Black Hands, adapted from the podcast of the same name, doesn’t do the Bain family justice, writes Sam Brooks. “Dunedin 20th June, 1994 5 members of the Bain family were shot dead in their home.” That blunt piece of text precedes the opening credits of every episode of TVNZ’s Black Hands, adapted from the hugely … Read more
Combining the social dynamics of Survivor, the hidden cameras of Big Brother and a cast of Kiwi five-year-olds, Alex Casey finds the perfect reality show. While it’s unbelievable that it’s been 125 years since women got the vote in New Zealand, it’s absolutely mad that it’s also taken this long for The Secret Life format to … Read more
The state-owned broadcaster has long resisted public service. Yet with $38m on the table, and the government’s relationship with RNZ rocky, moving Q+A to primetime could be be seen as a deftly timed olive branch The press release, under the headline “TVNZ powers up primetime political coverage”, came out at 3:25pm yesterday afternoon – until … Read more
It may not be as flash as its counterparts, but TVNZ 2’s latest obstacle course show more than makes up for it in pure heart. The giant obstacle course could be about to topple the commercial-grade kitchen as television’s main competitive arena in this part of the world. Australian Spartan (Sunday nights, TVNZ 2) is … Read more
With the coffin lid closing on the first season of The Casketeers, Alex Casey looks back at some of the greatest comedy moments from the TVNZ reality show. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve seen a makeup tutorial for a corpse. Francis Tipene is hunched over a casket, Thin Lizzy brush in hand and tongue … Read more
After it cleaned up a pile of awards last week, Alex Casey watches TVNZ1’s Jean to see what all the fuss is about. At the New Zealand Television Awards last week, one production, one story and one name ruled the night: Jean. It became something of a running joke as Jean, the TV film that … Read more
Fascinated by the surprising and often inspired music curation on TVNZ 1’s evening news bulletin, Calum Henderson goes in search of the person responsible. It is one of the great pleasures – only sometimes guilty – of modern TV viewing: being able to identify any piece of music on any show simply by holding your phone in … Read more
Everyone is talking about which party leader ‘won’ the first round of major leaders’ debate, but nobody is asking which debate ‘won’. Until now. Unlike every other audience trend in traditional media, the numbers actually increased on 2014 when the 1 News Leaders Debate aired last week. Drop your e-readers, stop the Snapchats and put down … Read more
John Campbell makes his TVNZ debut and a strong case for a regular return to mainstream TV in What Next, TVNZ’s most public-spirited show since the charter was scrapped. Duncan Greive reviews the ambitious week-long TV event. What Next, currently two fifths of its way through its run on TVNZ 1, is something of a … Read more
Waiting cautiously in camouflage behind a piece of shrubbery, Calum Henderson observes a rare endangered species in its natural habitat: current affairs television. You almost don’t want to make too much noise about Sunday in case someone in an office somewhere remembers it still exists and realises they’ve forgotten to cancel it. TVNZ 1’s weekly … Read more
Te Radar’s Chequered Past tells the stories of New Zealand’s most colourful characters, both infamous and largely forgotten. He explains what drew him to our hidden histories. There was a moment, caught between a grey Central Otago sky and even greyer rocks strewn through the tussock, that I wondered if this was it. Was I … Read more
Tara Ward watches the iconic TVNZ 1 series Shed of the Year, and brings together some key criteria for an average shed to reach shed glory. I have a confession: I love sheds. My new love blossomed last Tuesday night, when George Clarke strolled onto my screen in Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year. He … Read more
Tara Ward watches The Job Interview, an awkward fly-on-the-wall series that goes inside one of life’s most hellish experiences. A new show began on TVNZ1 this week that confirmed several popular beliefs about job interviews: they suck, and nearly everyone sucks at them. Filmed in a fly-on-the-wall style, The Job Interview promises to reveal what really … Read more
Before Jono and Ben, before Taika Waititi, before Paul Ego fell off the stage… there was Stu Dennison wearing overalls in Avalon Studios. Alex Casey recaps the 1978 NZ Music Awards, just in time for the 2016 VNZMA’s tonight. With the VNZMA’s arriving faster than a free bag of bagel chips hitting the open gullet … Read more