A classical pianist turned singer and producer, Tei has just released one of the best New Zealand mixtapes in ages. She talks to Alaistar Moghan about the making of OMW. It’s a familiar narrative. The self-taught bedroom artist watches a few YouTube tutorials, buys some basic kit, uploads a track to SoundCloud and it blows … Read more
The unmistakable voice of Neighbours at War, Bill Kerton tells Calum Henderson about making his new show Gutsful and how he cut his TV teeth directing Havoc and Newsboy at the height of their infamy. “I’ve sort of only really got one setting,” Bill Kerton admits. He is talking about Gutsful, the new TV show … Read more
Jane Yee, Duncan Greive, Alex Casey and Anne Bloody Batley Burton from The Real Housewives of Auckland gather around the oval table to talk about the latest happenings in New Zealand television and real life in New Zealand. This week we drain some delicious bottles of Champagne Jacquart with New Zealand’s greatest reality television star, Anne … Read more
$UICIDEBOY$ are a New Orleans rap duo whose songs have millions of plays on Soundcloud and who sold out their first Auckland show in mere hours. Kate Robertson was there. $UICIDEBOY$, a white rap duo from the US, sold out Auckland venue The Studio in 24 hours. An act that doesn’t get mainstream radio play, … Read more
Alex Casey tackles the eighth week of The Bachelor NZ, including some extra feedback from Real Pod special guest Anne ‘The Champagne Lady’ Batley Burton. Off we went this week to the beautiful islands of Khao Lak where the waters were pristine, the sand was sizzling and Dom was a beach goth dressed entirely in … Read more
Superfan Joseph Harper tackles the first week of Survivor NZ, including a dead Barb, a rogue price tag and the worst papaya ever. It’s finally here! Aotearoa has Survivor now and they even use stock footage from the real Survivor! Week one gave us the requisite bug eating and shelter building, it gave some definitely … Read more
Our superfan think tank weighs in following the premiere of Survivor New Zealand on TVNZ 2 last night. Luke Harries on the voting paper scandal We need to talk about the paper. During the inaugural tribal council of Survivor New Zealand, I noticed something seemed off – and it wasn’t the rotten papaya. I realised … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring HAIM, EarthTiger, DJ Khaled, System Corporation and… Nickelback! SONG OF THE WEEK HAIM – ‘I Want You Back’ Another 2013 bright spot returns after a notable absence Yada yada yada … Christine McVie … yada yada yada … Lindsey Buckingham … yada yada yada … Tusk … Read more
Ahead of the premiere of Survivor New Zealand tonight, Holly Hunter rounds up 10 of the most groundbreaking moments in the history of the reality franchise. In April this year, after 34 seasons and 17 years of Survivor, the show met its most hated contestant. Jeff Varner broke the unspoken rule of Survivor – don’t … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Hussein Moses about the pros and cons of New Zealand Music Month. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to writer and Spinoff Music contributor Hussein Moses about what’s wrong with New … Read more
Survivor superfan Joseph Harper shares some well-informed* predictions for the coming season of TVNZ 2’s Survivor New Zealand. Reality TV juggernaut Survivor, has been rolling along in the United States for 17 years. Last year, Australia finally had a crack at the beautiful game, and now at last we get a shot. It’s huge news for … Read more
Before there was Survivor, there was New Zealand’s own reality juggernaut Treasure Island. Calum Henderson revisits the first episode of 2001’s Celebrity Treasure Island and finds out what the contestants are doing with themselves now. There were nine whole seasons of Treasure Island and all anyone remembers is the time Lana Coc-Kroft nearly died from … Read more
As part of Equalise My Vocals, a new Spinoff project focusing on equality in the music community, Coco Solid speaks with musician and multi-disciplinary punk Sarsha-Leigh Douglas. Sarsha-Leigh Douglas (Ngāti Maru, Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu) is a local punk icon with an array of bands, underground projects and achievements under her heavy belt. … Read more
In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens making the news. Today, local man Kenneth Cooper shares his Survivor NZ application with us. Click here to watch Kiwis of Snapchat #1 featuring Jami-Lee Ross Click here to watch Kiwis of Snapchat #2 featuring Kelvin Cruickshank This … Read more
Tara Ward breaks down the most memorable disguises from spy drama The Americans. If you like your drama with more layers than a hot lasagne, then serve yourself up a giant slice of The Americans. Set in 1980s Washington DC, Elizabeth and Philip Jennings are your typical American family: two well-mannered children, a beautiful home … Read more
Moon TV’s ‘Non Celebrity Traffic Island’ marooned a group of regular folk on a traffic island in Remuera. Here, we share some useful survival tips from the harrowing social experiment. Being marooned on a reality TV show is hard yakka, just look at Nikki Kaye in Fish Out of Water, or The Bachelorettes fighting over … Read more
Gareth Shute asks for your help in creating a map of all the venues that have existed in Auckland, from the early 20th century through to the present. With less than a month before the Volume exhibition closes, Auckland Museum has posted a series of extended reads on their website on subjects including fashion in … Read more
Season two of All Talk With Anika Moa premieres tonight on Māori Television. Madeleine Chapman attended the taping and was transformed into a star. The studio audience wasn’t big. In fact, it took me just a few seconds to count 19 bodies total, including me. I knew the audience for All Talk With Anika Moa would be … Read more
If you’re under 18 and a music fan then your choice for attending gigs legally is remarkably scant. Seventeen year old Grace Stratton makes an appeal for promoters not to forget the younger crowd. One of the first gigs I went to was on my 14th birthday. Thinking back to that gig invokes some of … Read more
Alex Casey tackles the seventh week of The Bachelor NZ, including a freaky massage, puppet kisses and a torturous ice bath challenge. Before we race into the power rankings like a rogue raccoon into an animal cafe, we need to talk about wtf was going on in The Bachelor NZ land this week. The dramatic … Read more
Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey gather around the oval table and talk about the latest happenings in New Zealand television and real life in New Zealand. The Real Pod team are reunited after a tumultuous few weeks to chill out and talk Bachelor and pop culture like a bunch of frozen contestants in an ice … Read more
Like a true blue aging reality starlet, the Bravo logo has had a bit of work done in order to attract more men. Alex Casey asks the men of The Spinoff if it has worked. The more observant reality fiends among us may have noticed that Bravo, presumably inspired by the tanned and tucked talent that … Read more
Today we all witnessed the extraordinary moment that The High Court went to 8 Mile, where both some sick rhymes and legal arguments were dropped. We took things one step further. The Spinoff’s music content is brought to you by our friends at Spark. Listen to all the music you love on Spotify Premium, it’s free … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Kane Strang, SWIDT, TLC, Kimbra (kinda) and more… SONG OF THE WEEK Kane Strang – ‘My Smile Is Extinct’ The new single from New Zealand’s new indie export While first impressions indicate that Kane Strang’s new album Two Hearts and No Brain will be … Read more
In an early Auckland Writers Festival appearance, the creator of Veep and The Thick of It urged network execs to resist meddling – and chipped in on the great New Zealand political pizza debate. The British creator of television including The Thick of It, Veep and I’m Alan Partridge has offered some words of advice for New Zealand commissioners hoping … Read more
Alex Casey sits down with Anika Moa ahead of her return to television in All Talk With Anika Moa season two. Warning: contains burps, swear words and tangents about flaps. Interviewing Anika Moa is a little bit like attending a celebrity roast, except she’s the celebrity and you are the one getting mercilessly roasted. She’ll … Read more
The latest season of Broadchurch has been applauded for its nuanced handling of sexual violence in a way seldom seen on television. Charlotte Graham looks at what the show did right, and what it got very, very wrong. Contains spoilers for season three and frank discussion around sexual violence, please take care. I don’t watch … Read more
Today would have been the 67th birthday of broadcasting legend Sir Paul Holmes. To celebrate, Pete Douglas looks back on that strange time when a broadcaster could release an album on a major label for seemingly no other reason than shits and giggles. “Hi there – do you … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Coco Solid and Trixie Darko about Equalise My Vocals. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to Coco Solid and Trixie Darko about Equalise My Vocals, a panel event and music showcase on gender … Read more