with help from Graham Norton, and gets a little misty. The first time I heard ‘Hello’, the lead single from Adele’s third studio album 25, I was sitting in Hollywood Bakery on my lunch break eating a tandoori chicken wrap. I knew straight away what song it was … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Shorty Street Scandal‘s James Mustapic, ahead of the much-anticipated release of his debut Shortland Street-themed single ‘Hold Your Hand in Mine Harry Warner’. James Mustapic is a local legend who has been dissecting the absurd happenings in Ferndale on his amazing Youtube channel for well over a year. Through all the … Read more
After ten weeks of furious villa renovation and TV production, The Block NZ finished on Sunday night in a flurry of six-figure profits at the live auction finale. Calum Henderson went along to kick the tyres of New Zealand’s richest reality TV franchise. Five minutes before they assembled on the balcony of the Rendezvous Hotel … Read more
‘Good Night to Good Morning’ is a three part series farewelling the iconic TVNZ variety show. In part one, Steve Braunias recalls a recent appearance on a show that once gave him cakes and grapes, and always gave New Zealand reliably good viewing. This is the way Good Morning ends: not with a green room, but a vast, deserted … Read more
Superheroes and socio-political champions, cold-blooded killers and murderous polar bears – the year’s best television had something for everyone, says Aaron Yap. And then there was True Detective… In 2015, there were no shortage of momentous occasions in the world of prestige TV. Mad Men came to a satisfyingly wistful close after seven seasons, granting … Read more
Tara Ward brings you this week’s Shortland Street Power Rankings, including Gareth’s cushion chaos and Harper’s hectic hen’s night. 1) Leanne’s spectacular party planning puts Harper in a pickle Leanne was on fire this week. Harper’s hen’s party was the event of the year, nay, the century. It was everything a hen’s night usually is: … Read more
Tonight marks the 200th episode of TV3’s flagship comedy show 7 Days. Calum Henderson was in the audience for the show’s marathon filming at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday night. I always wanted to be part of a live studio audience. Specifically, I always wanted to be part of the ‘Tool Time’ studio audience … Read more
The Block NZ is all over bar the auction room shouting. There’s time for one last round of Pita Pit, and one last Power Rankings, before Houses 1 through 4 go under the hammer on Sunday night. 1. Brooke & Mitch – House 4 What would The Block NZ have been without Brooke and Mitch? … Read more
In 1999 Spinoff Editor Duncan Greive featured in a music documentary called Sweet As. 16 years later it was innocently suggested by Throwback Thursday’s new sponsors NZ On Screen for post, with the newsy hook being that we headed into festival season. Against his better judgement, he agreed to re-examine what is without doubt most publicly embarrassing thing he’s … Read more
The Good Wife is the best least talked about show on television, says Aaron Hawkins. Considering diving in and lawyering up? Here’s all you need to know. What’s the story? Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) is married to states’ attorney Peter Florrick (Chris Noth), who gets caught with his pants down and his wallet out in … Read more
Alex Casey delivers her contestant power rankings for week eight on My Kitchen Rules NZ. This week, we farewell the face of Nando’s and Ali G comes to kitchen HQ. A dark cloud has come over me. It is shaped like a Nando’s chicken wing, and has been raining down stinging tears of peri peri sauce … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored post where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for shows you might like to watch. This week we line up all the cool new shows coming in December. COMING IN DECEMBER: Transparent (S02E01, Dec 1) The first episode of the second season of Emmy-winning drama Transparent arrives to Lightbox … Read more