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When expat lead actor Bob MacLaren first read the scripts for the new series of The Pretender he thought that the writers had got the world of New Zealand politics all wrong.
"I thought that they were insane because they had MPs with dodgy financial trusts, people going through other people's rubbish and all kinds of carry on, but it turns out I'm the insane one," says the actor, on the phone from his home base of Holland. "The show couldn't be more relevant, especially with what has been happening with Winston Peters."
The Pretender follows self-serving politician Denis Plant and his move from government backbencher to co-leader of an independent party and kingmaker.
Notable for being a deadpan local comedy which is both smart and funny it should appeal to fans of shows such as Frontline and The Games. The first series, three years ago, was a hit with parliamentary insiders and the new season screens tonight on TV One.
MacLaren has been based in Europe for 20 years so relished the opportunity to film back home and return to the character he created in conjunction with Great Southern Television head Phil Smith. Inspired by Queenstown's arrogant property developers, MacLaren wrote a monologue which helped secure funding for the first series. When Smith couldn't find anyone else who could capture Denis Plant's Southland accent, MacLaren was asked to accept the role.
MacLaren says he keeps up with New Zealand politics and thinks National will probably win "because Labour has been around forever" and Helen Clark is now "a bit like Margaret Thatcher".
MacLaren says he'll probably vote for "the party which offers the best tax deals for international Kiwis like himself - the old 'What's in it for me?'."
Given his dry, self deprecating sense of humour and his background in stand-up comedy it would be easy to think MacLaren had been typecast as hapless MP Denis Plant, but the two men couldn't be more different with MacLaren rising to the top of TV production in Holland.
He is head of comedy for Dutch network BNN and responsible for creating their versions of successful international hits such as Whose Line is it Anyway? MacLaren enjoys working for a network not afraid to take risks. BNN gained international notoriety when it broadcast a hoax "game show" in which the contestants were apparently competing for the chance to donate a kidney to a terminally ill person. It was actually a stunt to raise awareness of the lack of organ donors in the country.
MacLaren describes himself as "a mutt". He was born in New Plymouth, grew up in Invercargill and went to Waitaki Boys High School. At Auckland University he obtained a degree in architecture but says there was no great burning desire to be an architect - "I was attracted by the pencils."
While studying, he became keen on acting and appeared at Auckland's Maidment Theatre. His real break came on a work scheme when he and some mates developed the Stalker shows, which were a live extravaganza of drumming, stilt-walking and fire effects. The group toured Japan and Europe.
MacLaren has stayed overseas ever since. Before filming The Pretender, he was the creative producer for the Dutch version of The Daily Show, which he describes as both fun and a nightmare. "You start the day with nothing but what is happening in the news and by 10pm that night you have to have a show."
It is a format that he'd love to bring to New Zealand. "Mind you it would be tough when there was only farming news," he says. "It'd be 'Right guys, we're doing lambing again as that's all we've got."'
- The Pretender debuts tonight on TV One at 10pm.
