It’s hard to know what the point of Paul Williams’ new spy-parody comedy is – but does that even matter?

TVNZ’s new comedy series New Zealand Spy begins with one of the most impressive openings of a local television series in recent memory. Against a stunningly dramatic backdrop of snowcapped mountains, two skiers are engaged in a high-speed case. They swish and swoop down the steep white slopes, the skier in front trying desperately to avoid the bullets being fired behind him. As Lake Wakatipu appears in the distance, the skier reaches the edge of a cliff, and with nowhere else to go, turns and raises his hands in defeat. “Who are you?” his enemy asks, gun still raised. 

It’s an easy question, but it’s one that New Zealand’s newest spy can never get right. The man just being chased down the mountain in the opening scenes of New Zealand Spy wasn’t James Bond, but rather, an ordinary New Zealand bloke named Michael Brown, whose enthusiasm for espionage far outweighs any skill or talent he might have. Michael is played by comedian Paul Williams (Taskmaster NZ, Kid Sister), a huge James Bond fan who also created and wrote New Zealand Spy (the show received $2 million in funding from NZ On Air). 

Williams has pulled together a stacked cast of local and international comedy talent for his new spy-parody series, which is set in New Zealand during the 1970s. Rose Matafeo, Bret McKenzie and Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners) play Michael’s spy colleagues, while Abby Howells, Rhys Mathewson, Scotty Cotter, Claudia O’Doherty and Jay Ryan also appear in episode one. There’s no shortage of impressive cameos across the six-episode season, with the likes of Tim Key, Sam Campbell, Jackie Van Beek and Andy Lee all set to feature in upcoming episodes.

Michael (Williams), Michael (Thomas – yes, both male spies are named Michael) and Sue (Matafeo) play three new recruits to a spy agency, having undergone a rigorous admission process. “There are five spots and only three applicants. So… you’re in,” their boss (McKenzie) tells them. In most countries it takes years to train a spy, but not in New Zealand. Here, Michael, Michael and Sue – who is the most competent of the three – are sent on a two-week training camp, where the top spy student at the end of the fortnight wins a meat pack.

Williams’ Michael isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and when he’s sent on his first spy mission to Queenstown he struggles to remember the simplest of details, including his own alias. Michael, Michael and Sue need to track down the nation’s biggest enemy of all – the head of the Australian Intelligence Service. The trio bumble their way through the investigation, but it’s not long before Michael finds himself being shot at by an angry Australian in a snowsuit, somewhere in the mountains overlooking Queenstown. 

New Zealand Spy is a beautiful show to watch – not only does it capture some stunning local scenery, but the interior sets have a gorgeously stylish mid-century vibe. The show looks expensive and feels reminiscent of both a Bond film and Flight of the Conchords, as this group of loveable idiots banter their way through the unpredictable world of counterintelligence. The show’s comedy is built on Michael’s hapless interactions with everyone around him, and the New Zealand humour is typically dry, awkward and understated. There are moments when that laconic local humour feels a bit laboured, or the awkward encounters run a little too long. And in the first episode at least, there’s not much more to the story than Michael’s clumsy attempts at living the spy life.

On paper, New Zealand Spy should work brilliantly. It has a quirky, absurd vision, and with Williams’ love for all things spy-related and an extremely talented cast, it should guarantee a good time. In reality, it’s hard to know what the point of New Zealand Spy is – but does that even matter? This is an endearingly silly comedy, with enough retro charm to make you not feel guilty about watching something so ridiculous. It’s a bit of fun in a dark, dark world, but while episode one gave us a promising start, the rest of New Zealand Spy’s chaotic adventures will need a little more depth to stop them from sliding completely downhill. 

New Zealand Spy streams on TVNZ+ and screens on TVNZ2 on Wednesdays at 8.30pm.