With the huge Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul arriving exclusively to Lightbox in February 2015, Alex Casey looks at the disturbing television timeline of cast member Michael McKean.// Playing Saul Goodman’s brother Chuck in Lightbox’s much-anticipated Better Call Saul is by no means the first big television role for Michael McKean. In fact, one glance through his IMDB profile will reveal his ripe … Read more
José Barbosa wraps up Sci Fi Week by examining New Zealand’s TV science fiction, which peaked in the ’80s and has rarely been seen since. He wants to know why. // As we know Television is traditionally considered the production budget equivalent of a ratty two dollar shop that sells mobile phone covers and velvet … Read more
Happy 25th Birthday TV3 This week marks the 25th year of TV3, and much like an excited 25 year old having an entire birthday week – they are going on an absolute bender. Check out this celebration page for daily vids featuring bloopers, politics, and international correspondence from the last 25 years. For more from … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Power Rankings Episode 9 12) The Move/Me Getting Owned This is me watching Tribal Council. What a shocker! To say that this is the best episode we’ve had so far is an understatement. Jaclyn and Jon’s questionable move pretty much saved this season. So I guess that’s good, but I’m … Read more
After a week of receiving pitches far more groundbreaking than anything on Dragon’s Den, our Spunoff competition has closed. After much deliberation, here are the results. // We asked you, dear readers, to write us the very best spinoff pitch ideas from your favourite Lightbox show. In return, you had the rare chance to win a Samsung GALAXY S … Read more
With Sci Fi week in full swing and Christmas right around the corner, Alex Casey dredges up some powerful space junk from the dark reaches of the Trademe TV Memorabilia galaxy. // If there is one place to learn about the nuances of a particular show and it’s fandom, I can highly recommend following the Trademe … Read more
This Throwback Thursday, Aaron Yap appreciates the long-tongued leather-clad genius of sci fi series Aeon Flux.// A funny thing happened when I began revisiting Peter Chung’s cult animated sci-fi series Aeon Flux for this column. Seeing it for the first time since the mid-‘90s when it was on MTV’s Liquid Television – a memorably messed-up anthology … Read more
Two key Spinoff writers Alex Casey and Joseph Moore share a dirty little secret: they’ve never seen any of the defining ‘important’ TV shows of our time. They launched Catch Up Club to save them (and possibly you). For Sci Fi week, they space-jumped into the rusty depths of Battlestar Galactica. // Joseph: What the frak … Read more
One of the most important TV shows right now – Orphan Black – might turn out to be a hollow disappointment, but it still makes for essential viewing. David Larsen explains why. Here is one of my favourite pop culture images from the last ten years. It has nothing and everything to do with Orphan … Read more
José Barbosa shines a harsh space torch on sci-fi’s dirty little secret: it mostly looks terrible. Then tells us why we shouldn’t care. // If we can start by being honest, I think it’s important to acknowledge that really, no one should like science fiction TV shows. Much like KFC, the basic idea appeals, but … Read more
After twelve weeks, two melted pairs of pants and too many bespoke furnishings to count, Tara Ward shares her top ten lessons learned from watching The Block NZ 2014. // I’m amongst friends, so let me share with the group: I am a Blockaholic. This morning I thought I saw The Wolf coming out of the … Read more
This is Sci-Fi week at The Spinoff – we’re running a bunch of content devoted to the most ambitious genre of them all. First up: Andrew Todd defends the much-hated theme song to Star Trek: Enterprise. // Star Trek: Enterprise, the sixth and thus far last TV show to bear the franchise’s name, was initially met with some … Read more
Joseph Moore reports on last night’s Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards from the safe confines of his VIP couch. // Grab your tuxes and gowns everyone! And by tuxes and gowns, I mean your track pants and delivery-Thai food, we’re doin’ these awards from the couch! Who needs a fancy invitation or VIP table when you’ve invited … Read more
Tingly Fingers for Better Call Saul Better Call Saul, one of the more hotly-anticipated shows for next year, has managed to maintain an almost unheard of level of mystery. The Breaking Bad spinoff show has restrained its PR to mere small town billboards, classified ads and the odd trailer, leading to fever pitch levels of intrigue … Read more
With the return of University Challenge NZ to Prime this Saturday morning, Alex Casey watches the incredible 1988 final between Canterbury and Waikato. // Host Peter Sinclair welcomes us to the 1988 final, reflecting on the year that has been. He honestly looks like the perfect combo of Christoph Waltz, a Ken doll and this infamous dog wearing … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Power Rankings: Episode 8 10) Player of the Week: Jaclyn Shout out to Jaclyn. Aside from sporting the weirdest flared pants I’ve ever seen on Survivor, I thought she done good this week. I think going with Jeremy and Co. was a better move for her and Jon and it … Read more
Two key Spinoff writers Alex Casey and Joseph Moore share a dirty little secret: they’ve never seen any of the defining ‘important’ TV shows of our time. They launched Catch Up Club to save them (and possibly you). This week they got lost in the Labrador-filled labyrinth of Downton Abbey. // Alex: First of all, can I … Read more
Television spinoffs are nothing new. Some nailed it (Daria, Frasier). Some didn’t (Joey, The Cleveland Show). Some are the current source of feverish rumours and hype (Better Call Saul, the untitled-Walking Dead parallel story). Most remain unmade – existing only in the hearts and minds of devoted fans worldwide. Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, … Read more
Like advertising’s cockroach, informercials have emerged stronger following the internet’s onslaught. José Barbosa suffered through a night of them to bring you this harrowing report. // It can be argued that, in terms of human dignity, waking up at 1:30 in the morning with the intent to watch infomercials is a plunge into the lowest … Read more
Gather around, my friends: the time has come. It’s here! It’s really, really here! It’s our last week on The Block NZ. The teams returned their tools to the Bunnings Shed, packed their suitcases and said an emotional goodbye to their houses. Let us journey onwards and upwards, as we relive the glorious moments of the … Read more
This Music Monday Henry Oliver and Duncan Greive discuss an underrated element of the phenomenal Transparent: its unnervingly sharp portrayal of LA’s music industry. // Henry: Transparent was an interesting show for so many reasons, all of which could/should be discussed at length. There were issues in the show: gender (obvi) and the ‘new’ American family … Read more
Please enjoy this week’s episode of Shorty Street Scandal, wherein James Mustapic recaps the past week of Ferndale hijinks. This week? We meet our darling Clementine, Chris forgets how to parent and Wendy cockblocks the night away: It’s always exciting to have a new addition to the Street – this week saw the arrival of Clementine. … Read more
Goodbye Sweet Dawg After 13 seasons, 400 cheesecutter hats and just as many peace signs – judge Randy Jackson is moving on from American Idol. He leaves Ryan Seacrest as the only remaining original cast member, to join Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul in some sort of Coca-Cola Mecca. The judges for the upcoming season … Read more
Abby Lee Miller trained the dancer in Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ clip, but reveals deep depravity in reality show Dance Moms. Eleanor Robertson wrestles with a complex monster. // Think about the worst person you’ve ever met. Not someone who inexplicably annoys you, or somebody you hate for a petty historical reason. I mean the worst person. The kind of person you … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Power Rankings: Episode 7 11) Julie Rocker Quits the Game As someone who was cursed from birth in terms of Survivor eligibility via living in New Zealand and being too young to have potentially competed with dirty old Clarke Gayford on Treasure Island – I hate people who quit Survivor. Julie … Read more
MediaWorks and TVNZ have both launched their television schedules for next year, and there is one undeniable trend for 2015: local. Local productions, local stories and local singles in your area looking for love. The parallels between programming are impossible to ignore, so why not encourage some healthy competition? // The Block NZ vs Our First Home With The … Read more
This Throwback Thursday, Joe Harper unearths a radiant piece of discarded treasure from Community creator, Dan Harmon. // Long before Dan Harmon blossomed into the self-styled narcissist-genius responsible for Community and next level navel gazing, podcast masterpiece Harmontown, he made Heat Vision and Jack. The show was created in 1999 by Harmon and frequent collaborator … Read more
The Spinoff editor Duncan Greive went along to TVNZ’s new season launch and left with ringing ears, an LED lanyard and dreams of a reality juggernaut. // Six million people are stalked every year in the United States. 3.5m New Zealanders view TVNZ weekly. 18,000 paid their condolences to non-existent person Sarah Potts. Kleenex quadrupled … Read more
Two key Spinoff writers Alex Casey and Joseph Moore share a dirty little secret: they’ve never seen any of the defining ‘important’ TV shows of our time. They launched Catch Up Club to save them (and possibly you). This week they tipped their cowboy hats to the gritty neo-western Justified. // Alex: Wassup, time to justify Justified? … Read more