Survivor Australia: Champions V Contenders is back and better than ever. We take a closer look at the famous and not-so-famous Aussies vying to become Sole Survivor. There’s nothing more heartwarming than watching a bunch of Australians sit around a campfire while they metaphorically stab each other in the back, so it’s happy news that Survivor … Read more
Avi Duckor-Jones won Survivor NZ after 40 days living on a deserted stretch of coast, fighting to stay alive. He’s also a teacher in a New Zealand school. I have often been asked the question: “Which has been harder? Survivor or teaching?” In the past I’d laugh and provide a practised answer, but on the … Read more
Luke Harries dives deep into the drink of Survivor NZ week seven, including a shock exit and a tense mud challenge. Contains spoilers, obviously. Would you believe, we’ve already made it to the halfway point of Survivor NZ’s second season?! The first half has already packed in more drama, sassier villains and fresher pizzas than … Read more
It’s week three of Survivor NZ, and it’s one week closer to finding out which one of our castaways will be allowed to return home to participate in the next season of Dancing With The Stars, and who will be left marooned in the Thai jungle for the rest of time. Luke Harries recaps. Eve’s … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we are inundated with hard-hitting real news from around New Zealand. There’s a slide in Dunedin that doesn’t slide, Anika Moa hitting the hot seat on Seven Sharp … Read more
Superfan Joseph Harper tackles the eighth week of Survivor NZ, including the regeneration of the viral cop and Barb’s Soprano-style reign. Click here for last week. God we are getting damn close to the end and thank the lord because Survivor NZ is getting really weird. Our ‘good’ players keep deciding to play as ‘bad’ players. … Read more
Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and special guest Joseph Harper gather around the oval table to talk about the latest happenings in New Zealand television and real life in New Zealand. Alex has gone to Wellywood, so Jane and Duncan convinced her mere male Joey Harper to join the pod and give us a glimpse into life … Read more
Ahead of the premiere of Survivor New Zealand tonight, Holly Hunter rounds up 10 of the most groundbreaking moments in the history of the reality franchise. In April this year, after 34 seasons and 17 years of Survivor, the show met its most hated contestant. Jeff Varner broke the unspoken rule of Survivor – don’t … Read more
Before there was Survivor, there was New Zealand’s own reality juggernaut Treasure Island. Calum Henderson revisits the first episode of 2001’s Celebrity Treasure Island and finds out what the contestants are doing with themselves now. There were nine whole seasons of Treasure Island and all anyone remembers is the time Lana Coc-Kroft nearly died from … Read more
Holly Hunter takes a seat in The Spinoff confessional booth, and shares some harrowing tales of when her humble TV obsession went a little too far. ‘If TV be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.’ —Shakespeare Many religions preach that confession cleanses the … Read more
Sarah Robson reminisces with National MP Nikki Kaye about her time on Fish Out of Water, the reality show that was dumping people on an island years before Survivor. In 1996, before the term “reality TV” entered our everyday lexicon, TV3 decided to strand six Auckland teenagers on Rakitu Island in the Hauraki Gulf. They were … Read more
With Survivor NZ set to begin its debut season, Joseph Harper puts host Matt Chisholm through the ringer to see if he has what it takes to lead the world’s most challenging reality television series. Survivor fever is most certainly sweeping the nation, with an unpredictable finale of Survivor: Kaoh Rong almost ready to be illegally streamed and … Read more
The first season of The Bachelor NZ was arguably the greatest of any localised reality import. Unfortunately the second is thus far a disaster. Duncan Greive asks if we have any right to expect otherwise. A long time ago, before HD and broadband and snackable content, there was a little sitcom that went by the … Read more
Today TVNZ announced that Survivor New Zealand will be coming to TV2 this year, with potential applicants encouraged to apply here. But which NZ TV legend will host it? Alex Casey and Calum Henderson see who the cap fits. Matty McLean He’s already proven his chops as a Survivor superfan right here on the bloody … Read more
SURVIVOR SAN JUAN DEL SUR BLOOD VS WATER 2 POWER RANKINGS Another season of the best show in the world is in the can and it’s bloody great news that we have an absolute stunner of a winner to add to the pantheon of Sole Survivors. Natalie played one hell of a game that felt … Read more
Survivor San Juan Del Sur: Blood Vs Water 2 Power Rankings Got a double dose for you today because they weirdly screened a double episode in America and now FOUR is a few weeks behind the eight ball (which is bloody annoying by the way!). This season is continuing to do a great job of … 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
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
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
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
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
SURVIVOR SAN JUAN DEL SUR BLOOD VS WATER 2 POWER RANKINGS 14) TERRIBLE GAMEPLAY I thought the orange tribe was bad. This was way worse. This blue team has maybe the worst strategic since the first season of Survivor. Almost everyone was bad. Old mate Keith, who was on the rise, really screwed the pooch. … Read more
It’s the weekend. You can’t deny it, it’s definitely about to happen. Lucky you’ve got that giant television spreadsheet nailed onto your wall to get you through the next 48 hours. Oh, you don’t? Well never fear. It’s scheduled to rain a lot over the weekend, so let us guide you through the two days … Read more
SURVIVOR SAN JUAN DEL SUR: BLOOD VERSUS WATER 2 POWER RANKINGS 17) NIGHT ROCKER Rocker owned this ep, so it only makes sense to start with the fact that Johnny Rock looked absolutely terrifying in night vision mode. 16) JULIE ROCKER Yeah. On the surface, Julie Rock has had a bit of a rough time, what with her … Read more
The first couple eps of Survivor San Juan Del Sur: Blood vs Water 2 played out as you’d expect. Pretty low-key. Mostly getting to know the key components. In episode one the blue team won both challenges and the orange team kicked off twinnie Nadiya. It was a fine, if a little unspectacular ep, where … Read more
Can you even believe your life! It’s nearly the weekend again! And, like clockwork, there’s a whole bunch of telly out there waiting to be watched. It’s windy out there, so keep your wits about you and stay inside. For a binge-watch, why not check out Caprica on Lightbox. A prequel spin-off to Battlestar Galactica … Read more
As reality TV pioneer Survivor opens a mind-boggling 14th year, superfan Joseph Harper details its increasingly meta evolution in previewing season 29. // “If quick, I survive. If not quick, I am lost. This is “death.” – Sun Tzu, Ancient Chinese military strategist. “You got to hustle if you want to make a dollar. Everybody … Read more