The reboot of Celebrity Treasure Island NZ was one of 2019's biggest TV events. Photo / TVNZ
The reboot of Celebrity Treasure Island NZ was one of 2019's biggest TV events. Photo / TVNZ
COMMENT:
LOCAL TV AWARDS
New Zealand's TV industry had a little bit of everything in 2019.
From reality reboots like Celebrity Treasure Island, through to moody dramas like The Gulf and the resurrection of the Kiwi sitcom in Golden Boy, there's been plenty to celebrate on our small screens.
Butit hasn't exactly been champagne viewing all year long either – which means it's time to dole out both the bouquets and the brickbats for local TV in 2019.
Falling Inn Love crammed in as many Kiwi cliches as it could. Photo / Netflix
New Zealand got the romcom treatment this year when Netflix released its film Falling Inn Love.
Starring Christina Milian as a woman who moves to New Zealand after winning an inn, the scriptwriters made the adventure as authentic as possible by cramming in as many Kiwi cliches as they could scrape from the country's Wikipedia page. Or so I presume.
The film had sheep, rugby and hobbits. But just to prove you shouldn't rely on Wikipedia for accuracy, one of the protagonists also brought a Vegemite sandwich to a feast of Kiwi treats.
Lily McManus was a force to be reckoned with on Celebrity Treasure Island. Photo / Supplied
She might seem like a laidback ladette, but Lily McManus knows a thing or two about playing the reality TV game.
As one of the contestants on Celebrity Treasure Island, she masterminded an epic distraction for the two men on her team – Sam Wallace and Eric Murray – so as to help stage a coup against them.
McManus managed to convince both men to make themselves coconut bikinis. As they happily, stupidly did so, she and her other teammates plotted to overthrow Wallace as captain.
If McManus really is TVNZ's new Bachelorette for next year, her merry band of Bachelors truly don't stand a chance.
Most painful six weeks of telly: Spark's RWC
Customers experienced problems with Spark Sport's Rugby World Cup coverage. Photo / File
Spark Sport's first attempt at streaming a major tournament should have been really exciting. But the coverage of this year's Rugby World Cup was beset by problems right from the start.
Many customers' streaming issues were sorted following a disastrous opening weekend, but you still couldn't move on social media for fear of bumping into pictures of a buffering screen for most of October.
If that wasn't bad enough, come semifinals time Kiwi viewers had to watch England captain Owen Farrell smirk through the All Blacks' haka before his team absolutely monstered the reigning champs. How we all wished for a buffering screen then.
NZ comedian Rose Matafeo stole the show on UK's Taskmaster. Photo / Supplied
Kiwi comedian Rose Matafeo was a standout in cult UK favourite Taskmaster this year. She might have been mocked for her accent on a few occasions, but she ultimately finished the competition in second place.
She'll also go down in Taskmaster history for organising a funeral for a single chickpea. Only a very special talent could achieve such a moving and hilarious feat.
The award for services to growing the general population: Newshub
Whoever buys Three's TV studios might want to check what's in the water over there, because most of the network's news presenters wound up pregnant in 2019.
Newshub's Samantha Hayes announced she was expecting first and was quickly followed by her newsreading colleagues, Janika ter Ellen, Melissa Chan-Green and Susie Nordqvist. Spare a thought for the company's stylist who must have had to place a bulk order for news-appropriate maternity wear.
The Absolutely Nobody Will Miss It Award: MAFS NZ
Brett and Angel from the first season of Married At First Sight NZ. Photo / Supplied
I'm choosing to believe that even if Three wasn't currently up for sale, they would have still made the decision to take Married at First Sight NZ off our screens next year.
Third time was most certainly not the charm for this franchise, as it suffered a scandal-ridden beginning and finished with a vile, misogynistic rant about one of the brides.
Breaking up with this show couldn't come fast enough. Sorry, MAFS. It's not me. It's you.
Interview of the Year: Anika Moa and John Campbell
Anna Murray declares Anika Moa's chat with John Campbell interview of the year. Photo / TVNZ
Finally, forget all the hard-hitting current affairs interviews you've seen this year – the TV chat of 2019 came in January when Anika Moa sat down to grill John Campbell for her show, Anika Moa: Unleashed.
After turning up late for filming, Moa then subjected Campbell to a "PC gone mad sensor", destroyed him in a game of bowls, and told him he was hot – before adding "I like tubby men". Outrageous.
Not to be outdone, Campbell discussed all the benefits of using the F-word, before flipping Moa the bird in the interview's closing seconds. To quote the man himself, it was all quite marvellous. Let's hope 2020 delivers more of the same.
