Aaron Yap examines how small town chiller Fortitude manages to distance itself from other mystery/crime series of a similar ilk. // What’s this? A beautifully shot crime drama in the moody Scandi-noir-style of The Killing and The Bridge, but infused with the enigmatic sensibilities of Lost and Twin Peaks? It’s almost like someone made Fortitude for me. Created by … Read more
Tara Ward celebrates the return of Outlander to Lightbox with a recap of episode nine: The Reckoning. // We open with Jamie on a riverbank, skimming stones and contemplating the meaning of life. Listen, Jamie: if you’re not skimming stones on still water, you’re wasting both your time and mine. Shouldn’t you be saving your … Read more
After a kiss-fueled week three on The Bachelor NZ, Alex Casey delivers her third power rankings in our weekly series. If you missed week two, head here. What a week. The walls are coming down, the padlocks are unlocking, the closed books are being pried open. No metaphor left behind. I actually believe that some girls are starting to … Read more
In the second of a five-part series – here’s part one – James Milne signs up to watch Jennifer Love Hewitt’s cancelled borderline softcore porn series The Client List in its entirety. // Kyle has returned. It has confounded everything I have come to accept about this show, just as I was reaching something that … Read more
Duncan, aka Dad, was away this week, so Jane and Alex had the pod all to themselves. They took advantage of the freedom and drank a bottle of delicious Lindauer rosé while watching Wednesday’s dynamite episode. Then they talked about kissing, sushi protocol, ziplines, dress recycling and the week’s Bachelor news – but essentially just … Read more
My Life in TV is a weekly feature interview with a member of the television industry. This week, Alex Casey talked to 7 Days producer Jon Bridges about bringing the competitive laughs each week. // Jon Bridges is the current producer of TV3’s flagship comedy panel show, 7 Days. Going into its sixth year now, and … Read more
Live from beautiful Melbourne, Nic and Joseph are guestless as they download an illegal copy of this week’s episode, watch it during the day time, and spend longer talking about Thirsty Merc, drivers licenses and nap-ettiquitte than they ever thought they would on this trip. They also start a new movement. #JustBeard. Let’s go viral, … Read more
Alex Casey recaps the ninth episode of Lightbox’s much anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. I have been hanging out all week to see if Chuck has beat his electro-magnetic condition. It really is the damning condition of our times, thank goodness he’s only in 2002 and not 2015. He wouldn’t last three seconds with … Read more
The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and Duncan Greive discuss the week’s TV ‘happenings’, including the return of Jono and Ben, now longer and earlier, Campbell Live‘s 10th anniversary, MediaWorks’ Dancing with the Stars‘ (!) takeover plus Lightbox’s big drop of new shows including Wolf Hall, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles and DAYS OF OUR LIVES!! Listen below, … Read more
The Spinoff knights meet at the television roundtable to discuss week seven on X Factor NZ: Streets Fruttare Sounds of Summer edition.// Robyn Gallagher on the Spooky Haunted Forest One of the big differences between X Factor and other TV talent shows is the staging. X Factor doesn’t just give its performers a few smooth moves and a microphone. Instead there’s … Read more
Appointment viewing… is a regular column which features a Spinoff writer watching one or more episodes of a current show and attempting to decode its appeal. This week: Calum Henderson watches Louie, the surrealist baby cartoon not unlike its adult counterpart. // Episodes Consumed: I don’t know. I can’t even begin to count the number of times … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a new sponsored feature where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for cool shows you might like to watch. This week, Alex Casey gives you a full rundown of all the blood-soaked, history-rich and superhero-stuffed shows arriving throughout April. // Wolf Hall (April 1) Based on the already classic Hilary Mantel novels … Read more
Dan Clist watched all four hours of 2015’s Wrestlemania extravaganza, and argues that wrestling remains one of the greatest forms of television entertainment on offer.. // Something weird happened to me about 18 months ago. I still cannot explain it to this day, but I had an inkling and I began to – once again … Read more
Dom wore shorts! That was the biggest revelation and bombshell of the night, one which was both better than last week and also cemented the sense that this new look X Factor is going to be mostly drama-free. It’s not a disaster. There were a handful of great performances, and Dom, Mel and Stan have … Read more
In a Spinoff exclusive, we have rare intel about where The Block 2015 is going down. An anonymous tipper, currently living in the Sandringham/Mt Roskill border sent us this lovely bit of mail this morning: There has been speculation that this is the potential spot for all of the drama, pregnancies and pant ripping that … Read more
For this Music Monday, Alex Casey finds a totally normal way to excuse yourself from devastating cricket chat with help from The Mighty Boosh. // Yes, the cricket final happened last night and some bad things happened. We were all there, no need to dwell. Actually, let’s. As someone who has struggled with watching sport … Read more
José Barbosa watched the on-screen festivities of Campbell Live‘s 10th anniversary, and considers the marvellous legacy of Mr John Campbell. // Last week marked 10 years of TV3’s flagship current affairs show, Campbell Live. The last decade has seen John Campbell drop his “Gidday yous fellas” greeting, literally drive the opening titles with the sponsor’s … Read more
This is no April Fool’s joke, the critically adored BBC series is coming to New Zealand exclusively on Lightbox on April 1. Trust us, we wouldn’t joke about something of this televisual magnitude. Based on the iconic Hilary Mantel novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies, the series is a historical drama straight out … Read more
More like Flop Gear Jeremy Clarkson was officially fired by the BBC this week, after punching the producer of Top Gear during a lovely steak dinner. After fronting Top Gear for 12 years, Clarkson has had his fair share of controversies. Racism. Sexism. Class Wars. His sacking could cost the BBC around £67million a year, with … Read more
In the first of a five-part series, James Milne signs up to watch Jennifer Love Hewitt’s cancelled borderline softcore porn series The Client List in its entirety. // During her pregnancy, my girlfriend spent a lot of time in bed watching a show called Revenge. I never watched the show actively, but from my spot … Read more
Alex Casey talks to comedian Rose Matafeo about her eclectic TV upbringing, getting toenails in the mail and becoming a television star. // Rose Matafeo has already lived many television lives. Just 23, but already a grizzled showbiz vet, having been on the TV and comedy grind since the age of 15. That’s essentially child labour! … Read more
Alex Casey pitches ten potential celebrity candidates to perform on Dancing With the Stars 2015. // This afternoon, some incredible news was delivered down to us mortals from the reality TV gods: Dancing With the Stars will be returning to TV3 later this year. I’m floored. I’m ecstatic. I’m doing the Charleston all the way to … Read more
After all the drama in week two of The Bachelor NZ, Alex Casey delivers her second power rankings in our weekly series. If you missed week one, head here. What a show. What great television. What a time to be alive. This week The Bachelor became everything it needed to be. The tears started welling up, … Read more
This is the second episode of The Fantasy Suite, our podcast dedicated to all things The Bachelor NZ. Hosted by world renowned Bachelor expert Jane Yee, with support from The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and Duncan Greive. We discuss Danielle L’s shocking self-elimination, Poppy’s masterful power play, the ‘poo’ date, Chrystal and Lisa’s hot war and … Read more
Inside the Lightbox is a new sponsored feature where we mine the extensive Lightbox catalogue for cool shows you might like to watch. This week, after the nail biting CWC semi final last night, we gathered together some sporty shows to tide you over before Sunday. Friday Night Lights Friday Night Lights is the Canterbury of … Read more
The first episode proper of The Spinoff’s TV Week, a weekly (duh) podcast in which Duncan Greive and Alex Casey from TheSpinoff.co.nz talk about what they’re watching on television and how they feel about it. This installment discusses the exceptional debut of TVNZ’s ‘iZombie’, SoHo’s amazing documentary series ‘The Jinx’ and Better Call Saul’s ‘Five-O’ … Read more
Alex Casey recaps the eighth episode of Lightbox’s much anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. Ah, to open with Breaking Bad style flashback. Jimmy’s working his butt off as a trolley dolly at Hamlin & Hamlin. It’s a fancy and impressive space, amazingly well lit – the exact opposite of Jimmy, and the majority of … Read more
Stevie TV is a monthly column for The Spinoff by Steve Braunias. Here he makes a really convincing argument that it was better to watch the Black Caps game last night on TV than being stuck at Eden Park. // Did you watch last night’s game? Most New Zealanders who saw the Black Caps incred, … Read more
Calum Henderson watched Good Morning every day for a week, and recorded every joyful moment of the bizarre lifestyle show. // If Judy Bailey was the mother of the nation, then Mary Lambie was like an aunty you went and stayed with in the school holidays. Every Good Morning was filled with pointless, time-consuming crafts … Read more