The writer of the acclaimed new Rose Matafeo comedy tells Sam Brooks how her own experiences as an expectant mother inspired the script. When writer-actress Sophie Henderson first started trying to become pregnant with her husband, director and actor Curtis Vowell, she didn’t expect it to happen so fast. She probably also didn’t expect that … Read more
Rose Matafeo calls Horndog a ‘silly show about love’, but what follows is a persuasive case for loving with obsessive devotion. Rose Matafeo assures us in the first few minutes of Horndog (now streaming on Neon) that it’s not a TED talk, that it won’t be one of those shows where there’s a “lesson to … Read more
From New Zealand’s biggest band selling out Western Springs to a landmark moment for Pasifika women onstage, these are the live events that shaped New Zealand this decade. An anchor in the middle of the deep blue sea: Daffodils, 2014 “Daffodils should play all over the country. It should play all over the world. It resonates … Read more
Our pop culture superfans at The Real Pod look back at the local celebrities who defined the last decade in Aotearoa. If there’s any group of people we can turn to in these uncertain times, it’s celebrities. And lucky for us, New Zealand suddenly seems to have heaps of them. The definition of celebrity has … Read more
Taskmaster is arguably the funniest show on television, and next year a New Zealand version will hit our screens. Tara Ward dives into the caravan of challenges to find out what Taskmaster NZ could look like. We might be drowning in a sea of formulaic television, but Taskmasker is our David Hasselhoff, a beautiful saviour flailing towards us at … Read more
This year the Basement Christmas show enters its tenth year with Work Do, written by superstar comedians Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden. Alex Casey talks to the duo about office parties, Christmas fantasies and Michelle Obama. Somewhere in London, Rose Matafeo is lying on her bed, embroiled in a late night battle with what she … Read more
Our queer and women comics have been charging ahead and spotlighting its issues with gender and sexuality. Dejan Jotanovic writes. Something huge happened last month. We did it. We won. We took home the mighty trophy, prompting an encouraging Instagram post from our humble PM. Rose Matafeo (Funny Girls) won ‘Best Comedy Show’ at the … Read more
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
It was a world first that fostered some of our finest young talent, so what the hell happened to TVNZ U? Five years since its closure, Alex Casey takes a look back at the little youth channel that could. Simon Dallow appeared to be holding a dildo, Tim Batt was eating cat food straight out … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Animal rights concerns hit the agenda, tenancy law changes set to be announced, and PM Ardern gives her first minister the boot. Animal rights has been big news over the weekend, with a 500 strong protest in Auckland. Māori TV was there, and the quotes they gathered … Read more
Last night Rose Matafeo won the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, one of the most prestigious awards for comedians anywhere. Here’s why that matters. First up: What’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival? The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest fringe festival in the world. With well over three thousand shows, there’s nothing that’s … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of Paul Williams’ ‘Surf Music’, featuring Rose Matafeo, Brynley Stent, Maddy Budd and Chris Parker. Paul Williams says: The night we shot this video was genuinely one of my favourite nights in recent memory. As I was hanging up those balloons I remember thinking to myself, “This is going to … Read more
Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks takes a look at the recent history of the Billy T Award, what felt different about this year’s nominees, and what that means for New Zealand’s comedy industry as a whole. There was a Moonlight/La La Land joke when it came time to announce the Billy T. It wasn’t funny. … Read more
For years New Zealand comedy has – with some notable exceptions – had a reputation as something of a boys’ club. Last night its three key awards were all won by women for the first time. Natasha Hoyland, a young comedian herself, describes how that moment felt. When they announced Rose Matafeo as the winner … Read more
Rose Matafeo won the Fred Award last night. It’s New Zealand’s most prestigious comedy award, along with the Billy T Award (which she has also won). Sam Brooks talks to her about her comedy, life overseas, and their shared passion for musical flop Nine. I’m going to be straight up here and say that I love … Read more
Season two of All Talk With Anika Moa premieres tonight on Māori Television. Madeleine Chapman attended the taping and was transformed into a star. The studio audience wasn’t big. In fact, it took me just a few seconds to count 19 bodies total, including me. I knew the audience for All Talk With Anika Moa would be … Read more
Sam Brooks kicks off the Comedy Festival with reviews of four shows: NZ favourite Rose Matafeo, international Daniel Sloss, rapping grandpa John Carr and Wellington circus trio Laser Kiwi. Plus – our first Spinoff Comedy Badge of Honour is awarded. John Carr: Down With The Young Ones “Is he for real?” That’s what I asked … Read more
Melbourne: better public transport than Auckland, better laneways, better bars. But here’s one thing the two cities do have in common: a comedy festival. We enlisted Auckland comedian Donna Brookbanks to report back on her Melbourne festival experience. Dear Diary, Today I woke up. It’s so much fun sleeping in a single bed again! Sometimes … Read more
Ever wanted to try out comedy? Ever wanted to be scared off doing comedy forever? We asked a few comedians for their tips on doing stand-up comedy for the first time. “Don’t bother trying hard, because you will just get your period in the finals and lose to someone from Wellington.” – Billy T winner Rose … Read more
We asked comedians and Boners of the Heart co-hosts Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden to have a conversation about women and comedy to mark International Women’s Day. The following (lightly edited and hyperlinked) Facebook conversation is what we received. Alice: Na, it’s still the same Someone brought them back from America i just realised this is just like … Read more
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
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
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
Resident Spinoff float master Don Rowe gets deep with Billy T James award winning comedian David Correos in the first installment of Tank Talk, a partnership with Float Culture. David Correos waved as he ran across the courtyard, a towel draped over his shoulders. “Don,” he said, stepping into my girlfriend’s Ford Laser. “Mate. Do I need a … Read more
We didn’t know what to do about the Comedy Festival, so convened a motley trio of know-nothing punters to talk about it. Host Alex Casey is joined by The Spinoff editor Duncan Greive and internet sensation Paul Williams to get amongst week one of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. The trio discuss the Comedy Gala, 5.30pm … Read more
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
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
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