What you need to know before watching the return of Westworld

HBO’s biggest drama since Game of Thrones returns for a third season to NEON. Here’s everything you need to know about Westworld season three.  Obviously, major spoilers for Westworld seasons 1 and 2. It’s been a year and a half – remind me where we left off. Okay, strap in! At the end of season … Read more

They’re not just for life, they’re for TV: The most brilliant friendships on the box

As a new season of My Brilliant Friend lands on TVNZ OnDemand, we take a look at some of television’s most iconic and enduring friendships.  Life is for living, so close the curtains, lock the doors, and wrap your optic nerves around My Brilliant Friend. It’s a treat for the eyes and a treat for … Read more

The Real Pod: Join us in the gratitude circle of The Bachelorette NZ

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the sixth week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s. In this trying times of global chaos and social distancing, we welcome you to join our digital gratitude circle and recap the last week on The Bachelorette NZ. These were happier times when the swimming was synchronised, … Read more

Outlander recap: Jamie Fraser is the gift that keeps on giving

Jamie dances like nobody’s watching, Claire finds herself a new surname, and Roger’s going to sing until someone tells him to stop. Tara Ward recaps episode four, season five of Outlander. Read all of Tara Ward’s Outlander recaps here. I know what you’ve been thinking about this past week. It’s been on my mind too, … Read more

The Bachelorette NZ power rankings: Another veto from this get-up

Alex Casey delivers her tenth power rankings for The Bachelorette NZ, where the lads escape the concrete jungle for the rolling countryside. Click here for previous instalments.  It’s time for us to lie down in a circle in an abundant field full of prickles and say what we are grateful for on The Bachelorette NZ. … Read more

The Real Pod: The Bachelorette NZ moves to Big Dad’s farm

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the fifth week of The Bachelorette NZ, with special thanks to Nando’s. The boys have escaped jail for the Argentinian countryside this week, complete with rabbit hunting and a whole lot of prickles. Steve tries to serenade his way to a kiss, Liam goes on a jean short journey … Read more

Bringing back the Buchmans: Celebrating the mad ’90s moments in Mad About You

Nearly 30 years after its first episode, award-winning sitcom Mad About You is back. Tara Ward travels back in time to celebrate the show’s most ’90s moments.  Mad About You is back on our screens, and it seems the only thing that’s changed since 1999 is the colour of the Buchmans’ kitchen cabinets. The series … Read more

Why is everyone so obsessed with Love is Blind?

The Netflix reality show has been a smash hit in New Zealand, but what the hell is Love Is Blind and why is it so good (or bad)? Alex Casey and Tara Ward discuss an instant classic.  Alex: Knock, knock, Tara. Are you there? It’s me, just a simple ex-tank mechanic with a baby voice, … Read more

The Bachelorette NZ Power Rankings: From jail to the funny farm

Alex Casey delivers her ninth power rankings for The Bachelorette NZ, where the lads escape the concrete jungle for the rolling countryside. Click here for previous instalments.  Something I’ve been thinking about at 3am every night is this: what if The Bachelorette NZ isn’t reality TV show at all but a Lost-style high concept drama? … Read more

Outlander recap: Jamie Fraser is the original G.O.A.T.

Something smelt strange in Outlander this week, and for once, it wasn’t Claire’s mouldy bread. Tara Ward recaps episode three of season five of Outlander. Outlander would be nothing without goats. Without the goat in season one, Claire wouldn’t have been noticed by the Redcoat, taken to see Black Jack, and forced to marry Jamie. Without the … Read more

Meet the dog who is absolutely mad for Country Calendar

To celebrate the return of Country Calendar to TVNZ1, Alex Casey tracks down the show’s biggest canine fan.  This Sunday night at seven o’clock, Suki will run to the television and demand that her parents turn on TVNZ1 so she can hear her favourite theme song. She’ll then sit, nose against the screen, to watch … Read more

What’s new to Netflix NZ and every other streaming service in March

What are you going to be watching in March? The Spinoff rounds up everything that’s coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Lightbox, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand. Click here to read our listings from February. The Biggies Westworld (Season 3 on NEON weekly from March 16) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJbFA32_QY Welcome back to … Read more

Politics in Pubs: a new series of live events for election year

The series, a collaboration between Spinoff Members and Verb Wellington, kicks off with a discussion on politics and the media.  As all right thinking people know, there are a mere 204 days until the general election. To get in the mood, we’re launching a new series of live events. And not just events: events in … Read more

Watching a book: How The Outsider nails the Stephen King adaptation game

On the heels of the arrival of The Outsider on NEON, Jean Sergent explores how screen adaptations of Stephen King’s work are able to take on a life of their own.  Stephen King, the 72 year old horror author from Portland, has a better work ethic than you or I and that’s just science. The … Read more

The Real Pod: In which we deeply respect the culture of The Bachelorette NZ

The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the cultured fourth week of The Bachelorette NZ with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Bachelorette NZ, a burrito bust-up ends in anaphylaxis, Steve chows down on some one-ply, and the Buenos Aires hostel goes full Lord of the Flies. It’s become abundantly clear that that the … Read more

How to watch the best European TV drama for free

Fancy a quick trip to Europe without leaving the comfort of your own couch? Tara Ward rounds up the best European drama for your viewing pleasure.  Anyone who reckons travel is the only way to expand your mind has never had the pleasure of lying on a couch for three days while hoovering up several … Read more

Review: I Am Not Okay With This is much less than the sum of its borrowed parts

Sam Brooks watches I Am Not Okay With This, the new show that feels like a calculated mash-up of a bunch of other Netflix shows you really liked. “Oh, it’s like Sex Education meets Stranger Things.” It’s not a new thing to describe a television show in this X-meets-Y fashion. It’s convenient shorthand, and a … Read more

The Bachelorette NZ Power Rankings: Call the ambulance (again)

Alex Casey delivers her eighth power rankings for The Bachelorette NZ, where a humble avocado changed everything forever. Click here for previous instalments.  Glass me with the talking bottle, slice my hand off with a fax machine and send me straight to the Centre De Emergencies, because this was the most aggro week of The … Read more

Hannah Tamaki and the limits of controversy as publicity

After days of rumours, Mediaworks have removed Hannah Tamaki as a cast member for the 2020 season of Dancing with the Stars. Sam Brooks reflects on the controversy. On Sunday, the NZ Herald gossip column Spy broke the news that Hannah Tamaki – wife of Destiny Church founder Brian and head of newly-founded political party Vision … Read more

Outlander recap: Claire saves the world, one loaf of bread at a time

Jamie’s away with the lads, Claire’s elbow deep in a dead man’s abdomen, and Roger wants to go back to the future. Tara Ward recaps episode two of season five of Outlander. Well, my thirstly little Outlander cherubs, that was something else, wasn’t it? It’s been many a moon since I watched an episode of our … Read more

Hannah Tamaki can’t dance away from her past

News broke today that Hannah Tamaki is rumoured to have been cast for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. Emily Writes explains why the religious leader and aspirant politician has no place on the show. Update, 25 February, 4.30pm: Mediaworks has announced that Hannah Tamaki has been dropped from the new season of … Read more

Review: The Clone Wars (almost) justifies the Star Wars prequel trilogy

The Star Wars prequels are universally regarded as the nadir of the franchise, but at least they gave us spinoff series The Clone Wars, writes Sam Brooks Nobody likes the Star Wars prequels. Though that statement is slightly hyperbolic, it’s not far from the truth. Even if you can make a limp defence for certain … Read more

Netflix’s Dragon Quest movie is a lovely journey with a stupid destination

Dragon Quest: Your Story feels like an hour-and-a-half-long highlight reel of an adventure spanning dozens of hours, but it’s damn fun, writes Felix Walton. One of Netflix’s current hustles seems to be grabbing movies with little to no hope of a wide release and publishing them as “Netflix Originals.” The latest of these is Dragon … Read more

The only thing Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist needs is more Kiwi bangers

In Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, the titular Zoey starts to hear the thoughts of those around her – but expressed in song. Sam Brooks investigates what would happen if Zoey took a trip across the Pacific to sunny ol’ New Zealand. If you could pick any superpower, what would it be? Flight? Maybe, but all those … Read more

Review: I didn’t fully understand Netflix’s Horse Girl but I loved it all the same

Netflix’s new release Horse Girl promised a quirky indie dramedy from its trailer. In reality, it’s a nightmarish time-warped look into the mind of a mental illness sufferer, writes Alice Webb-Liddall. There was a horse girl in every primary school classroom. The one with ballet flats and low ponytails and books covered in pony-themed duraseal. … Read more

The Bachelorette NZ Power Rankings: Send in the intruders

Alex Casey delivers her seventh power rankings for The Bachelorette NZ, where a group of intruders have herniated the competition’s intestines forever. Click here for previous instalments.  Welcome back to The Bachelorette NZ, where everything is made up and every man is suddenly named Mike. Intruders! Five of them! A whole boy-band’s worth! Mike! Micheal! … Read more

Ten great TV shows, ten perfect TV performances

Our writers celebrate the best performances you can watch right now on NEON. Basically? They’re iconic. We all love a good story, and a great plot twist can turn a mediocre TV show into addictive weekly viewing. But what really keeps us coming back are the characters, and seeing actors at the height of their … Read more

Emily Writes: The Goop Lab’s orgasm episode fails to reach a satisfying climax

Emily Writes reviews the now infamous orgasm episode of the even more infamous Netflix show The Goop Lab. It was four days after the fourth person asked me to review the orgasm episode of Netflix’s The Goop Lab that I finally sat down to watch it. I don’t like Gwyneth Paltrow but I also don’t … Read more