The Spinoff’s resident nail enthusiast Sam Brooks dives into nail salon reality show Boss Nails and finds someone to model his messy life after. I love two things: Getting my nails done. There’s something relaxing about handing your hands over to someone for an hour or so and getting them to look pretty and shiny. Especially if … Read more
Lucy Zee counts the many ways the Transforma Ladder infomercial impressed audiences everywhere, from its multitude of uses to its dapper salesman. Imagine you’re a kid, home alone, feeling smug because you managed to convince your parents that you were too sick to go to school today. Jokes on you, because your brother locked the … Read more
Alex Casey watches Collection Intervention and comes away with some key learnings for fellow hoarders collectable enthusiasts. When I die, my body will be buried with hundreds of plastic E.T. figurines. Not because I love them and want them to stay with me forever, just because I’m certain I won’t be able to fucking get … Read more
The good news is that The Real Pod team are back to talk some guff about reality TV and real life in New Zealand. The better news is that Mayor Phil Goff is listening (?). This week on The Real Pod, we continue our hot streak as The Spinoff’s most hard-hitting political podcast by doing … Read more
Everyone is talking about which party leader ‘won’ the first round of major leaders’ debate, but nobody is asking which debate ‘won’. Until now. Unlike every other audience trend in traditional media, the numbers actually increased on 2014 when the 1 News Leaders Debate aired last week. Drop your e-readers, stop the Snapchats and put down … Read more
With a line-up boasting everything from Miyazaki to Spike Lee, Dan Taipua suggests you look no further than Māori Television for the best in free-to-air movies. When Māori Television launched back in 2004, it brought to the viewing public a new channel for the promotion of te reo Māori me nga tikanga Maori (Māori language … Read more
Tonight on Three at 8.30pm, Jacinda Ardern and Bill English meet again, in the first leaders’ debate since the other day. It’s a feature-length 90 minutes tonight, so here’s something to keep your energy up. We strongly advise using apple juice. Take a sip when you hear/see: Gower guffaws “Paddy” “The fact of the matter” … Read more
With the third season of Scottish time-travel romance Outlander swooping back to Lightbox next Monday, The Spinoff assembled a handy recap video to get you up to speed. One week to go until Outlander does the highland fling back onto Lightbox. Watch the two previous seasons exclusively below:
Jane Yee takes a hammer and nails to week 10 on The Block NZ, including bum tattoos and twin peaks/troughs. “Apparently a certain nationality quite likes it on the outside of the toilet” This is just one of the many lessons I learned during Entrance, Stairwell and Powder Room week on The Block, as well … Read more
As Bill English and Jacinda Ardern battled it out during TVNZ1’s debate last night, Emily Writes was left extremely confused by a sexy candy ad. I never watch free-to-air television on an actual television. I’m not sure why in 2017 you would. So last night’s TVNZ leader’s debate was the first time in a long … Read more
On the first day of Spring, we present to you all the content sprouting forth in September for you to enjoy on Lightbox. Happy Valley (S2 available now) The second season of the British chiller returns with Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood back on her murder beat. With a string of homicides hitting West Yorkshire, and … Read more
After some scared principals blamed Westside for all their woes, Sam Brooks investigates what other carnage the Outrageous Fortune prequel has caused. Earlier this week, five high school principals in West Auckland blamed Three’s fictional series Westside for driving children away from their schools. Let’s be straight here: this is balls-out stupid. What would that conversation even … Read more
As Suits clocks up its 100th episode, Tara Ward rounds up more shows on Lightbox that have soared past triple digits. Only very special things make it to 100, like the Queen Mother, Kiwi shoe polish and legal drama Suits, which celebrates its 100th episode today on Lightbox. Suits has wrangled its way through seven … Read more
Tonight on TVNZ1 at 7pm, Jacinda Ardern and Bill English will go head-to-head in the first leader’s debate of the 2017 election. To make the viewing experience all the more exciting, we’ve assembled the mother of all drinking games. We strongly advise using non-alcoholic beverages. Take a sip when you hear/see: “Let me finish” “With … Read more
It contains one of the most memorable lines in New Zealand advertising, but what else went into making the iconic Vogel’s O.E. ad? Maha Albadrawi, with help from Lucy Zee, investigates. As a kid, I watched a lot of TV. I still do, really, only now we call it ‘consuming content’ and it can be done … Read more
New Zealand’s search for a bona fide celebrity builder to carry the torch lit by Cocksy may finally be over with the arrival of TVNZ 1’s no nonsense new home reno show. It all seems so long ago now, but there once was a time when the only home renovations on New Zealand television were … Read more
The good news is that The Real Pod team are back to talk some guff about reality TV and real life in New Zealand. The bad news is that there’s still a pile of rubbish outside Jane’s house. Another week of literal and metaphorical rubbish on The Real Pod this week, as Jane continues to … Read more
Following last night’s love fest, Tara Ward walks back down a very long aisle of dramatic Shortland Street nuptials. Romance flowed like a punctured box of cask wine on last night’s episode of Shortland Street, spilling its emotional load over Ferndale in a sparkly celebration of all things love and motorbikey. With the groom’s eternal … Read more
Jane Yee recaps the week on The Block NZ, including illuminating dart boards and an X Factor NZ cameo for the ages. Calling all penises! It was Garage Week on The Block and according to the male Blockheads, Mark Richardson and even bloody Jason Bonham, garages are all about guys, so basically it was a … Read more
The Real Pod team assemble back in the boardroom of dreams to tackle musicals, social media stars and rubbish bin woes. In this week’s #realpod Alex, Jane and Duncan are all collectively put in chokey by the Matilda musical – especially the galaxy of stars who came out to watch it. Alex revealed her technique … Read more
New Zealand’s unlikeliest spokesmodel is at it again, fronting a strangely timely apocalypse-themed ad campaign for Arnotts. But what other products should Steve Hansen put his unique talents behind? Lucy Zee has some suggestions. Some of you might know Steve Hansen as the All Blacks coach who led us to victory at the last Rugby … Read more
Tara Ward heads to the big apple with Our Rachel and a butt-tightening machine in Rachel Hunter’s Tour of Beauty. Welcome to New York, the city that never sleeps, the city filled with bright lights and naked cowboys. It’s here that Rachel Hunter kicked off her second series of Tour of Beauty, a place filled … Read more
Sam Brooks watches the new Eva Longoria vehicle Decline and Fall and finds a show more British than a pint of lager and a packet of crisps. Decline and Fall is maybe the most British show I’ve ever watched. How British is it? First of all, it’s based on a 1928 satirical novel by Evelyn … Read more
Vanessa Ellingham brings a gift from Norway back to the motherland: an innovative teen drama that doesn’t suck. Earlier this year, I watched as The Spinoff found itself at war with Filthy Rich producer Gavin Strawhan over the quality of the New Zealand television shows receiving public funding. Strawhan argued that critics of his show, … Read more
With Jane Yee galavanting away across the ditch, Tara Ward steps up to power rank the only four night a week NZ renovation show that matters. It was Guest Bedroom and Bathroom Week on the relentless renovation extravaganza that we love to call The Block. The pressure was on like a power hose pointed at a … Read more
Still feeling the chill? Tara Ward assembles some of the best fashions on Lightbox to warm the cockles of your cold heart. It’s International Fashion Day, everyone! If you’re sitting on your couch in your favourite pyjamas with the elastic waistband and the ripped crotch, eating stale pretzels and wondering how you can give such … Read more
When Jeremy Clarkson left Top Gear in 2015, the show seemed doomed. Yet it soldiers on, boring but unbowed, while Clarkson’s profile is much diminished. Duncan Greive asks whether the fading of Clarkson, Paul Henry and Bill O’Reilly means the end of an era looms for a particular species of male broadcaster. Jeremy Clarkson, most recently … Read more
Lucy Zee revisits the sensual Toffee Pops ad of the 90s starring Carlos Spencer and a whole lot of lust. The best factory produced, mid-range, supermarket shelf, chocolate coated cookie in New Zealand according to this statistically accurate twitter poll is: I am going to be honest here guys, I was expecting Toffee Pops to … Read more
Tara Ward watches Wasted, a buzzy British comedy starring spirit guide Sean Bean as every famous Sean Bean character ever. Imagine discovering your subconscious mind can manifest itself into the form it trusts the most. It’s an alarming thought, mostly because mine would reveal itself as an electrifying mix of Suzy Cato and Astar from … Read more