Pop Culture

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Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.

Remembering the great TrueBliss vs Bardot national anthem sing-off

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'I just remember seeing them live for the first time and thinking to myself: This is it. This is the reason. This is what life is all about.'

‘It was my Eras tour’: Meet the world’s biggest TrueBliss fans

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Review: Scotney's solo show is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see.

Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko reveals the frightening talent of Ana Scotney

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Is Olivia Rodrigo about to announce a New Zealand show? An investigation

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TrueBliss react to their most iconic Y2K Popstars looks

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A weepy Paul Mescal movie, an inspiring new series about food waste and a whole lot of 80s rock'n'roll mullets.

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

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Our tortured critics department reviews the new Taylor Swift album.

What do we make of The Tortured Poets Department?

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'You’d sit at home watching American Idol or X Factor or whatever and just pinch yourself thinking about how we were the first.'

How Popstars and TrueBliss changed reality television forever

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'Who's ready to see their parents do some pashing?'

Five reasons why you should watch new reality series My Mum, Your Dad NZ

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'I looked over and saw Dai Henwood just shaking his head.'

‘The room went dead quiet’: Josh Thomson on his worst 7 Days moment

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'This Ripley is not charming, he doesn’t have the gift of the gab ... instead his criminal competence seems to come from an immunity to what other people think of him.'

Netflix’s Ripley is the most controversial adaptation yet – it’s also the best

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Five reasons to wave your preconceptions goodbye and watch this smart, funny and very accessible new show.

Review: Don’t let ‘based on a video game’ put you off Fallout

Don't let ‘based on a video game’ put you off Fallout

Alex Casey

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From the Jono and Ellie bombshell to the return of Collins, we look at back at two incredible nights of television.

The best moments from the outrageous final episodes of MAFS AU

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'Seeing these children, and their little bright shiny faces, really hit home how young they were.'

How The Lost Boys of Dilworth brought a ‘horrendous nightmare’ to life

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An impressive new HBO spy thriller, a charming new romantic reality series, the return of My Life is Murder and more.<br />


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'People always joke that they hope I never contact them. Because for blokes, it's probably the child they never knew about. And for women, it’s probably the child they’ve never spoken about.'

‘One hell of a shock’: Why not everyone wants flowers from David Lomas

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Only read this if you've also had John o' Groats, Fray Bentos and the sword of Damocles stuck in your head since 2002.

A complete list of things I only know about because of The Office

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Netflix's retelling of the events surrounding Prince Andrew's infamous TV interview has the sheen of a high-prestige drama, but it pays to keep your expectations low.

Review: Prince Andrew drama Scoop hits a lot of bum notes, but Billie Piper isn’t one

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'Some people might take the news elegantly … not running around the house like I did.'

‘Several hours screaming’: Jess Hong on being cast in Netflix’s most-watched series

Tara Ward

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'It's the end of something very special in New Zealand that may not happen anywhere else in the world.'

‘The end of something very special’: A look back at nearly half a century of Fair Go

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I'm on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help!

Help Me Hera: Do I even want the public sector job I might be about to lose?

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For all its virtues, Anzac Day – unlike its cousin Armistice Day – is a commemoration of war, not peace.

Seize the day

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Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or RSA.

The first, forgotten Anzacs, more than 50 years before Gallipoli

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Poem for Anzac Day: ‘Hoki Mai’ by Tayi Tibble

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A poem from Bill Manhire's 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.

Poem for Anzac Day: ‘My World War I Poem’ by Bill Manhire

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The best-selling American writer on the ideal conditions for reading, the true meaning of utopia and more.

‘Emily Dickinson made me into a writer’: Lauren Groff on the power of reading

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An early and strong contender for book of the year. 

Page-turning rural gothic: Ash by Louise Wallace, reviewed

And the one change that would make it even better.

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It’s been on telly for 50-odd years, it frequently tops the weekly ratings and it just won best factual series at the 2020 NZ TV Awards. What is it about Country Calendar that we just can’t get enough of? 

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Why do New Zealanders love Country Calendar so much? | The Spinoff

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It's been on telly for 50-odd years, it frequently tops the weekly ratings and it just won best factual series at the 2020 NZ TV Awards. What is it about Country Calendar that we just can't get enough of? 

The Spinoff

Pop CultureNovember 23, 2020

Why does New Zealand love Country Calendar so much?

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Pop CultureNovember 23, 2020

Why does New Zealand love Country Calendar so much?

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