From the iconic Town and Around "Turkeys in Gumboots" piece, to the classic Country Calendar spoofs, to Peter Jackson's Forgotten Silver and beyond, New Zealand has a fine tradition of film and television mockumentaries. There's something about the slyness of spoofs that seems to appeal to the dry Kiwi sense of humour. But there are also always those who don't initially realise that the wool is being pulled over their eyes, and that can lead to controversy.
Our first notorious TV spoof was on a 1968 Wellington episode of the regional news show Town and Around, when reporter Erin Sinclair investigated an innovative farmer whose turkeys were shod in gumboots. The legendary hoax apparently fooled two executives from Skellerup, who flew to Wanganui to secure a contract to manufacture the boots' lining.
You can see Town and Around - Turkeys in Gumboots here:
The Turkeys in Gumboots piece is often wrongly remembered as being from Country Calendar, but in fact the long-running rural programme didn't begin its unforgettable spoof items till some years later. They went on to become one of the most popular features of the show. Created by producer Tony Trotter and Bogor cartoonist Burton Silver, the first (in late 1977) was the fencing wire-playing farmer and his "rural music". This special episode collects the best of the spoofs, from the infamous radio-controlled dog, to the gay couple who ran a "stress-free" flock, and more.
