Two more ex-Bachelor NZ contestants are headed to represent New Zealand on the international stage, and Alex Casey is bloody excited. Following the news that Gollum impressionist and second AD Jordan Mauger will be representing New Zealand in The Bachelor Winter Games, The Spinoff has learned that the Kiwi contingent will be bolstered by Lily … Read more
After it cleaned up a pile of awards last week, Alex Casey watches TVNZ1’s Jean to see what all the fuss is about. At the New Zealand Television Awards last week, one production, one story and one name ruled the night: Jean. It became something of a running joke as Jean, the TV film that … Read more
This week Jane, Duncan and Alex bask in the glory of their new sponsors at Nando’s and relive an incredible night at the New Zealand TV awards. Call the police, call the midwife, call your parents: The Real Pod has now got a luxury sponsor in Nando’s. And what a week for them to come … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from the twelfth episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. Nothing kills a party like a wild prophecy about a kid being 200 years old when it dies. It makes as much sense as Coco the Talking Nut and the Dunbonnet’s hair, yet when Margaret Campbell uttered … Read more
The TV awards return after five years away and reveal an industry boiling with rage and extremely fun to watch. Last night, New Zealand television royalty – and The Real Pod – assembled in Skycity Theatre for the triumphant return of the New Zealand Television Awards after a five year hiatus. There was glitz, there … Read more
Tara Ward falls in crazy, stupid love with Young Hercules, the bizarre 90s classic made in New Zealand and starring a young Ryan Gosling. Once upon a time, in a land far away called 1990s New Zealand, someone made the greatest television show in the history of the universe. Alas, I’m not talking about Face the … Read more
Duncan Greive watches Australian Ninja Warrior and makes a serious pitch for the return of New Zealand’s own ’90s multi-sport extravaganza. Australian Ninja Warrior already contains a number of ingredients which suggest a deeply problematic show: the co-option in name only of an ancient Japanese culture for reality TV; a blonde breakout star running in … Read more
This week Jane, Duncan and Alex (and fill in recordist Don Rowe) really lean into this whole post-MAFS life. Pray for them. This week’s #realpod starts, like all should, with an apology. To Polly, and to Grant. We implied that they were no longer surfing the airwaves. We were wrong – they are rockin’ More … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from the eleventh episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. This morning I woke to the crushing news that I am no longer engaged to Prince Harry. Thankfully, one can always rely on Outlander to soften life’s cruel blows with a soft, billowy cushion of ginger joy. … Read more
Four courses and six very famous chefs stand between our amateur cooking heroes and a $100,000 cheque. In any competition, a grand final is a magical event. You can feel it in the electric crackle of anticipation and sense it in the surrounding pomp and ceremony. The grand final of My Kitchen Rules NZ is no exception: … Read more
Elle Hunt thought she was alone at sea in her love for Blue Planet back in 2001. In 2017, it would seem the whole world has taken the plunge. I would like to begin with an apology to the couple I interrupted at The Love Walk Cafe in Camberwell last week. I’m so sorry; you … Read more
Calum Henderson makes some very well-informed predictions for the finale of My Kitchen Rules NZ tomorrow. Pour out a jug of rich, tasty jus for the four fallen teams of My Kitchen Rules NZ 2017: North Shore students Charlotte and Maddie, Rotorua soulmates Tash and Hera, Auckland besties Jaryd and Ben and – in a shock elimination after last … Read more
Search Party is back on Lightbox for its second season – with new episodes arriving every Monday. Sam Brooks is here to tell you why you need to catch up on this show right now. Mild spoilers ahead! If you don’t want to take my word for it, and why would you, you should read … Read more
Alex Casey talks to PSUSY creator Jaya Beach-Robertson about pushing the webseries boundaries and dealing with thrush. PSUSY is a lot things, but it is not here to be cute. The psychedelic, hilarious webseries created by Jaya Beach Robertson and directed by Annie Duckworth delves deep into the gnarly realities of sex, dating and gender … Read more
Dom Corry meets Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam, two brave podcast hosts who make a living talking about Bravo, and asks them why they can’t get enough of Gilda, Angela, Julia and the gang. If you enjoy Bravo reality shows, you really should be listening to the ridiculously entertaining Watch What Crappens podcast. [Editor’s note: … Read more
Alex Casey watches The Seven Year Switch on TVNZ2, a familiar-sounding social experiment that matches up married people with complete strangers. There are perhaps no sweeter three words to the gnarled ear of a television writer than the phrase “controversial social experiment.” The latest series to return to this increasingly-full arena is the second season … Read more
Free from the shackles of Married at First Sight NZ, The Real Pod gang talk mostly about Married at First Sight NZ, with a touch of Bachelor news and the triumphant return of Max Key Corner. We’ve packed up our things and moved back to Lincoln on The Real Pod this week, which means the … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from ‘Heaven and Earth’, the tenth episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. Let us bow down at the Outlander altar, because ‘Heaven and Earth’ featured two loves of my life: potpourri and cheese. I never thought the day would come when the King of Men yarns … Read more
In an unexpected twist, the penultimate episode of My Kitchen Rules NZ pays homage to a classic Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson comedy vehicle. For the first two sudden death cook-offs, MKRNZ production booked out what seemed like popular and high-end wedding venues and invited a pick’n’mix of Kiwi celebrities to help eat and judge … Read more
Tara Ward does a deep dive into one of New Zealand’s weirdest national obsessions. There’s something about the Big Red Chair on The Graham Norton Show that pulls New Zealanders towards it. It’s like a giant magnet of truth, sucking the shame and dignity out of our fellow citizens. Resistance is futile. Week after week, … Read more
Need new TV in your life? Hollywood mediums? Stargate voyagers? Floppy-haired Ryan Gosling? Then allow us to present the new offerings to Lightbox in November. Blindspot (S1-2 available now, new eps of S3 arrive every Sunday) It started with a tattoo enthusiast in a duffel bag in Times Sqaure, but the mystery thriller has become … Read more
Chef Gordon Ramsay meets a ‘Kiwi megacelebrity’ in what deserves to be remembered as one of the all-time great Holmes interviews. When we think back on the television broadcasting career of Sir Paul Holmes, there are two notorious interviews that most often come to mind. The first was during the very first episode of Holmes in 1989, … Read more
The contrivances of the first generation of reality shows are being overtaken by higher stakes games, writes Duncan Greive. The first season of Married at First Sight NZ is over, and I for one am an absolute wreck. For the past three years I’ve been part of ‘The Real Pod’, a podcast which has chronicled … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from ‘The Doldrums’, the ninth episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. Anchor me in the middle of your deep blue sea, Outlander, because the dramatic winds of ‘The Doldrums’ filled my emotional spinnaker like never before. I don’t know if it was the fresh ocean air … Read more
Jaryd and Ben take on the notorious foodie friends in a grim battle for cooking show survival. After a TVNZ 2 crossover visit to Ferndale, MKRNZ returns to Auckland for the second sudden death cook-off at posh-looking wedding venue Kelliher Estate. All the remaining contestants have arrived at the same time, leaving top-of-the-table Teal and … Read more
Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey drink the last of the Waiheke wines and toast the final episodes of Married at First Sight NZ for 2017. We gather at the MAFSNZ altar for the very last time to reflect upon our journey over the past six weeks. As the participants suffer through their final … Read more
Alex Casey power ranks the final week of Married at First Sight NZ, including eyebrow lady advice and the much-anticipated vow renewal ceremonies. Allow me to tentatively approach the rotunda of romance one more time, for I need to solemnly deliver my final vows to Married at First Sight NZ in this, its last week … Read more
A hot new teaser clip from one of Auckland’s finest up and coming musicians. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which means it’s about time Anne Batley-Burton from The Real Housewives of Auckland teased a new* Christmas song. Pairing up with long-time collaborator Vicky ‘Rock Chick’ Loach and Alan Jansson – the musical genius … Read more
Where Three have cornered the Friday night comedy lineup, Calum Henderson finds that TVNZ2 is running with a very different, stripped-back viewing experience. It starts with a series of blind dates and ends with a line-up of six dangling, disembodied penises. ‘Love Fridays’, TVNZ 2’s belated ‘romance’-themed answer to Three’s successful Friday night comedy line-ups, … Read more