Alex Casey looks back at 10 years of reality television in New Zealand, a genre which reflected both our viewing habits and the good, bad and ugly sides of our national character. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like watching television in 2019 has become kind of a stressful chore. What used to be … Read more
At 2pm every day this week, The Spinoff will be counting down 100 local television moments of the decade. Today, moments 80-81. Previously: The 100 NZ TV moments of the decade, #100 – #81 80) Behind Jeff’s Eyes, 2018 The first season of the Great Kiwi Bake Off was notable for many charming things (the hosts, … Read more
Another British drama, another moody small town with more murders than actual people – but what makes a truly great one? Drama masterchef Tara Ward has the recipe down. Nothing beats a good crime drama for a binge watch, and nobody does it better than the British. Whether it’s award-winning shows like Broadchurch, Luther and … Read more
At 2pm every day this week, The Spinoff will be counting down 100 local television moments of the decade. Today, moments 100-81. 100) Kiwi Steve makes it through to Conan, 2017 Not strictly local television, but this moment had about a one in a bajillion chance of ever happening, and yet somehow… it did. In … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Sometimes you are just doing a podcast as usual and then Colin Mathura-Jeffree gives you a call and throws your world off its axis. In a very special edition of Colin’s Cranny: Live, the man himself gives … Read more
The greatest show to ever air on New Zealand TV screens, and arguably any screens ever, had a tenure of just three tragically short years. It was on air from March 1997 to September 1999. It had an ensemble of impossibly jazzy New Zealand children and a live studio audience. It was McDonald’s Young Entertainers, … 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
Sam Brooks reviews Marriage Story, the latest Netflix movie that tackles that universally horrible experience: divorce. There’s a moment, about halfway into Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, Netflix’s new film about the dissolution of a marriage, that hit me harder than anything else in the movie up until that point. During their first mediation with lawyers, theatre director … Read more
It’s been a Sunday morning staple for Kiwi kids for decades, but What Now may be facing new challenges in the era of social media. New Zealand children’s show What Now has utilised many different ways of engaging with its young audience over the past 38 years. Whether it was getting kids to write in … Read more
Before Britain’s Got Talent: Champions hits our screens tonight, let’s take a fond look back at some of the show’s weirdest and most wonderful acts. Place your hands on your Golden Buzzer, because Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions kicks off this weekend. Champions is BGT bigger and better than it’s been before, an international extravaganza featuring … Read more
It’s that time of year again when, for the third year running, a new A Christmas Prince movie is released. Sam Brooks was in front of a TV screen for the latest instalment’s debut on Netflix last night, and here catalogues the many stupid, wild, and wildly stupid things he witnessed. Another Christmas, another slew … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Are top sheets good or bad? Who is leaving giant dog poo piles everywhere? And why did Max Key delete his last Instagram post? Our investigative journalism continues as we try and get to the bottom of … Read more
Looking for the best of our local film content? Look no further than TVNZ OnDemand. Tara Ward catches up on the service’s New Zealand movie selection. Put down your atlas and wave goodbye to old mate Google, because the best way to learn about New Zealand is to chuck on the gogglebox and take a … Read more
What are you going to be watching in December? The Spinoff rounds up everything that’s coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Lightbox, Disney+, AppleTV, Neon, Amazon Prime, Acorn and TVNZ on Demand. Click here to read our listings for November. The Biggies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fnS96wQp4c The L-Word: Generation Q (NEON, Season 1 weekly from December … Read more
Our writers confess their guiltiest streaming pleasures on TVNZ OnDemand. But is it really guilty when the pleasure is this good? We’ve all been there. You get home after a long day at work, you pop your feet up on the couch and you can’t do anything but look at the television screen. You don’t … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Join us in the church of reality television for our latest sermon, including some great goss about Zac and Erin’s wedding rings, Alex and Duncan getting owned at the TV awards and Naz getting called out on … Read more
Sam Brooks reviews the latest season of Nailed It!, the cooking show that celebrates enthusiasm over talent or edibility. “Urggggh, I’m so mad! I’m so mad that this is in my mouth! I’ve never been angrier about something in my mouth! I am floored.” There’s only one show that can elicit that torrent of bewildered frustration from … Read more
It’s the British reality show that sees singles meet their potential partner on the dance floor, but what is it about Flirty Dancing that makes it such a heartwarming watch? Tara Ward finds out. What in the sweet soft shoe shuffle is it? Flirty Dancing is Britain’s latest television sensation. It’s a reality show about two … Read more
Alex Casey dissects the most exciting and enticing New Zealand pop culture news of 2019. I know, I know. This story could just be the headline and it would probably win an award. This story could just be a tweet and it would get upwards of 10 likes. But, folks, it’s pure hell out there … Read more
Hidden in the deep bowels of the internet is an episode of television too good to be true: Tipping Point Lucky Stars, featuring the geniuses of The Chase. Tara Ward watches the crossover episode of your TV dreams. The world is filled with unexpected joys, and discovering the episode of Tipping Point: Lucky Stars featuring the … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. We’re still buzzing after the rip-roaring success of the Corny Christmas party this week and we won’t even let a rogue earwig in the studio dampen our spirits. There’s a lot of exciting Real News including the … Read more
A few days ago, Fanimals announced it would not be returning for another season. Emily Writes, and her kids, are heartbroken. On my list of things I might write about one day it simply said ‘Fanimals’ sandwiched between ‘How old is BeckBroJack?’ and ‘Is Peter Krause the most dad-like dad on television?’ I wanted to write … Read more
Don’t get sucked in by the jovial banter and the sausage sizzle with Jacinda Ardern. Stephen Colbert is an international criminal mastermind who must be stopped. New Zealand is fizzing today with the exciting news that someone from another country has noticed that we exist. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired the first part … Read more
Seriously, if you haven’t seen The Mandalorian, look away now. This article also contains spoilers for Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Return of the Sith, and The Last Jedi. In case you didn’t read the standfirst: this article contains spoilers about The Mandalorian, and also all of Star Wars. The pictures are all … Read more
Sam Brooks gives you the lowdown on Disney+, the exhaustive streaming service launching today. What on this good green world is Disney+? Disney+ is a streaming service run by, as you might expect, Disney. If you need someone to explain what Disney is to you, then this service probably isn’t for you. Stick to whatever … Read more
Can the flagship Disney+ show The Mandalorian serve the Star Wars diehards at the same time as the casual viewer, asks Sam Brooks. A quick multiple-choice test to find out if The Mandalorian is for you or not. Q. Does the title The Mandalorian mean anything to you? A) No. B) Kind of? It’s definitely part of Star … Read more
Sam Brooks reviews the third season of The Crown, a show that can’t decide whether it wants to humanise the monarchy or tear it all down. This review contains very mild spoilers for world history, 1964-1977. Three seasons in, there’s no doubt that The Crown is the, well, crown jewel in Netflix’s royal streaming sceptre. … Read more
In this special episode of The Real Pod, brought to you by Nando’s, we chat to the champions of My Restaurant Rules NZ 2019. In the afterglow of Rustic Kitchen’s historic win on My Restaurant Rules NZ, Duncan and Alex got on the blower with Tyson and Denise. Then we forgot about the interview completely. … Read more
Tara Ward reviews Goodnight Kiwi, a new series that features well-known New Zealanders reading bedtime stories to kids. It’s strange to think that New Zealand television wasn’t always the 24-hour, infomercial-tastic extravangza that it is today. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, our televisions used to go dark every night at about eleven o’clock, a … Read more