There’s a new Bachelor, a new mansion, and the same old group of plonkers talking about it for far too long. It’s The Fantasy Suite, The Spinoff’s weekly podcast about The Bachelor NZ hosted by Jane Yee with Alex Casey and Duncan Greive. It’s a full spectrum Bachelor experience, containing why Naz’s hit list end … Read more
Avowed YouTube procrastinator Matthew McAuley presents a selection of his favourite Gordon Ramsay clips – a kitchen nightmare for every mood. Where once my tastes in YouTube content were basically indiscriminate, they have recently become quite unexpectedly refined. Like a bad, unsophisticated restaurant with an over-long menu and a maître d’ who’ll happily serve you … Read more
Aaron Yap celebrates the superb Cold War spy drama The Americans. The Americans is currently the best spy show on TV. Scratch that. It’s the best show on TV, period. I’m saying this as a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Homeland, a show that its most avid followers have to admit is awfully patchy, even at its … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her Shortland Street Power Rankings for last week, including Dayna’s new lease on life, Lucy’s love lament and Chris bringing back the dance move that nobody needed. 1) Chris uses his best jazz hands to magic money out of Rachel’s budget Thousands of Shortland Street CEOs have sat in the Big Chair, … Read more
Brendan O’Carroll, aka Mrs Brown, tells Calum Henderson how a five-minute radio play he created 25 years ago slowly turned into one of the most popular shows on television. It was three days out from opening night in Liverpool when Brendan O’Carroll got a phone message at his hotel in New York: “John Urine’s gone.” … Read more
Moata Tamaira argues that Vikings is really just Outrageous Fortune but with longships instead of V8s. If I’m honest, my knowledge of medieval European history, particularly that of Scandinavia is sketchy at best. It’s pretty much limited to a deep appreciation of True Blood’s Eric Northman with a smattering of “that time I had read … Read more
The Beauty Spot is Zoe Scheltema’s weekly column that dissects the world of beauty and fashion. This week she interviews Terese Tomlin, head stylist and make up artist on The Bachelor NZ. Arguably, there is no more glamorous television event than that of The Bachelor, and it has careered back to our screens trailing thirty … Read more
Tara Ward watches May the Best House Win Abroad, the TV One show for houseproud homeowners and snoopy spectators alike. There’s nowt as queer as folk, especially the houseproud homeowners on British reality show May the Best House Win. Tucked away in TV One’s mid afternoon schedule, May the Best House Win is an hour … Read more
Madeleine Chapman chats to Sara Larner, a New York artist who specialises in oil paintings inspired by extravagantly gory scenes from Hannibal. I have never watched Hannibal. My fear of anything scary is strong enough that I will read the summary section of a horror movie’s Wikipedia page so as to know what people are referencing without having … Read more
In 2016, to celebrate Country Calendar turning the big 5-0, Calum Henderson took a look at five of the show’s famous spoofs on NZ On Screen – and one which seemed like a spoof but was totally real. You don’t see a lot of spoofs these days. We’ve got parodies galore, we’re up to our … Read more
After week one on The Bachelor NZ, some of the greatest minds in the country* assemble to talk about the big issues including Jordan’s expressive forehead vein and the mystery ingredients of bliss balls. Claire Adamson on the truth about Danielle Anny Ma on the Bachelor vein Jordan is a Classic Cantab Bloke, and despite his … Read more
He’s back as the host of The Bachelor NZ, but are Mike Puru’s greatest TV performances hidden in plain sight over on shopping channel YesShop? Calum Henderson watches one of his hypnotic advertorial masterpieces. If you listened carefully you could hear it in the wind at around 7:30pm on Monday night: the sound of a … Read more
Listen to the second episode of The Fantasy Suite, The Spinoff’s weekly podcast all about The Bachelor New Zealand. There’s a new Bachelor, a new mansion, and the same old group of plonkers talking about it for far too long. It’s The Fantasy Suite, The Spinoff’s weekly podcast about The Bachelor NZ hosted by Jane … Read more
Alex Casey presents her first contestant power rankings for The Bachelor NZ 2016, including scabby tattoos, #wokeboarding and the return of Thingee. Welcome back friends, it’s been an eternity. How’s your health? How much of Art Green’s book did we get through over summer? I read one chapter and then ate a giant pile of … Read more
Welcome to TV Mum, a weekly podcast starring Brendon Green and his Mum, Dianne. Every week Brendon will try and get Dianne to remember the details of a TV show she’s recently watched. The resulting discussion is a journey through Dianne’s shaky memory and never ends up where you’d expect. For the final episode of … Read more
To celebrate International Women’s Day, The Spinoff assembles some of the most hilarious, brave and butt-kicking moments for women on television. Contributions by Alex Casey, Madeleine Chapman and Sophie Smith. International Women’s Day is all about celebrating the achievements of women throughout history, and looking forward to a future of equality for all. Or, if you … Read more
The Bachelor NZ is back, and with it countless group dates and one-on-ones and helicopter rides. But there’s a much simpler way to find true love on TV. Expat Kiwi Julia Hollingsworth explains what our next Bachelor can learn from China’s most popular dating show. A cryogenic tank slides down a chamber onto a garishly … Read more
Alex Casey reviews the first episode of The Bachelor NZ, including bliss balls, gongs and a whole new meaning to the word “throw pillow.” “He could definitely be my future husband… I think.” And so the second season of The Bachelor NZ opened with a perfect “yeah, nah” blend of sincerity and trepidation. Almost instantly, the show … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her Shortland Street Power Rankings for last week, including Stevie’s evolution into Houdini, Nicole’s exhausting workload and Esther’s incredible phone-based breakthrough. 1) Stevie is the amazing disappearing baby Boyd lost it when he remembered he’d left Baby Stevie alone in the hospital car park. By the time he’d retraced his steps, … Read more
Stop blaming TV commissioners for the quality of our local output, says Chris Hooper, who last year left TVNZ for a role at the BBC. It’s time to hold the Government’s feet to the fire. Part of an ongoing series assessing our publicly funded television. Read part one, covering the role of commissioners, here. People look upon … Read more
Listen to the bold return episode of the The Fantasy Suite, The Spinoff’s weekly podcast all about The Bachelor New Zealand. There’s a new Bachelor, a new mansion, and the same old group of plonkers talking about it for far too long. It’s The Fantasy Suite, The Spinoff’s weekly podcast about The Bachelor NZ hosted … Read more
Natasha Hoyland spends some surprising time at sea with one of her underrated childhood heroes from Hi-5. If I went back in time and told six year-old me that she’d one day be witnessing a sweaty Nathan Foley from Hi-5 rip his shirt open whilst singing Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’, she would’ve shaken her head. … Read more
Alex Casey revisits clips from Miss Popularity on NZ On Screen, the reality competition where women were called “Boomerang Babes” and left at the mercy of the Australian Outback. 2005 was a strong year. I met Neville Longbottom at Armageddon whilst wearing a ‘Vote for Pedro’ badge, everyone at my school was either in love … Read more
Season two of Outlander is coming to Lightbox at 5pm on April 10, and fans can hardly breathe. The Spinoff’s resident Outlander fanatic Tara Ward has been hard at work assembling clues. Please note: contains spoilers. Do you hear that noise? It’s the sound of dehydrated Outlander fans, deliriously lapping up the slow trickle of … Read more
Duncan Greive watches the ’70s style politics show The Nation, and finds a lot to love. TV3’s The Nation isn’t that old. It was founded in 2010, but despite the flash modern set and the lively twitter conversation which accompanies it, the show might be the most old-fashioned to air on New Zealand television. It returned to … Read more
Welcome to TV Mum, a weekly podcast starring Brendon Green and his Mum, Dianne. Every week Brendon will try and get Dianne to remember the details of a TV show she’s recently watched. The resulting discussion is a journey through Dianne’s shaky memory and never ends up where you’d expect. This week the Greens talk … Read more
Alex Casey watches with bated breath as Art Green attempts to set a Guinness World Record for loudest apple crunch. “It’s an ethereal apple,” whispered Paul Paynter, fourth generation heir to the Yummy Fruit Company dynasty. We both stared in silence at the pristine bowl of apples, resting on a plinth behind thick studio glass. … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her Shortland Street Power Rankings for last week, including Kylie’s boob-based dilemma, Leanne’s fishy visions and a classic Chris Warner prank. 1) Leanne is a sight for sore eyes Leanne, I bloody love you. Every week you deliver the goods like a middle-aged, semi-psychic equivalent of ParcelPost. “You’re off your rocker!” Murray … Read more
When Duncan Greive reviewed Filthy Rich a couple of weeks back he was overwhelmed with messages from a depressed New Zealand TV industry. Here he summarises what they had to say. Part of an ongoing series assessing our publicly funded television. Read part two, comparing TVNZ with the BBC, here. A couple of weeks back I … Read more