Congratulations you’ve been hacked: what businesses can learn from Mr Robot

Today, even large corporations are trying to be agile, experimental and collaborative — an approach that could be termed ‘hacking’. Simon Day talks to the author of a new book about what business can learn from hackers. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. When I think of hacking, I think of the The Net, … Read more

The greatest Golden Globes live blog you will see on The Spinoff today

We’ll be here from 12 pm to cover the highs and lows of the 2018 Golden Globe awards, for all of those who are stuck in the office pretending to work.  This television content is brought to you by Lightbox, home of Golden Globe-nominated shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Outlander, Mr Robot and Better … Read more

How to protect yourself against Mr Robot and F Society

To celebrate the third season of Mr Robot coming exclusively to Lightbox today at 7pm, here are some of the ways you can protect yourself against the vigilante hacking groups coming for your double chin selfies.  Today, after little more than a live E-Coin launch and a cryptic loaded tweet from the director to the … Read more

The greatest Spinoff Golden Globes live blog you are likely to see today

Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman live blog the highs and lows of the 2017 Golden Globe awards, for all of you poor folk stuck in the office pretending to work.  This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and … Read more

Inside the Lightbox: An emergency Christmas gift guide for TV fans

With Christmas looming, we’ve assembled some of the best (cheapest) gifts you can buy for your TV-obsessed friends and family.  It’s that joyous time of year when you realise you need to buy presents for a million people, except you don’t have the money or time to even wash your hair or eat a vegetable. … Read more

Last minute costume ideas for tonight’s last minute Halloween party

It’s Saturday and all of a sudden people have realised that Halloween falls on a Monday this year. Nobody throws a party on a Monday, so now you need a kick-ass costume for tonight. Luckily, Madeleine Chapman is here to help. It’s hard to tell what’s worse: being the only one at the party with … Read more

Labour Day: the best and worst workplaces on Lightbox

It’s Labour Weekend this weekend to commemorate the 8-hour work day by not going to work for any hours. It makes sense. To celebrate, Madeleine Chapman and Calum Henderson combined brains to find the best and worst places to work on Lightbox. THE BEST 1) Pawnee Parks Department (Parks & Recreation) With Leslie Knope being … Read more

When was the exact moment that Elliot in Mr Robot got hot? A Spinoff science experiment

Brave scientist and television enthusiast Lucy Zee attempts to solve one of the last remaining mysteries of modern times: at what moment does Elliot in Mr Robot become irresistibly attractive? There’s no doubt that Mr Robot is one of the most engrossing, trippiest shows of 2016. But apart from the intriguing storyline, the Emmy-winning acting and the … Read more

How many more awards can Maggie Smith win? A handy guide to Lightbox at the Emmys

With the Primetime Emmy Awards coming up, here are the many, many Lightbox shows that have earned themselves nominations, along with our winning predictions. Spoiler alert: Maggie Smith always wins. Transparent What’s it about? First of all, the name is a pun. It’s important that you know this. Here’s what we made of Transparent way back … Read more

Buzzy: A guide to the mind-melting Easter eggs in Mr Robot

Hold onto your hoodies as José Barbosa hacks into the astounding hidden gems of Mr Robot. Get out your magnifying glass and search for more hidden clues by watching Mr Robot, exclusively available on Lightbox This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at … Read more

Mr Robot IRL: Is New Zealand the weak link in the global info-wars?

Jose Barbosa talks to Adam Boileau of Insomnia Security about hacking thriller Mr Robot, and New Zealand’s place in the info-war web. The much anticipated Mr Robot season two is on Lightbox. To get everyone’s head in the right place José Barbosa talks to Adam Boileau, a computer security specialist for Insomnia Security. He’s also the owner/operator … Read more

‘The hacker as a 21st century vigilante superhero’ – Mr Robot returns

With the second season of Mr Robot premiering on Lightbox this week, Aaron Yap is drawn back into the show’s elusive, murky world. Mr. Robot was one of the buzziest, most intoxicating television events of 2015. Thematically and formally, it was an inspired blend. The show wedded a heady study of mental illness to a … Read more

Coming to Lightbox in July – Screaming sorority queens and the return of Mr Robot

Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we choose shows from the extensive Lightbox category that you might like to watch. This time, we announce all the piping hot content arriving in July.  Scream Queens (S1 July 1) “Shiny, gory and whip-smart, Scream Queens pummels the viewer into submission with sheer, rictus-grinning relentlessness” – Ed … Read more

Podcast: TV Mum, Episode 3 – can Brendon convince Dianne to watch Mr Robot?

Welcome to TV Mum, a weekly podcast starring Brendon Green and his Mum, Dianne. Every week Brendon will try and get Dianne to remember the details of a TV show she’s recently watched. The resulting discussion is a journey through Dianne’s shaky memory and never ends up where you’d expect. This week on TV Mum … Read more

“I never leave my computer open now” – an interview with Mr Robot star Carly Chaikin

Alex Casey talks to Carly Chaikin, star of Golden Globe-winning cyber-drama Mr Robot, about fake hacking, Fight Club and predicting the grim future. Warning: contains spoilers.  One of the most exciting new television shows of last year, Mr Robot introduced a world to us full of corporate greed, social media slaves and vigilante hacker groups. … Read more

Inside the Lightbox – Your Guide to the Golden Globe Favourites

Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored post where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for shows you might like to watch. This week we line up some of the shining stars from the 73rd Golden Globe awards, including Mozart in the Jungle, Transparent and Mr Robot.  THE WINNERS Mozart in the Jungle Mozart in the Jungle is … Read more

Summer Reissue: How Real is the Hacking in Mr Robot? New Zealand’s Former ‘Mr Internet’ Explains

Hacking thriller Mr Robot was undoubtedly one of the most critically-acclaimed TV shows of 2015. Upon its release, José Barbosa tracked down the man who once ran the internet in New Zealand, and asked him to assess its realism. Listen below as a podcast, or read on for a text transcript of the package. So there’s this scene in a movie … Read more

Television: Monitor – Aaron Yap Picks the 10 Best TV Shows of 2015

Superheroes and socio-political champions, cold-blooded killers and murderous polar bears – the year’s best television had something for everyone, says Aaron Yap. And then there was True Detective… In 2015, there were no shortage of momentous occasions in the world of prestige TV. Mad Men came to a satisfyingly wistful close after seven seasons, granting … Read more

Television: Group Think – Remembering Steve Jobs With Our Favourite Television Nerds

We got the think tank together to list our favourite television geeks from LAN party monsters to virtual reality pioneers.  Today marks the anniversary of the death of Apple Founder Steve Jobs, a man who has done as much for modern computer technology as he has for the black turtleneck. In his honour, we got The … Read more

Television: Monitor – How Mr. Robot is the Small Screen Superhero We Need Right Now

Aaron Yap examines how cyber thriller Mr. Robot manages to balance captivating storytelling with authentic tech-geekery, and give us a new breed of shuffling television superhero. Blackhat almost got it right. Released earlier this year, Michael Mann’s moody techno-thriller sought to provide as realistic a portrayal of cyber-terrorism and hacking as possible and proved to be … Read more

Television: How Real is the Hacking in Mr Robot? New Zealand’s Former ‘Mr Internet’ Explains

José Barbosa tracks down the man who once ran the internet in New Zealand, and asks him to assess Mr Robot, Lightbox’s acclaimed new hacking thriller. Listen below as a podcast, or read on for a text transcript of the package. So there’s this scene in a movie called Panic Room. It’s directed by David Fincher, stars Jodie … Read more

Television: Amazing Hacks From the Mr Robot Pilot That Will Change Your Life!

There’s a lot you can learn about hacking from Mr Robot, some of which might not be as complex as you think. Alex Casey lists some life hacks from the pilot episode.  I watched the first episode of Mr Robot last night, the much-buzzed about cyber thriller that has hacked through the dark web all the … Read more

Television: News – Mr Robot Hacks Into New Zealand Screens Exclusively on Lightbox

One of the most talked-about new shows of 2015, Mr Robot has arrived exclusively in New Zealand on Lightbox today. Critics have called the paranoid cyber-thriller series “a modern classic” (Forbes) and “a welcome spark of inspiration” (Variety), the topical themes of which “understand the internet to the last chilling detail” (Salon). The series follows Elliot … Read more

News: Report From the Land of Television Opportunity – What Are the Big New US Shows?

With most of America still at the beach or sheltering from the heat inside frigid movie theatres, must-see TV is thin on the ground. As the networks prepare to launch their autumn schedules, US correspondent Catherine McGregor takes a look at some of the new shows on now. Public Morals The world needs yet another … Read more