The latest promo for The X Factor NZ has gone live and, despite all the bird-flipping and glitz, there is a glaring omission – the bronzed statuette on The X Factor NZ mantelpiece, Dominic Bowden. Since the end of The X Factor NZ in 2013, Dom has been a little incognito. His Wikipedia says that he “currently interviews … Read more
After watching the introductions on The Bachelor Australia, Alex Casey dispenses some crucial advice to New Zealand’s upcoming Bachelorettes about how to make a good first impression. // The Bachelor Australia started here last week in a flurry of sequins and tealight candles (truly the ideal combo for a painfully blinding iridescence). The format? Same … Read more
Competitive reality shows have tightly controlled formulas for a reason, and Mike Puru fits the format. But Duncan Greive had been hoping we’d have someone stranger watching The Bachelor unfold. This morning Mike Puru was announced as our inaugural host of The Bachelor, an appointment that was greeted with an overwhelming shrug by New Zealand. Because it … Read more
Back in the kindergarten days of The Spinoff, Alex Casey recapped the entire series of My Kitchen Rules New Zealand. In this week of 2014 highlights, she sees her journey through with a bizarre IRL visit to The Corporate Dads’ Charity Dinner Party. /// I met the “Corporate Dads” Josh and Aaron at the TVNZ 2015 launch. They … Read more
Alex Casey and Duncan Greive went on separate field trips to The X Factor auditions at Sky City and compared their findings, trying to imagine how the show would play out in 2015. // Alex: Well, the first thing I saw was a lot of leather panelling worn by the judges. Duncan: They all have a vibe … Read more
Yesterday morning TV3 called for public tip-offs as to who should be New Zealand’s first ever right honourable Bachelor. They are encouraging the public to nominate “a friend, brother, cousin, colleague or son” that is looking for love. If you have anyone in mind, send their names into tipoff@thebachelor.co.nz. But also maybe check with your son first. I sat … Read more
Joe Nunweek moved to Australia recently, and found their reality television focused on national self-improvement. This is as insane as it sounds – but it’s working./ For better or worse, New Zealand’s reality TV outings have stopped short of addressing “the big questions”. Our flagship takes on the overseas formats (Idol, NZNTM, MKR) are typically blinders. … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur: Blood vs Water 2 Power Rankings Episode 10 11) A Five Star Challenge The immunity challenge in this week’s episode was amazing. I feel like it’s a good watch – even if you haven’t seen any Survivor in your whole damn life. Almost all of the great moments from this episode … Read more
Alex Casey explains why in Dog the Bounty Hunter, this generation got the Batman it deserved. // Duane Chapman aka Dog the Bounty Hunter first stomped onto screens in 2004 in a reality show called Take This Job. He was quickly picked by A&E and given his own show. The basic premise is that he … Read more
With The X Factor’s filmed auditions in full throttle, Alex Casey revisits her bizarre afternoon at the preliminary auditions many moons ago. // Chomping at the bit to see the next slew of wide-eyed The X Factor hopefuls, I decided to head to the preliminary auditions at AUT. These are the pre-screenings, the first of … Read more
Last week TV3 premiered the first X-Factor 2015 promo to feature its full lineup of judges. The concept is basically ‘the end of the judges’ commute to work, and then them walking a bit’. Here is the clip. Here are a few takeaways from this piece of promotional footage. 1. Willy Moon is a big Willy Moon Fan and … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Power Rankings Episode 9 12) The Move/Me Getting Owned This is me watching Tribal Council. What a shocker! To say that this is the best episode we’ve had so far is an understatement. Jaclyn and Jon’s questionable move pretty much saved this season. So I guess that’s good, but I’m … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Power Rankings: Episode 8 10) Player of the Week: Jaclyn Shout out to Jaclyn. Aside from sporting the weirdest flared pants I’ve ever seen on Survivor, I thought she done good this week. I think going with Jeremy and Co. was a better move for her and Jon and it … Read more
Gather around, my friends: the time has come. It’s here! It’s really, really here! It’s our last week on The Block NZ. The teams returned their tools to the Bunnings Shed, packed their suitcases and said an emotional goodbye to their houses. Let us journey onwards and upwards, as we relive the glorious moments of the … Read more
Abby Lee Miller trained the dancer in Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ clip, but reveals deep depravity in reality show Dance Moms. Eleanor Robertson wrestles with a complex monster. // Think about the worst person you’ve ever met. Not someone who inexplicably annoys you, or somebody you hate for a petty historical reason. I mean the worst person. The kind of person you … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Power Rankings: Episode 7 11) Julie Rocker Quits the Game As someone who was cursed from birth in terms of Survivor eligibility via living in New Zealand and being too young to have potentially competed with dirty old Clarke Gayford on Treasure Island – I hate people who quit Survivor. Julie … Read more
The Spinoff editor Duncan Greive went along to TVNZ’s new season launch and left with ringing ears, an LED lanyard and dreams of a reality juggernaut. // Six million people are stalked every year in the United States. 3.5m New Zealanders view TVNZ weekly. 18,000 paid their condolences to non-existent person Sarah Potts. Kleenex quadrupled … Read more
Legend has it that the team who wins front garden week goes on to win The Block NZ. So there was no pressure this week as our teams planted, painted and pushed their way to front garden nirvana, all determined to create the best first impression for their buyers. Join me as we walk towards … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Blood vs. Water 2 Power Rankings 12) Swag-factor 10 for Jeremy’s modified capri pants. The warrior achilles amirite? 11) Don’t Bring a Fake Idol to an Idol Fight Props to Dale for a spirited scramble but, to be honest, this wasn’t going down any other way. He sealed his fate … Read more
Alex Casey recaps her own My Kitchen Rules NZ recapping experience, summarising the tips and tricks she has learnt from Kitchen HQ.// “This is the night, I’m turning up the heat. This is the night, I’m standing on my feet.” – MKRNZ theme song One week ago, Neena and Belinda (The Modern Day Hippies) won … Read more
It’s due to hit our screens in early 2015, but already the search is under way to discover the next Benny Tipene or… whoever it was that won the first series of X Factor. Robyn Gallagher updates us with happenings land of the X. // Pre-auditions The pre-audition tour has just ended, which no doubt involved … Read more
What’s not to love about Outdoor Week? Shirts off and shorts on! Bark and beersies! Spas and succulents! The judges’ brief was ‘holiday’, but I don’t think they meant Madonna’s 1983 hit single. Regardless, let us be nurtured and restored by the top five moments plucked from the abundant wilderness that was Week 10 of … Read more
On the night before Halloween, Duncan Greive went to the launch of MediaWorks’ new season. To some it would have been a vision of pure terror. But not to him. // “A living nightmare,” said Damo. His interviewer, radio DJ Mike Puru, nervously pressed him to expand. “It’s like a bad dream, but when you wake up … Read more
You know it’s the finale when the contestants have their special little chef outfits on. We have our first cry of the episode about four seconds in when Aaron muses that he’s already “the last man standing, technically.” I would have probably taken time get mad about that statement, but he immediately started crying. So I … Read more
The second semi-final is upon us. Dai and Dal vs. Neena and Belinda. Isn’t it amazing? One team all the way from Laos – and one all the way from Cambridge. Aaron and Heather were gently pushed aside, already through to the finals. Aaron’s sweater said “dead” on it, which I found quite dark for … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur Blood vs. Water 2 Power Rankings 14) Bald Jeremy Good look imho. 13) Survivor Copywriters Phoning it in “Are you tired of the long trek to the arena? Are you tired of battling loved ones? Then get ready to get tired. It’s time to go back to the arena” That’s the … Read more
Can you believe this? The first round of semifinals? It’s happening, it’s all happening. One of these four teams will hold the glistening MKR shield (what actually is the prize?) of glory within a few episodes. It was time for a showdown between The Polynesian Cooks and The Corporate Dads. The tension was palpable, and … Read more
Our resident The Block expert Tara weighs in on the week on Newell St. This week, as the competition begins crawling to a close, she reflects upon the warfare strategies employed by The Block‘s little battlers.// Great things come in fours. The A-Team. The famous 90s girl band B*witched. And of course, The Block NZ. Four houses, … Read more
Rebecca Wadey has an unnatural affection for homegrown reality TV, so the arrival of The Block on her doorstep was a big deal. The open homes? Double that again. // There was never any point at which I which I wouldn’t have gone to The Block open homes. I love a local reality TV show at … Read more