The history of New Zealand television features plenty of lowlights, but few as low as the drunken and chaotic 1987 Listener Gofta Awards. Comedian Michele A’Court was there. First published January 14, 2016 It is possible that I am one of the few people who has fond memories of the 1987 Gofta Awards. It’s also … Read more
After much heated debate in the Spinoff television department, we present this list of local TV moments that made 2016 the weird and wonderful mess that it was. Mark Richardson apologises to Brendon McCullum on The Crowd Goes Wild The funniest four minutes of New Zealand television all year. It took fifteen long years but … Read more
Tara Ward pours a sherry and peers back through the archives of a holiday institution: the Queen’s Christmas message. Her Majesty the Queen’s Christmas Message is perfectly timed for New Zealand audiences. Come hell or high water, at 6.50pm each Christmas Day Her Majesty drops her hot take on the year’s events, while we — … Read more
Alex Casey wheels out a holiday favourite in the celeb-studded feature-length finale of Extras. Christmas is a time for traditions and rituals, for dredging up old articles about Love Actually and fighting with strangers online about whether the movie is good or bad. Although Hugh Grant dancing to ‘Jump’ is indisputably good, I would like … Read more
It’s been a huge year for local television, from the time Jordan Mauger did that Gollum impression to when Rachel McKenna walked out of Shortland Street forever. But which New Zealand show did you lot vote your favourite for 2016? C’mon, let’s go the results party. 10) Grand Designs NZ Grand Designs is Chris Moller’s … Read more
Click the image below or head straight here to enjoy a musical Christmas miracle courtesy of Anne Batley-Burton from The Real Housewives of Auckland. This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and yourself a favour by clicking here … Read more
In his final Monitor column for the year, critic Aaron Yap lists his 10 favourite shows from 2016. 10) Stranger Things In hindsight, there’s so much that irks me about this ‘80s sci-fi-horror pastiche. The all-surface, no-subtext aping of the movies it’s influenced by. The instant-cult memefication spawned in the wake of its popularity. Winona … Read more
Lucy Zee salutes Chanel Oberlin of Scream Queens, the alpha of the comedy-horror series who never wears the same fur twice. The late 90s and early 2000s gave us the best teen films and TV shows of all time: Mean Girls, Clueless, Bring It On, Buffy and Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Sadly, in more recent … Read more
It’s Christmas in Ferndale, which means thing have to go off a cliff one way or another. Tara Ward counts down the top 10 moments from last night’s finale. The Shortland Street 2016 cliffhanger hit our screens last night, and expectations were higher than Kirsty Knight’s fringe in the early ’90s. Alas, the television event of … Read more
Tara Ward has been mercilessly power ranking Shortland Street for the entire year of 2016. Here she collates her favourite moments, including bouncy castle woes and rude fridge magnets. Ding dong merrily on high, the Shortland Street Christmas cliffhanger is nearly here. Before we dangle our weary bodies over the cliff in readiness for tonight’s climactic episode, … Read more
The Spinoff assembled this week to test run the CSI drinking game. This is their story. We are in the throes of the silly season, where the alcohol flows like water and the work functions are awkward enough to make you want to lock yourself away in a manger. But fret not, for there is a … Read more
James Mustapic of genius Youtube channel Shorty Street Scandal is coming out of retirement to do a live show at The Basement this weekend. He explains why. After almost two years of watching every episode of Shortland Street at least twice a night, and recapping them on Youtube, I took a break. This Saturday 17th … Read more
The triumphant return of Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey to wrap up New Zealand telly in 2016. As 2016 starts to slip away like sand through the hour glass, our in-house television experts* reflect upon 2016 on the small screen in our fair country. What has Jordy Pordy been up to? What does … Read more
With Christmas looming, we’ve assembled some of the best (cheapest) gifts you can buy for your TV-obsessed friends and family. It’s that joyous time of year when you realise you need to buy presents for a million people, except you don’t have the money or time to even wash your hair or eat a vegetable. … Read more
Tara Ward assembles her power rankings for Shortland Street, including Chris’ mane, Magic Mo and whatever good thing Damo has decided to do this week. 1) Chris is a harbinger of doom with amazing hair Not only did Chris return to Ferndale without Rachel, but he bought himself a new phone that he couldn’t operate. … Read more
Tara Ward does the unthinkable, and binge-watches 22 episodes of guinea pig dates on TVNZ Ondemand. It’s not often you enjoy a guinea pig’s quest for true love. Hardly ever, in fact. So when the televisual universe vomits up a tiny nugget of unexpected joy like Holly and Luke’s First Dates, we must grab it … Read more
With summer upon us, there is no better time to shut all the sunlight out of your room, pull a blanket over your head and watch TV until your eyes hurt. We assemble the best shows on Lightbox that you can binge from pilot to finale. Wolf Hall Binge time: 6 hours, like a perfectly … Read more
An in-depth Spinoff investigation reveals exactly who invented What Now gunge and unravels the mystery of the secret recipe. Calum Henderson reports. “I was gunged while wearing a huge chicken suit in 1999.” “I was gunged in the presence of Lana Coc-Kroft.” “I was gunged on completion of the High Flyers course during a Shrek … Read more
Alex Casey rejoices in the return of a humble New Zealand television icon to Mozart in the Jungle, of all places. The other day my beloved colleague Madeleine Chapman regaled me with her joy at seeing the return of fruity fizzy drink ‘Mirinda’ to the shelves of her local Pak ‘n Save. I have to agree. … Read more
Every night the television news happens at 6pm and current affairs shows happen at 7pm. Normally nothing much has happened. Yesterday though, John Key resigned, so Duncan Greive watched our nation’s finest broadcasters try and figure out what it all meant. Yesterday – you may have heard – our prime minister resigned after eight fun-filled … Read more
Tara Ward delivers her Shortland Street power rankings for last week, including sexy fish and chips and the return of some old friends. 1) Leanne sails back into Ferndale Our favourite triage admissions clerk sailed her ship back into Ferndale’s dank and dirty waters this week. While Leanne was bright and shiny from the splendours … Read more
Tara Ward watches the iconic TVNZ 1 series Shed of the Year, and brings together some key criteria for an average shed to reach shed glory. I have a confession: I love sheds. My new love blossomed last Tuesday night, when George Clarke strolled onto my screen in Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year. He … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a sponsored feature where we go through Lightbox’s extensive online catalogue for shows you might like to watch. This week, Alex Casey and Madeleine Chapman peruse the new content dropping in December. NCIS (S10) Helicopter crashes, cyber-terrorists and car accidents come thick and fast in the tenth season of NCIS, one … Read more
When The Spinoff’s José Barbosa made a video last week assembling TV’s finest moustaches, he made one crucial error regarding the authenticity of Westside actor Will Hall’s moustache. South Pacific Pictures responds. The moustache has long been a celebrated adornment of masculine prowess so it’s not surprising, in the spirit of Movember, The Spinoff released … Read more
Katie Parker chats to the brains behind thedownlowconcept, the Kiwi battler production company that are now in development with US heavyweight network FX. Since Nigel McCulloch, Ryan Hutchings and Jarrod Holt met as fresh-faced undergrads and formed production company thedownlowconcept, their ascent to wunderkind New Zealand TV royalty has been swift. From their radio show … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her rankings for Shortland Street, including #warnerproblems, more fruit mince pies and a bunch of bad Santas. 1) So much Santa drama it felt like an early Christmas cliffhanger Nothing upsets the fragile testosterone balance in a hospital like three Alpha Santas on a pastry bender. It was an inevitable as … Read more
To celebrate Outrageous Fortune finishing six years ago this month, plus a nomination in the Lightbox People’s Choice Awards, we’ve assembled some of the best Cheryl West moments of all time. In November 2010, the final episode of the dark family comedy Outrageous Fortune aired on New Zealand screens. After six tumultuous, leopard-clad seasons, one … Read more
Tara Ward watches The Job Interview, an awkward fly-on-the-wall series that goes inside one of life’s most hellish experiences. A new show began on TVNZ1 this week that confirmed several popular beliefs about job interviews: they suck, and nearly everyone sucks at them. Filmed in a fly-on-the-wall style, The Job Interview promises to reveal what really … Read more
As we near the end of Movember, José Barbosa wades through the history of television to present the most fertile grounds for upper lip accessories.