Duncan Greive reflects on the shambolic end to The Block 2017, and what the show has revealed to us about our housing market and crisis over that time. For the last six years – or two parliamentary terms, if you prefer to measure time in that unit – The Block NZ has been both New … Read more
The live auction final of The Block NZ tonight delivered more thrills and spills than Peter Wolfkamp on a motorised chilly bin. Devoted blockaholic Jane Yee was in the thick of it, and bring us this harrowing report. What a night to be at the Grand Millennium. I arrived expecting to be part of an … Read more
Before the winner is decided at the live auction tonight, Jane Yee looks back at the season that was The Block NZ for 2017. It may seem like an odd – perhaps even narcissistic – thing to do, but every now and then I wonder what might be said about me at my funeral. I’m sure mention … Read more
Jane Yee tackles the eleventh week on The Block NZ, including giant eclairs, pergolas and a Jason Gunn cameo for the ages. A pergola. Four and a half hours of my life this week revolved around an effing pergola. “The fact that you’ve moved it puts it under the recession plane, and I can’t see … 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
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
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
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
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
Ling and Zing have lost the plot, the Twins are ripping off the Renaissance and Stacey’s taken to wearing a rug – it’s just another week on The Block NZ. In the words of the great Ronan Keating, life is a roller coaster you just gotta ride it. Life on The Block NZ is no … Read more
*With Jane Yee away this week, Tara Ward steps in to talk vibes, chill, and more vibes on week five of The Block NZ. Kitchen and Dining Week on The Block NZ was all about ‘the vibe’. Dennis Denuto would be stoked, because there were vibes everywhere: good ones, bad ones, giant neon purple hand ones. … Read more
Jane Yee and Duncan Greive are joined by a very special guest, Sam Cable, one of last year’s winners of The Block NZ and a man with at least $200,000 sitting in his bank account. Duncan and Jane went full Blockaholic this week with special guest Sam Cable, 2016 winner of The Block NZ, and … Read more
It is week three of series six of The Block NZ and Jane Yee has figured out her Lings from her Zings. But how are they doing? Are they any good at renovating property? Does it matter? What is life? “I do not want Julia and Ali’s house because they have ****** those two rooms” … Read more
The Real Pod returns, late but not never, with a lot of bum talk and a similar amount of trash talk. This week arrived late on The Real Pod thanks to Jane’s colonoscopy, a frightening event she describes in great detail on this week’s pod. We also discuss the combination of vitriol and silence which … Read more
It’s the most important room in the house! Jane Yee checks in on bathroom week on The Block NZ. Click here for last week’s installment. “Is anyone getting that sinking feeling?” Mark ‘Rigor’ Richardson asked this week, smashing out another cracking pun in honour of bathroom week. Me. I am. I’m getting that sinking feeling, … Read more
Jane Yee has committed to watching four-and-a-half hours of kiwi renos on TV every week for the foreseeable future. This week we meet the new batch of Block NZ contestants. “Okay, fine.” These two seemingly innocuous words have effed up my life for the next three months. They’re the words I reluctantly mumbled when asked … Read more
Jane Yee, Duncan Greive and Alex Casey gather around a pile of cheesy Lotatoes to talk about the latest happenings in New Zealand television and real life in New Zealand. It’s a huge week on The Real Pod, with the New Zealand pop culture news about as piping hot as the cheesy low-carb Lotatoes that are … Read more
Now that The Block NZ is back, Alex Casey recaps a marathon four hours of Mark Richardson television. Home renovation juggernaut The Block NZ returned this week, bringing with it two incredibly harsh realities. The first is that I’m going to feel very conflicted for the next few months as I wipe the mould off … Read more
Property porn addict Ghazaleh Golbakhsh takes the premiere of The Block NZ out for a spin. Last night was the premiere of New Zealand’s sixth season of The Block NZ. It’s a franchise which I have previously managed to avoid, despite being addicted to property porn. As a complete newbie, I thought it was high … Read more
Ghazaleh Golbakhsh can’t stop watching property porn, from Location, Location, Location to The Block NZ. As a lifelong renter, she wonders why she bothers. A few years ago, I remember being at a party and witnessing my friends who had all just bought into the property market (yes there really was a time) moan on … 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
The Block NZ held its most profitable auctions over the weekend. But while the four teams celebrated their record-breaking profits, Madeleine Chapman saw a housing crisis in action. There’s nothing like a bit of reality television to take your mind off the fact that you may never be able to afford your own home in … Read more
With The Block NZ all but wrapped up for another season, Jane Yee discovers that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. I thought this was going to be the best day of my life. I imagined feeling a huge weight lift off my shoulders, a sense of liberation like I’d never known. Eleven weeks … Read more
Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week nine of The Block NZ, including Dylz’ romantic prospects. It was chock-a-Block NZ in Meadowbank this week as the teams scrambled to complete their garages and laundries. They also had to wedge in some goodwill community service, a whole lot of odd jobs … Read more
Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week eight of The Block NZ, including the moment that the schist hit the fan. Whatever the opposite of hissing is, it’s happening on The Block right now. Eight weeks in and the fatigue has finally hit me. I’ve watched every damn episode ever … Read more
Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week seven of The Block NZ, including the return of everyone’s favourite council inspector Glyn, more tradie tantrums than you can shake a broken old bit of gib at, and a steamy bedroom tryst. It was pressure-cooker stuff on The Block NZ this week … Read more
Jane Yee watches the glittering official promo for The Real Housewives of Auckland, and isn’t even a little bit disappointed. If there’s one thing New Zealand TV does well, it’s turning the purses of overseas reality franchises into sow’s ears. We take the glamour and glory prescribed by the international reality overlords, throw some number 8 … Read more
Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week six of The Block NZ, including terrifying face cushions and some really cereal stuff. It’s been a whopper week on The Block NZ as the contestants faced the daunting task of completing both the master bedroom and ensuite. Along with the regular excitement … Read more