The Floor is Lava is a new Netflix series based on, you guessed it, the children’s game known as The Floor is Lava. Who better to review it than a seven-year-old home champion? The Floor is Lava is cool. But at first you don’t think it’s cool because they actually die in the real lava. … Read more
A few days ago, Fanimals announced it would not be returning for another season. Emily Writes, and her kids, are heartbroken. On my list of things I might write about one day it simply said ‘Fanimals’ sandwiched between ‘How old is BeckBroJack?’ and ‘Is Peter Krause the most dad-like dad on television?’ I wanted to write … Read more
YouTube has been in the news a lot in the last few weeks and parents around the world are considering whether they should allow their kids to watch. Emily Writes decided it was time to give it up. Hi, my name is Emily Writes and I’ve been one week without YouTube Kids. This has been … Read more
Recently, the creator of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street came out and said what we already all knew: Bert and Ernie are a lovable gay couple. But still some people deny it. Emily Writes – who watches a lot of Sesame Street – says those people are making her lose her mind. For reasons that will … Read more
Chances are, if you have kids of a certain age, they know Blippi – and they love him. Angela Cuming, one of Blippi’s adult fans, went on a hunt to discover what makes the ice cream loving, stupid hat wearing, US Air Force veteran tick. It’s 3am on the children’s ward at Waikato Hospital and … Read more
New kids’ media platform HEIHEI has some great stuff (as well as a few missable overseas imports). Today, with the help of her six-year-old son, Thalia Kehoe Rowden gives us the inside word on the very best shows for your older kids and teens. The science of poo, tips on how to make a bivvy … Read more
Nearly 30 years ago The Animals of Farthing Wood debuted – and promptly traumatised a generation of children with its cavalcade of animal slaughter. Picture it: an idyllic wood, teeming with all sorts of delightful creatures big and small, feathered and furred. Thick with green leaf and underbrush. Perhaps there’s the sound of a gentle … Read more
HEIHEI says its programming is targeted at kids five to nine years old, but having watched the whole suite of shows – yes, all 39 of them – Thalia Kehoe Rowden finds plenty that’s great for pre-schoolers. Here are the best shows for littlies – and a few to avoid. What do you look for … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes hates almost all children’s TV – and the stuff she likes, her kids hate. But the most horrible shows of all are the ones with unbearable theme songs. These are the worst of the worst. When I had my first baby we didn’t have a television because we didn’t want … Read more
Whether your kids watch a little or a lot of television, it’s good to know where to find the best stuff. So is new kids platform HEIHEI worth a watch? Thalia Kehoe Rowden and her six-year-old son have decided to find out. Together, they’re watching all 39 shows, filling out an intimidating spreadsheet of notes, … Read more
What is the greatest New Zealand TV theme song ever written? Our search continues with a long forgotten Dave Dobbyn masterpiece from 1989. Previously in our search for New Zealand’s greatest TV theme song: Country Calendar Any major boomer will tell you: 1980s New Zealand was a different world. A world where you could smoke … Read more
Mum of two Wendy Black pays tribute to the beauty of a kid’s TV show featuring a pink hatted cat sheriff, a cactus friend, a blue horse, and a woodpecker. Never has there been a more appropriate time to use the Sad Cat Face Emoji. I just found out that my favourite kid’s TV programme … Read more
Yes, Emma Wiggle broke the Wiggly glass ceiling – but did she have to be wearing a frilly tutu and bows to do it? Angela Cuming looks at the weird gender politics on The Wiggles. During a recent bout of toddler illness I caught up with The Wiggles and noticed some important messages the popular … Read more
If you’ve seen the ‘Māori’ episode of kids show Justin Time Go, you’ll know how batshit it is. Steph Matuku breaks down the mess that is ‘Let’s Haka Dance!’ I don’t care what the experts say, telly is a great babysitter. That’s especially true in the hell zone from 5pm when my kids are tired … Read more
Chris Ingam took his kids to the Gold Coast and reviewed and ranked every single theme park show so you don’t have to. New Zealand loves the Gold Coast! So much so that Mediaworks spent loads of money making a reality show about it! And what New Zealand loves more than anything else about the … Read more
Is Cars 3 a stealth feminist smash hit? Mum of three Angela Cuming gives her verdict on a franchise that has never been very good in the past. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Pixar films. As in I’ve hated how much people have loved them because to me they’ve always been a testimony … Read more
In The Night Garden is the creepiest kids show on TV. Every parent knows it. Angela Cuming digs deep to find out who invented this terrible and annoying show that children all over the world adore. “That is the creepiest fucking show. My kids love it but it is creepy as fuck.” That was my … Read more
Meet our new entertainment reviewer for The Spinoff Parents: Palmerston North-based Luke, who loves live theatre and Paw Patrol. Here’s his review of Peppa Pig Live in Palmerston North. Luke’s dad Chris writes: Without a doubt, John Cleese has been one of the worst things to happen to the fair city of Palmerston North. Prior … Read more
Please enjoy the second episode of our new online series Repressed Memories, wherein James Mustapic revisits weird local shows from his childhood (click here to watch episode one on Sensing Murder). As far as I was concerned, Sticky TV was the best show on TV when I was a kid. Drew Neemia, Erin Simpson, and … Read more
With the Terry Teo reboot arriving on television screens this Sunday, co-creator Gerard Johnstone looks back at the original series that started it all. When my producer Luke Sharpe and I stumbled onto the idea of rebooting Terry Teo for a modern audience, it felt like a no-brainer. Even the mere mention of his name made … Read more
With its delinquent children, incompetent adults and profusion of flammable materials, Fireman Sam’s hometown of Pontypandy is a true health and safety nightmare. A concerned Chris Ingham has some suggestions. Wales, my ancestral homeland, has made several valuable contributions to mankind, without which modern history would be unrecognisable: daffodils, male voice choirs, Tom Jones, heroic … Read more
This Throwback Thursday, Alex Casey recalls a television scandal combining both home renovation and face-lifts that made the internet explode. Recently, swept up by the same nauseating force of nostalgia that once saw me fork out $30 for a rusty Chupa Chups Spice Girls tin, I Googled ‘Bob the Builder’ just to see what me friendly … Read more