Jane Yee on The Block: Peter Wolfkamp becomes an Embarrassing Dad

Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week five of The Block NZ, including Punk’d style candle prank and Dylz being very rude.  It’s week five on The Block NZ and things are absolutely hissing along in Meadowbank. With Living Room week, there’s a whole new doorgate to get razzed up … Read more

Jane Yee on The Block: It’s week four and all is fair in love and Dinner Wars

Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week four of The Block NZ, including Dinner Wars going down the toilet and the Wolf sticking post-its everywhere for no reason.  Guest room week always has the potential to be a bit of a snorefest. Who gives a toss about a spare room … Read more

Jane Yee on The Block: It’s week three and bathroom renovation is still the pits

Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week three of The Block NZ, including Benjam ‘Dylz’ Button and shocking banana experience. It’s bathroom week on The Block NZ, and it’s been bloody hard going. A million tradies, two million different types of tiles and three million visits from (and hugs for) … Read more

Jane Yee on The Block: Week Two, No more Mr Nice Dyls

Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week two of The Block NZ, including Dyls’ lament and a shocking neck tatt. Holy damn! Like a Honda Jazz weaving around Auckland’s waterfront, week two on The Block NZ has turned an awesome corner. After last week I feared I might finally be … Read more

The Block NZ Week One: Just like a rollercoaster from hell, only longer

Our resident Blockaholic Jane Yee recaps the highs and lows from week one of The Block NZ, including wild pranks and the Dylz/Dyls conundrum. Hello, my name is Jane and I’m a Blockaholic. I did the quiz on the TV3 website, it’s official. The Block holds a lot of appeal for me. Not because I … Read more

Revelation: The Block NZ is actually just What Now? for adults

Calum Henderson watches the return of The Block NZ, and pines for the rhombus daybeds of yesteryear.  Host Mark Richardson took a deep breath and began to speak slowly, measuredly, the way a judge might deliver a long prison sentence. “Welcome… to The Block… for 2016.” It has been 178 days since the last edition of … Read more

Television: To the Villains Go the Spoils – A Tyre Kicker Reports from The Block NZ Live Auctions

After ten weeks of furious villa renovation and TV production, The Block NZ finished on Sunday night in a flurry of six-figure profits at the live auction finale. Calum Henderson went along to kick the tyres of New Zealand’s richest reality TV franchise. Five minutes before they assembled on the balcony of the Rendezvous Hotel … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 9 – One Last Pita For the Road

The Block NZ is all over bar the auction room shouting. There’s time for one last round of Pita Pit, and one last Power Rankings, before Houses 1 through 4 go under the hammer on Sunday night. 1. Brooke & Mitch – House 4 What would The Block NZ have been without Brooke and Mitch? … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 8 – Wall You Marry Me?

Somebody pops the question next week on The Block NZ – but is it Jeremy proposing to the love of his life Cat, Sarah’s boyfriend to Sarah, or Mitch to this bit of GIB board he’s weirdly infatuated with? No idea, sorry, but here are the Power Rankings all the same. 1. (Last Week: 3) … Read more

Television: The Spinoff’s TV Week – Celebrating Heroic New Zealanders (Even Those on The Block)

Bringing together the best, worst and weirdest TV moments of the week, including tributes to Jonah Lomu, inside Parris Goebel’s empire and VNZMA madness.  Open Mic Madness on The Block NZ Funny to think there once was a time we all thought Dinner Wars was a highlight of The Block NZ season, that the show … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 7 – Is Dale the Al Borland of The Block?

Everyone sort of loses their minds as terrifying new creative performance challenge ‘Block Stars’  consumes Backyard Week on The Block NZ: Villa Wars. 1. (Last Week: 2) Cat & Jeremy – House 3 While technically Brooke and Mitch are probably still ‘winning’ The Block NZ, it’s good buggers Cat and Jeremy who hold all the … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 6 – A Cake From the Spirit World

Has a seemingly sweet and kind gesture from primary school students cursed every contestant on The Block to hell? And more importantly, has it had any effect whatsoever on the Power Rankings? 1. (Last Week: 1) Brooke & Mitch – House 4 Despite investing heavily in The Block NZ’s first glass-encased outdoor television, Brooke and Mitch’s … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 5 – Sleeveless Shirts and Strategic Scoring

In a week marred by a despicable act by Brooke and Mitch and rescued by the thrilling plank challenge, Calum Henderson wonders if anyone can possibly topple the three-peat room reveal winners. 1. (Last Week: 1) Brooke & Mitch – House 4 With a crushing inevitability, Master Bedroom & Ensuite Bathroom Week provided a third … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 4 – Mark Richardson Scores a Duck

In a week dominated by Sally Ridge-inspired arts & craft challenges, Calum Henderson assesses the hopes and dreams of the increasingly sick, tired and furious Block NZ contestants. 1. (Last Week: 1) Brooke & Mitch – House 4 The Brooke and Mitch juggernaut rolled on through Living Room Week. The pair’s Heartland conservatism and attention to … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week 3 – The Return of the Rhombus Daybed

The villas are being fitted with expensive and unnecessary fireplaces and Dinner Wars hangs precariously in the balance – Calum Henderson ranks the Block NZ teams going into the break in living room week. 1. (Last Week: 2) – Brooke & Mitch – House 4 A low cloud of inevitability rolled over the Sandringham / … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings Week Two – Moss Walls and Mad Wizards

As we await the results of the vitally important Bathroom Week on The Block NZ: Villa Wars, Calum Henderson looks at how the teams are tracking. 1. Cat & Jeremy – House 3 The happy-go-lucky couple on the corner are leading a charmed life on The Block NZ, scooping Kid’s Bedroom Week from under Jamie and … Read more

Television: The Block NZ Power Rankings, Week One – Daybeds and Dick Moves

To celebrate the arbitrary three-day respite TV3 have offered us from The Block NZ: Villa Wars, Calum Henderson looks back at the last week-and-a-bit of daybed dramas, dangerous drilling, dick moves and a hundred pre-line inspections. 1) Cat & Jeremy – House 3 The New Plymouth jokers took out first week honours with their guest bedroom … Read more

Television: The Spinoff’s TV Week – Bad Neighbours, Block Blackouts and Bieber’s Belly

Bringing together the TV moments on the week, including Bieber on Story, Trevor Noah’s Daily Show debut and farewelling two local gems. Contributions by Alex Casey and Calum Henderson. Good Mourning for Two Kiwi Classics It was with great sadness this week that we learned of the impending demise of TVNZ’s long-running lifestyle show Good … Read more

Television: Five Incredibly Dark Omens From The Premiere of The Block NZ

As a prelude to the Block NZ: Villa Wars Power Rankings starting next week, Calum Henderson investigates the first episode’s series of ominous signs which indicate that this will surely be New Zealand’s scariest ever renovation show. Two adjacent sections snaffled up in “Auckland’s sought-after central west”. Four decrepit old three-bedroom villas carefully tetrissed onto … Read more

Television: The Sky is Failing – What Happened During The Block NZ Premiere Last Night?

Last night, Sky customers suffered a lengthy television blackout across free-to-air channels TV1, TV2 and TV3. This occurred during the premiere episode of The Block NZ, the biggest MediaWorks television event since the Story premiere. Not only that, but the blackout hit right when the teams were weirdly double bluffing their way to choosing their decrepit … Read more

News: Meet the Brave Pita Pit-Fueled Warriors Entering The Block NZ Villa Wars For 2015

The Block NZ: Villa Wars is jackhammering its way onto our screens soon, putting teams head to head as they restore villas to their former glory in Sandringham. The Block will see a fair few changes this season, with a new challenge host (ex-judge Shelley Ferguson), judges Bernadette Morrison and Jason Bonham, and – most exciting … Read more

Spinoff Exclusive: Creepin’ On The Site For The Block NZ 2015

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

The Block Week 12: Swing From the Chandeliers

Gather around, my friends: the time has come. It’s here! It’s really, really here! It’s our last week on The Block NZ. The teams returned their tools to the Bunnings Shed, packed their suitcases and said an emotional goodbye to their houses. Let us journey onwards and upwards, as we relive the glorious moments of the … Read more

My Local Content Rules: The Battle of the Channels

MediaWorks and TVNZ have both launched their television schedules for next year, and there is one undeniable trend for 2015: local. Local productions, local stories and local singles in your area looking for love. The parallels between programming are impossible to ignore, so why not encourage some healthy competition? // The Block NZ vs Our First Home With The … Read more

The Block Week 10: Outdoors With Wolf

What’s not to love about Outdoor Week? Shirts off and shorts on! Bark and beersies! Spas and succulents! The judges’ brief was ‘holiday’, but I don’t think they meant Madonna’s 1983 hit single. Regardless, let us be nurtured and restored by the top five moments plucked from the abundant wilderness that was Week 10 of … Read more

The Block Week Seven: Newell St Abbey

Our resident The Block enthusiast Tara dissects the week in Kitchen and Dining, and draws more than a few parallels with the upstairs/downstairs dynamics of Downton Abbey. As Mark Richardson says every five minutes, it’s all drama on The Block.// Tuesday – Episode 25 It’s Kitchen and Dining Room week – and wait for it, … Read more