Fragmentary Thoughts is a comic strip by José Barbosa, in which he’ll tackle a different television show or phenomenon each month. In this instalment, he celebrates the best bonkers moments from week one of Come Dine With Me NZ. Among all the angst and genuine uncertainty that has come to characterise New Zealand’s TV industry, the local … Read more
Alex Casey introduces the young subjects in TV3’s new documentary series Reality Trip, including a 25 year-old with the views of a crazed senior citizen. TV3’s new series Reality Trip takes a group of young New Zealand consumers and whisks them around the world, confronting them with the reality of how their favourite products are … Read more
A Spinoff special covering Lightbox’s exceptional new bleakly comic drama UnREAL and the mindblowing new season of The Bachelorette, playing on TVNZ On Demand. The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and Duncan Greive are joined by The Pantograph Punch‘s Kirsti Whalen – who has watched every single English-language Bachelor franchise – to discuss the way the search … Read more
What a sexy week. Actually no, sexy then devastating. Like dropping a delicious gateau into a pile of mud. Or, indeed, dropping a scandal queenie onto a dancefloor on national television. The elimination of Colin Mathura Jeffree has sent shockwaves through the nation, with the social movement #CornrowsforColin truly taking Twitter by force. Goodbye my … Read more
The first ever New Zealand Young Writers Festival was held in Dunedin last month. Alex Casey and Duncan Greive were asked to do a panel discussion about reality television, and it’s place in New Zealand culture. –––– Click here for more from the NZ Young Writers Festival, including an ‘Ask Me Anything’ with Guy Williams … Read more
Jane Yee invites The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and Duncan Greive to the D-Floor to discuss this week’s Dancing With the Stars action. It was an action-packed week, with the elimination of PM-in-waiting Colin Mathura-Jeffree, Teuila’s XXX-rated routine and Jay Jay’s vicious tumble. Also features a shock piece of actual bonafide analysis from Jane, which leaves … Read more
This afternoon, whilst catching up on last night’s Dancing With the Stars episode, I realised that I hadn’t yet voted for my favourite dancer and all-time person Pam Corkery. I still haven’t got my head around the logistics of the voting system, but I was embodied with nothing more than a pure desire to keep her … Read more
Alex Casey watches the return of Prime’s Celebrity Wife Swap, and recaps the dramatic first episode starring Coolio and Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath. What’s it about? Celebrity Wife Swap USA invites two undeniable has-beens to put their poor wives forward for the most bizarrely, seemingly pointless task of all time. Hopping in a limo to … Read more
Alex Casey previews the first episode of Come Dine With Me NZ, and serves up a sample platter of the type of talent you can look forward to meeting. Pull over Road Cops, Come Dine With Me begins on Monday June 15 at 7pm on TV3. The premise? Five New Zealanders take turns to host … Read more
Alex Casey’s second power rankings for Dancing With the Stars NZ, including Maz Quinn’s elimination, Siobhan Marshall’s dog and Shane Cameron’s microwave technique. If there has ever been anything to convince me of the validity of Mercury Retrograde, it’s Dancing With the Stars NZ. Basically, Mercury is seemingly zooming backwards through the zodiac for a few weeks, and … Read more
Jane Yee, Alex Casey and Duncan Greive bring you all the moves from Dancing With the Stars’ second week, bringing you our live reaction to the shocking first elimination. We bid a stone-faced farewell to Maz, earnestly discuss whether Simon Barnett’s knee dislocation is real and moon over CMJ’s lustrous hair. iPhone users click here … Read more
Finlay McDonald looks at the emerging international television phenomenon known as ‘poverty porn’, and wonders how long we’ll have to wait for a New Zealand version. Sydney’s sprawling west contains some of the best-named suburbs known to humankind: Blacktown, Punchbowl and, my firm favourite, Rooty Hill. Each would make a fine title for a gritty … Read more
Duncan Greive forces out a final Power Rankings, ending this dreadful season of X Factor NZ with a reflection on what turned a once-enjoyable show into an epic, endless waking nightmare. When this season of X Factor NZ first entered this world, blind, tearful and covered in blood, New Zealand was a very different nation. … Read more
The huge ring has been given out, the fluorescent lights have been dialed up to 11 and Mike Puru has sunken into his enormous studded chair. It’s time for the After the Final Rose special of The Bachelor NZ. Jane Yee, Alex Casey and Duncan Greive pop a Lindauer and chat about the somewhat disappointing … Read more
As The Bachelor NZ contestants have been whittled down, so too have our Group Think contributors. In the final instalment, Art and Matilda’s wedding is envisaged and a brand new, very old, conspiracy is unearthed. Melanie Bracewell on The Rural Maid Matilda won! But I’ve done a little research that might shock you all. I was … Read more
Alex Casey delivers her (possibly) final power rankings for The Bachelor NZ. With a winner decided, it’s time to rank the greatest moments of the final week in paradise. We made it guys, finally tottering along the sandy shores of love to the finalé. And what a finale episode it was – like the producers … Read more
We celebrate the end of our quest for Forever Love with a Forever Podcast. Jane Yee, Alex Casey and Duncan Greive finally get their long-sought after Lindauer sponsorship, and drank it watching a landmark television event: the end of New Zealand’s first ever Bachelor franchise. It promised much and delivered more, from bad bottom animals … Read more
Joseph Harper uses his Playstation 2 version of The Sims to decide the final outcome of The Bachelor NZ. Speculation is rife going into the final week of The Bachelor NZ. All three remaining bachelorettes seem to have a crack at the title of Art Green’s girlfriend. Alysha has the nice accent. Matilda has a nice … Read more
The brave Spinoff knights meet at the television roundtable to discuss week 12 on X Factor NZ, including Steve’s real age, Shelton’s fake hat and Stan’s copycat tears. Robyn Gallagher on the Charity Single Remember the charity single? It was released only three weeks ago, but a very a strange thing is happening in the … Read more
Joseph Moore is joined by X Factor NZ warmer-upper Eli Mathewson and Lili fan Paul Williams to discuss the week of Kiwi classics. In a noisy Balmoral McDonald’s, they discuss meat ethics, Broad farewells and the controversial Tiki Taane backlash. Fresh from the live show, inside scoops include Steve’s set mayhem, Brendon Thomas and the Toilet … Read more
Last week I was in Ohakune for the X Factor NZ live show, hungover from a 40th the night before, and therefore in the perfect intellectual state to consume 1.5 hours of TV singing show. Around 5pm I turned on the rental bach’s hitherto unused television – an LG old enough that it was two … Read more
Sitting on the couch of scrutiny right next to the barbecue of trust, Alex Casey delivers her seventh power rankings in our weekly series. If you missed last week’s power rankings, click here. As visionary artisté Skylar Grey once sang, “I’m coming home, I’m coming home – tell the world I’m coming home” and this was … Read more
Jane Yee, Alex Casey and Duncan Greive gather again to the Fantasy Suite to discuss the hometown visits week of the Bachelor NZ, and farewell the wonderful Poppy, farted her way into our hearts all those weeks ago. We discuss Alysha’s big straddle, Dani’s doorway pash and Matilda’s adorable old dad Ken. It’s an emotional … Read more
Calum Henderson takes a television roadie in a car full of poshos through the bleak bartering wilderness of Antiques Roadtrip. What’s it about? After Flog It! proved far from the genuine article, I did what any antiques peddler would do after an auction failure and scrambled to recoup my losses. I MySkyed several episodes of … Read more
With his predictions going hugely awry for the last few weeks, Duncan Greive decided to take some time out from the noble task of power ranking. Spending the long weekend in Ohakune, he meditated next to the giant carrot – hoping to gain the strength to be able to see anything promising in the dark … Read more
The weary few remaining Spinoff knights meet at the television roundtable to discuss week 11 on X Factor NZ Talia Smith on Milky Bar Broad I have finally decided who Steve Broad/Bored is and I am bloody happy because this mystery has been plaguing me for weeks. He is the grown up version of the … Read more
In week six of The Bachelor NZ, some of the greatest minds in the country assemble to talk about Art’s dreamy leathers, school teacher woes and pure pash champions. Joanna Hunkin’s Alliterative Ode to The Bachelor Times are getting tough for Billy Big Balls. His weasel words may woo the weaker women but Caustic Chrystal … Read more
Rowing endlessly around The Bachelor NZ pond of love, Alex Casey delivers her sixth power rankings in our weekly series. If you missed last week’s power rankings, click here. This week The Bachelor NZ was about as juicy and satisfying as a face-sized burger eaten without a knife and fork because the Burger People didn’t have … Read more
Jane Yee, Alex Casey and Duncan Greive recap week six on the #TFSPod, returning to the sunny BOP to watch Art and his merry mistresses fly helicopters and planes, row boats and catch fish, and pash like animals. We start to get a bit too deep this week, talking directly to the Bachelorettes, and Art’s … Read more