Pop Culture

strong

 The Spinoff’s weekly guide to the very best in entertainment, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

The Spinoff Members

MLITV_Diana-Wichtel.png

'Whenever you're writing about TV, there's always a bit of memoir in it.'

‘You bring your whole life to watching TV’: Critic Diana Wichtel on a life in review

ahbez.jpg

'I don't know what the chant in the second half of this song means, but by golly it slaps hard and feels good!'

‘By golly it slaps’: Arthur Ahbez’s perfect weekend playlist

Copy-of-Master-Backgrounds-22.png

A cat and mouse thriller that's worth putting your phone down for. 

Review: The Day of the Jackal is a riveting and ridiculous ride

FeatureImage_AfterTheParty.png

'The best TV performance of the year is by an actor most British viewers won’t recognise, in a production that most won’t see.'

‘Deserves a Bafta’: After the Party premieres in the UK to five-star reviews 

wickedfeat.png

The new movie musical is undoubtedly a fun watch, but proof that bigger isn’t always better.

Review: The magic of Wicked and the curse of corporate greed

Copy-of-Master-Backgrounds-21.png

'[They're] calling their Australian office 'Netflix ANZ' – but the New Zealand part of the equation is completely ignored'.

Has Netflix forgotten about New Zealand? 

Gabis-Feature-images-14.png

The original play's biggest fan finds out if it still delivers under the weight of stardom, a bigger stage and a real set.

Review: Camping is the hyper horny, extremely silly play we need right now

FeatureImage_NewToStreamingTemplateYellow-1.png

Including a big-budget sci-fi series, a salacious 90s reboot and a historical drama set during the Blitz.

New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week

MLITV_Chris-Kirk.png

'I know America can be very strict with that kind of stuff. I just packed it in my luggage, and was like, I'll see what happens.'

‘Really worried’: What Now’s Chris Kirk on smuggling gunge out of New Zealand

heidi.jpg

'She was so right when she wrote 'I can’t help that I need it all, the primadonna life, the rise and fall' cause sometimes it really does feel like that …'

‘Theatrical, chaotic and romantic’: Heidi Simpson’s perfect weekend playlist

Rec-Room-14-Nov.jpg

A new documentary series tells the story of a former Napier councillor accused of murder in Canada. 

In Cold Water is a must-see for true crime fans

Credit-Frances-Carter.jpg

'It was pretty ugly, but when my life fell apart was actually when it all started.'

The rebuilding of Fazerdaze

Crowded_House_Wellington_MaeveOConnell-6.jpg

Christchurch does not swing, apparently, but it does dance. 

Review: Crowded House gets Ōtautahi breaking the rules

ColdplayTomGrut-24.jpg

Review: Everything happens all at once at Coldplay's sold-out show.

Coldplay and 57,000 babies at Eden Park

Stewart Sowman-Lund

Gabis-Feature-images-12.png

Two buzzing sceptics review the three-hour spectacle at Auckland’s Civic Theatre. 

The Lord of the Rings musical is better than you’re probably expecting

yE1N6tfk-2.png

Chris Parker, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester and Brynley Stent are resurrecting Camping, the 2016 Comedy Fest hit.

The four funniest New Zealanders are ready for their holiday orgy

movinghouses.jpg

Moving Houses has a new host, and he's immediately up to his armpits in slow-paced, high-intensity drama. 

Great news: New Zealand’s favourite TV show about trucks driving very slowly is back

Great news: NZ’s favourite TV show about trucks driving very slowly is back

mysteryfestival.jpg

The mystery being an $89 electronic music festival that reveals only half of its lineup before you arrive.

Review: Inside Mystery Festival, Auckland’s most secretive concert

Alex-feature-images-86.png

Including a groundbreaking new local documentary, and compelling true crime series with a former Napier city councillor at the centre. 

gxZgU9PG-feature.jpg

'We hope it offers comfort to rangatahi navigating their own gender journeys, while also educating whānau and allies alike.'

Why I made a ‘punk rock’ documentary about gender in Aotearoa

weekend-09_11.png

Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.

The Weekend: What would you march for?

HMH_FeatureImage-14.png

Is there any statistical proof behind the stereotype that poets can't drive? A non-driving poet attempts to find out. 

Can poets drive? A sociocultural investigation

Von-Sturmer-Feat-Image.png

A close read of three seven-lines poems by Zen teacher Richard von Sturmer.

How to read a poem: selections from Slender Volumes by Richard von Sturmer

slug.jpg

The Friday Poem: ‘Boyhood’ by Art Nahill

Bound_Maddie-Ballard.png

Dolly-mania, new Murakami, and a brilliant local debut. 

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 22

ENmcA7pJ-Untitled-design.jpg

Treasury says the recession will be deeper and last longer than predicted.

Hold the roosters, no economic dawn yet

Screenshot-2024-11-21-150409.jpg

Can a united front hold through to election time?

This week three parties stood together – can they withstand the storm to come?

 to enjoy a musical Christmas miracle courtesy of Anne Batley-Burton from 

This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and yourself a favour by clicking here to start a FREE 30 day trial of this truly wonderful service.

christmaschampagne

A musical Christmas miracle courtesy of Anne Batley-Burton from The Real Housewives of Auckland. 

The Spinoff

Pop CultureDecember 21, 2016

Urgent: The Champagne Lady has released a Christmas song

Loading...

Pop CultureDecember 21, 2016

Urgent: The Champagne Lady has released a Christmas song

More Reading

Loading...