Opinion: Changes at Māori TV give great cause for concern. The chief executive should be encouraging coverage critical of the establishment, not shutting it down, writes Green Party MP Marama Davidson I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of hearing bad news about Māori TV. Whenever Māori TV is mentioned in the media, it’s … Read more
Madeleine Chapman watches Sidewalk Karaoke, the new homespun singing competition by Māori TV. Sidewalk Karaoke, the latest release on Māori TV, is exactly what you would expect: karaoke sung on the sidewalk. Think Singstar on wheels. Think cracking highs when sober. Think shopping mall talent quest outside the mall. The budget is shamelessly sparse – no … Read more
Calum Henderson watches I Can’t Stop Farting, a TVNZ On Demand documentary about those afflicted with bad smells and sounds. Sarah counts her farts. She keeps a daily tally, using a colour-coded system: red for “loud”, blue for “silent”, and green for “smelly”. On a bad day she farts 40 to 50 times, which is apparently almost … Read more
If you haven’t read Tolstoy’s War and Peace (and who has?), Lindsey Dawson has found an easier way to experience his epic love-and-conflict story: by watching it on the telly. The Russians are coming! We’ve heard that phrase often enough, but back in 1812 it was the Russians yelling, ‘The French are Coming!’ Napoleon wanted Moscow. … Read more
Jordan was ravenous for love on the Bachelor NZ this week, overnighting with Naz and Fleur – but sending poor Erin home after she failed to notice he is physically indistinguishable from Aragorn. It was all hometowns and fantasy dates this week or, as The Bachelor NZ likes to call it “terrible chat with a brother-in-law … Read more
There’s a new Bachelor, a new mansion, and the same old dorks talking about it. The Fantasy Suite is The Spinoff’s weekly podcast about The Bachelor NZ, hosted by Jane Yee with Alex Casey and Duncan Greive. Have a listen below, or download here on iTunes, or here on Stitcher. This week Jane, Alex and … Read more
With Hilary Barry’s resignation from TV3 still sending shockwaves through the television news universe, James McOnie creates a New Zealand newsreader hall of fame just so he can imagine her place in it. Hilary Barry is walking away from TV3 at a time when her stocks couldn’t be any higher. The Newshub has been gutted … Read more
Joanna McLeod collates her favourite life lessons from Parks and Recreation‘s Pawnee, the little town built on optimism, fizzy drinks and a thousand rubber nipples. Please note this story contains spoilers. Some people seek guidance from lifestyle gurus, motivational speakers or large amounts of drugs. For me, everything I need to know I can learn … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her Shortland Street Power Rankings for last week, including Harry becoming a man of the world and Jordan Mauger’s sartorial influence. 1) Never fear: Gin will fix it Ding dong, it’s Gin o’clock. Drink it in, people, drink all the Gin. Who cares why she’s back – when you win Lotto you don’t … Read more
Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders. This week’s Outlander episode covered more ground than Rupert and Angus when Mrs Fitz hits the dinner gong. There was a poisoning, greasy convict juices, bedroom intruders, perfect Jamie hair, a monkey bite, a joke about … Read more
A year of chaos and controversy may end today, as Mark Weldon fronts the new-look MediaWorks board with his most important star on her way out and senior staff close to revolt. UPDATE: Newshub has confirmed that Mark Weldon resigned this morning; Wednesday 4 May – more to follow. In the aftermath of news of … Read more
The shock resignation of Hilary Barry from Mediaworks represents a bigger blow than any of the other high profile TV3 newsroom departures, says Duncan Greive. Last night, just before 9pm, news broke that Hilary Barry had become the latest and biggest casualty of the Mark Weldon era at Mediaworks. It’s a cataclysmic event for the organisation, … Read more
The Royal Wedding may have been five years ago today, but it remains an imprinted memory for many New Zealanders. Zoe Scheltema remembers the long, the short and the hats of watching it all unfold on live television. Five years ago, the world was absolutely gripped by what was being described as “the wedding of … Read more
Alex Casey assembles her favourite celebrity appearances from the BBC comedy Extras, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Forever shadowed by The Office, and more recently Ricky Gervais’ atrociously long pre-recorded intro to the NZ Comedy Festival, Extras is the wondrous second TV comedy masterpiece from Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais. I love Extras. I love … Read more
Madeleine Chapman and her Aunty Henga assess the skills, builds, and tattoos in Game of Bros, Māori television’s reality quest for the ultimate Polynesian warrior. The Game of Bros champion has been crowned after seven long weeks of baby oil, Ludus hoodies, and coconut cream. While the whole series has been primarily focused on the humour and silliness, this finale … Read more
The limited run series Containment promises a healthy dose of viruses with a side of emotional trauma. After one episode, Aaron Yap was left feeling less than satisfied. The sight of someone spewing blood and mucus out their nostrils will probably never lose its inherent ickiness. Containment knows this. Throughout its pilot episode, the show thrives on this … Read more
With Mastermind returning to our screens this week for the first time in over 25 years, Calum Henderson visits the set to watch the brainiacs at work. A couple of days before I went to watch the new series of Mastermind being filmed, I emailed the show’s publicist asking if she could tell me the … Read more
For Throwback Thursday this week, Claire Adamson arms herself with a bottle of wine and revisits the worst comedy series that New Zealand has ever made. In the early ’90s, a young and misguided television station called TV3 made a show so terrible that its name has become a byword for bad TV in this … Read more
Alex Casey delivers her power rankings for week eight on The Bachelor NZ, including more Middle Earth than you can shake an earring at, and the pact that broke the camel’s back. Happy to report that it only took until week eight of The Bachelor NZ for something to happen that made me cry with laughter. It began … Read more
There’s a new Bachelor, a new mansion, and the same old dorks talking about it. The Fantasy Suite is The Spinoff’s weekly podcast about The Bachelor NZ, hosted by Jane Yee with Alex Casey and Duncan Greive. Have a listen below, or download here on iTunes, or here on Stitcher. This week in The Fantasy … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her Shortland Street Power Rankings for last week, including Leanne’s street talk, Ali’s book tease, and the Warner’s controversial new room. 1) Norelle calls time on Ferndale and everything else basically This was a bloody howler. The tears poured down my face like Huka Falls in flood when Norelle passed away, with … Read more
Steve Braunias watches a deeply morbid episode of meandering ’70s action-adventure Kung Fu. Warning: content may be disturbing. Every second Wednesday my daughter and three of her pals come over to the house after school before their dance lesson, and they always ask for macaroni and Kung Fu. I tape it from the Jones Channel and one … Read more
Our resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward shares her thoughts from the much-anticipated return of time-travel romance series. Contains spoilers. And smoulders. Life in Paris is one giant mystery. Which knife does Murtagh use first at dinner? Which carriage should Claire take to visit the poor? Which is hotter, brunette or auburn? This week Jamie and Claire are up … Read more
Madeleine Chapman and her Aunty Henga assess the skills, builds, and tattoos in Game of Bros, Māori television’s reality quest for the ultimate Polynesian warrior. Last night was the penultimate episode of Game of Bros. The semi final. The final bend. That last spoonful of palusami before you’re left with the perfect ratio of taro and coconut cream. Sticking to … Read more
During the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, ‘Behind the LOLs’ will reveal the inner workings of some of our finest comedy talent. First up, 2016 Billy T nominee James Malcolm writes a list of his prenuptial conditions for Shortland Street‘s Chris Warner. This year I’m taking advantage of the festival to stage my elaborate wedding to Chris Warner … Read more
Want to binge-watch an entire series without signing away the next four months of your life? We’ve assembled a selection of the best shows on Lightbox that you can knock out in one sitting. Firefly Like Guardians of the Galaxy but without the talking tree and Bradley Raccoon Cooper, Firefly takes place 500 years in … Read more
In town to promote the new Xbox game Quantum Break, Canadian actor Shawn Ashmore also lifted the lid on his early acting career on Animorphs. José Barbosa gets the scoop on how to portray a teenage alien invasion fighter with the power to change into animals. For a larger group of people who existed as teenagers in … Read more
Hayden Donnell looks back on one of New Zealand’s most iconic interviews. In December 1997, two teenage girls gave Paul Holmes the sternest test of his storied interviewing career. The Ingham twins, both 18, had gone to extraordinary lengths for love. Sarah had fallen for a sailor. Her sister Joanna decided to help her pursue … Read more
Alex Casey delivers her power rankings for week seven on The Bachelor NZ, including the rise of Naz and Kate’s shocking ocean release. What’s the point in trying to rank, predict, or follow anything to do with The Bachelor NZ anymore. Let’s all just go to Waitangi and get plastered in elaborate gowns, because apparently … Read more