Best of New Zealand TV, 2000s: 'Always blow on the pie' and other classics

NZ Herald

30 May, 2020 05:00 PM4 mins to read

The 2000s have produced some of NZ's most memorable content, from driving dogs to ghost chips.

Now we have the ability to watch pretty much whatever we want, wherever we want, whenever we want it, it seems a quaint idea that once - not that long ago, really - there was no such thing as television in New Zealand.

Monday, June 1, marks 60 years since the first television broadcast, and to celebrate NZ on Screen have collated 60 defining moments in Kiwi TV.

Here are the key moments from the past 20 years, from Helen Clark's "corngate" to Shortland Street's immortal line "please tell me that's not your penis".

Check out nzherald.co.nz/entertainment to see the defining moments from the other five decades.

3 News "Corngate" interview with Helen Clark - 2002

John Campbell confronted Prime Minister Helen Clark on TV over the suspected release of GE corn seed in 2000. Clark later labelled Campbell a "sanctimonious little creep". With a general election looming, the encounter was dubbed "Corngate".

Face to Face: Kim Hill and John Pilger - 2003

Kim Hill's infamous 2003 interview with John Pilger saw Hill accused of being uninformed and unprepared for the interview.

SportsCafe Grand Final - 2003

This long-running chat show gathered a loyal following for its recipe of sports fandom mixed with playful pratfalls. It starred ex-All Black Marc Ellis, Lana Coc-Kroft, "That Guy" Leigh Hart, and Graeme Hill.

bro'Town:"not even ow" - 2004

This animated hit follows the adventures of five kids growing up in the Auckland suburb of Morningside.

Māori Television Launch - 2004

After years of protest, agitation, and court hearings, the Māori Television Service finally launched on 28 March 2004.

Outrageous Fortune: Episode One - 2005

This first episode of New Zealand's most popular and critically acclaimed drama series revolves around Wolf West being sentenced to four years in prison while his wife, Cheryl, decides it's time for her and her children to get out of the "family business".

Dancing with the Stars: Rodney Hide drops partner - 2005

Midway through the second season of the hit ballroom-dancing show, politician Rodney Hide had won fans, lost weight, and dropped his partner while dancing.

Mitre 10: "you're dreaming" advertisement - 2008

Home improvement retailer Mitre 10 drew upon the natural banter between kids, a Kiwi love of DIY and a fail-safe dig at the Aussies to make this hugely popular TV commercial.

Police Ten 7 (Always Blow on the Pie) - 2009

The late-night footage of an Auckland policeman interrogating a suspected car thief on this long-running crime series seemed routine, until conversation shifted to the purchase of a pie at a local service station.

Legend: Ghost chips - 2011

This 2011 anti-drink driving ad campaign became a Kiwi pop-cultural phenomenon, spawning countless parodies, memes, T-shirts and more than a million YouTube views; phrases from the ad entered the vernacular ("you know I can't grab your ghost chips").

Campbell Live: Driving Dogs - 2012

In late 2012 Campbell Live showed that dogs could be taught new tricks, when canines Monty and Porter got behind the wheel of a Mini Countryman and took it for a racetrack spin.

3 News: Internet Mana Launch - 2014

This extraordinary moment in New Zealand political history occurred during the 2014 election campaign. Kim Dotcom and Hone Harawira formed a political party — Internet Mana — to "disrupt" the campaign.

Hilary Barry - "emergency defecation situation" - 2016

These clips offer up a selection of Kiwi news bloopers. In 2016 Hilary Barry succumbs to laughter over an emergency defecation situation.

Shortland Street - "Please tell me that is not your penis?" - 2017

Shortland Street's "penis-gate" episode went global thanks to its unlikely plot. The long-running New Zealand soap shocked fans when it ended on a cliffhanger with the words uttered by Dr Chris Warner: "Please tell me that is not your penis."