Decade in review: The 100 NZ TV moments of the decade (60-41)

At 2pm every day this week, The Spinoff will be counting down 100 local television moments of the decade. Today, moments 60-41.  Previously:  The 100 NZ TV moments of the decade, #100 – #81 The 100 NZ TV moments of the decade, #80 – #61 60) John Oliver is obsessed with us, 2015-2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmoe0tgpxaM “How to … Read more

Freeview: the Te Papa of television

Thanks to Freeview On Demand, finding your next favourite New Zealand television show is now easier than Minogue and O’Leary finding a thirsty vampire on Wellington Paranormal. Tara Ward explores the library of local content. It’s the Te Papa of television, that gathers our national TV treasures into one special place for us all to enjoy. … Read more

Funny Girls Friday: The Virgin Mary gets an unwelcome gift

With the return of Three’s women-led sketch show Funny Girls tonight at 9.45pm, we bless ye with an exclusive clip from tonight’s episode. Funny Girls returns to Three tonight at 9.45pm This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us … Read more

The top 10 New Zealand television shows of 2016, as voted by you

It’s been a huge year for local television, from the time Jordan Mauger did that Gollum impression to when Rachel McKenna walked out of Shortland Street forever. But which New Zealand show did you lot vote your favourite for 2016? C’mon, let’s go the results party.  10) Grand Designs NZ Grand Designs is Chris Moller’s … Read more

A merry Christmas chat with comedy legends Tom Sainsbury and Chris Parker

Alex Casey chats to Chris Parker and Tom Sainsbury about putting on The Basement’s now-institutional Christmas show, and how to survive the holiday season. Unlike Santa’s darkest truth, it’s no secret that writers and performers Chris Parker and Tom Sainsbury are two of the funniest people in Auckland. At any given moment, their comedic powers … Read more

‘We all got to know each other in the orgy’ – The Funny Girls team on their favourite sketches

With TV3’s sketch show Funny Girls wrapped up for another year, we got the writing team to pick their favourite sketches from season two. Laura Daniel During a brainstorm session, I sat down with Joseph Moore and we talked about how we really wanted to make a full-length, romantic ode about getting the booty call … Read more

TGI Funny Girls: 2016 summer anthem – an ode to the booty text

The Spinoff presents TGI Funny Girls, an exclusive look at a brand new Funny Girls sketch every Friday. In the age of iMessage and Snapchat, late-night booty calls and texts have become a part of modern language. They’re short, yet vague, and always romantic. Laura Daniels presents a heartfelt summer anthem to celebrate the greatest … Read more

TGI Funny Girls: the best thing to wake up to after a drunken night out

The Spinoff presents TGI Funny Girls, an exclusive look at a brand new Funny Girls sketch every Friday. Ever woken up after a big night out and been scared to assess your surroundings? In most instances it’s a humbling experience, but sometimes your intoxicated self looks out for your hungover self and what a beautiful … Read more

Get amping for Funny Girls season two with this cool and exclusive clip

Alex Casey previews episode one of Funny Girls, and we debut an exclusive clip ahead of the show’s return tonight on Tv3.  No pressure on Funny Girls season two but, as the hapless but impeccably-dressed producer Pauline says, all they have to do with their late night 22-minute comedy sketch series is “further all women and … Read more

On The Rag special: Night sweats and pill woes with Madeleine Sami and Laura Daniel from Funny Girls

A rare experimental edition of On the Rag featuring Laura Daniel and Madeleine Sami, two key players in TV3’s female-driven sketch comedy Funny Girls.  In this special edition of On the Rag, Alex Casey chats to Madeleine Sami (director) and Laura Daniel (writer and star) of Funny Girls ahead of the second season. What does it take … Read more

Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden share their biggest Boners of the Heart

Boners of the Heart is a new podcast hosted by Alice Snedden and Rose Matafeo, where the pair dissect their weird, often disturbing, celebrity crushes. By way of introduction, we got each of them to detail their favourite heart-boner-maker.  Rose Matafeo I met Alice a couple of years ago, but I think we both agree we were … Read more

What Mark Weldon and MediaWorks can learn from 30 Rock’s Jack Donaghy

With MediaWorks continuing to spiral down a strange rabbit hole full of new shubs, Joanna McLeod calls upon a hero that could help CEO Mark Weldon rediscover his path to greatness: 30 Rock‘s fictional network boss Jack Donaghy. As Mark Weldon continues to make a series of more and more…interesting choices for MediaWorks, it’s become clear … Read more

Summer Reissue: Rose Matafeo on Jono and Ben, U Live and Making Sticky, Sticky TV

When Funny Girls was still but a twinkle in her eye, Rose Matafeo sat down with Alex Casey to talk about her eclectic TV upbringing, getting toenails in the mail and becoming a television star. // Rose Matafeo has already lived many television lives. Just 23, but already a grizzled showbiz vet, having been on the … Read more

Television: Group Think – The Funny Girls Team Pick Their Favourite Sketches

TV3’s Funny Girls, New Zealand’s funniest sketch show in years, comes to the end of its current run this week. In celebration of its triumphant first season, we asked the team to tell us the stories behind their favourite sketches. Rose Matafeo: ‘Makeup Tutorial’ This was one of the first sketches I wrote for the … Read more

Television: I Got Next – The Story of Funny Girls

Funny Girls began life as a talent development plot hatched between New Zealand on Air and TV3. On Friday it debuts as one of the most hotly anticipated comedies in recent memory. Duncan Greive watched its creation. It’s late afternoon on a Wednesday in early October. Outside commuter traffic crawls along Khyber Pass; one side … Read more

Television: The Spinoff Exclusive – The First Full Scene From TV3’s New Sketch Comedy ‘Funny Girls’

The Spinoff has the rare and singular pleasure of bringing you a full scene from TV3’s eagerly anticipated sketch comedy ‘Funny Girls’, debuting on TV3 this Friday at 10pm. For the past few weeks I’ve been traipsing across Auckland to bars, breweries and bars, watching a brand new New Zealand comedy being made. It’s a … Read more