How we found the lost Flight of the Conchords tapes

It’s the rejection that fuelled a comedy legend: the failed TVNZ pilot from Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Paul Horan writes about his hunt for the footage for the NZ comedy documentary Funny As. This post was originally published on 9 August, 2019. There have always been people in my line of business that are … Read more

How Josh Thomson became Satan for Christmas

Alex Casey talks to Josh Thomson about his satanic transformation in tonight’s Wellington Paranormal Christmas special on TVNZ2.  There’s a scene in the Wellington Paranormal Christmas special tonight that is sure to cheer up even the grizzliest of Christmas grinches. Due to a clerical error, Tawa Mall has accidentally booked Satan instead of Santa and … Read more

The most interesting woman on NZ TV: Wellington Paranormal’s Karen O’Leary

Alex Casey yarns to Karen O’Leary, early childhood teacher by day and star of Wellington Paranormal and What We Do in The Shadows by night.  Two of the funniest moments in New Zealand television last year were entirely fence-based. First up there was Agni on The Block NZ, who packed a massive sad during an … Read more

How we found the lost Flight of the Conchords tapes

It’s the rejection that fuelled a comedy legend: the failed TVNZ pilot from Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Paul Horan writes about his hunt for the footage for the NZ comedy documentary Funny As. There have always been people in my line of business that are desperate for credibility. After their years of fretting, lobbying … Read more

The most exciting new local shows coming to TVNZ next year

TVNZ just announced their new season line-up for 2018. Here’s what TV editor Alex Casey is looking forward to the most. Tonight, TVNZ launched their big new season programme on Auckland’s waterfront, including the likes of Big Bang prequel Young Sheldon, UK nudist horror show Naked Attraction and – gird your loins – an untitled Grey’s … Read more

Pod on the Couch: we ranked every single Flight of the Conchords song

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 Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman about the best FOTC songs, the worst FOTC songs, and every song in between. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to fellow Spinoff writers Alex … Read more

About that time I was on Flight of the Conchords

Ten years ago, HBO screened the first episode of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement’s Flight of the Conchords. And look, there, sitting outside that shop. Isn’t that Spinoff music editor Henry Oliver? If it’s 10 years since the first episode of Flight of the Conchords aired in the US, that means it must be about 11 years … Read more

Jemaine Clement: On Writing Flight of the Conchords’ ‘Bowie’s in Space’

David Bowie Space Oddity Jemaine Clement Flight of the Conchords

Jemaine Clement on creating ‘Bowie’s in Space’, the Flight of the Conchords’ paean-parody to their musical hero. In 1999 Bret McKenzie and I were sitting with our guitars in our dingy flat in Wellington trying to learn David Bowie songs. They were catchy, which usually translates to being easy to play. Not David Bowie. He’d … Read more