Never mind the Olympics, Taskmaster NZ just gave us the sporting moment of the year
Plus: a gripping NZ International Film Festival recommendation and a new Sir David Attenborough nature doco that's music to our ears.
Having spent the last two weeks hoovering up every delicious moment of the Paris Olympics coverage, the last place I expected to feel a surge of patriotic pride was Taskmaster NZ. Ben Hurley pulled off an astonishing athletic feat during episode two of the comedy show’s new season, and while it took a lot less training, preparation and commitment than our Olympic athletes, it was arguably just as thrilling. As the Paris Games come to a close and we’re left with an Olympic-sized hole in our viewing schedules, it’s good to know Taskmaster NZ has the couch athletes among us covered with 10 new episodes of intense competition, especially when it involves a surprising amount of chicken nibbles. Enjoy.
‘That’s the greatest thing that’s happened in the history of New Zealand.’
Ben Hurley is standing barefoot on the grass, about to make sporting history. Half a world away, the nation’s most elite athletes are fighting for sporting glory at the Paris Olympics, but this New Zealand comedian is about to remind us that not all heroes wear lycra.
Midway through a Taskmaster NZ challenge, Hurley is tasked with pushing a single block of wood out of a tall, shaky Jenga-style tower from a distance of at least two metres. If he knocks the tower down, the challenge is over, but Hurley knows that fortune favours the brave. Against all common sense and logic, Hurley decides to launch a tennis ball at the tower, in the hope of pushing out one tiny block.
It’s a wild choice. It’s extremely reckless. “Imagine if it just flies out,” Hurley jokes to Taskmaster assistant Paul Williams, as he launches the ball into the air. The ball floats towards the tower and quickly bounces off. Before our very eyes, a single yellow block slides smoothly out of the tower, and falls silently onto the grass below.
It’s one of the most impressive moments in Taskmaster history, and a stellar way to launch the fifth New Zealand season of the popular comedy panel show. Taskmaster NZ returned to TVNZ this week, bringing with it five new comedians willing to put themselves through a series of pointless and perplexing tasks in the hope of impressing Taskmaster Jeremy Wells.
This season has a cracking cast, with Abby Howells, Ben Hurley, Hayley Sproull, Tofiga Fepulea’i and Tom Sainsbury bringing energy and creativity to each task. With Fepulea’i unable to attend the in-studio recordings (a true shame, as I’d have loved to see his extremely chill approach to Taskmaster play out in the live studio segments), several Taskmaster NZ fan favourites will step in to defend his honour over the next ten episodes. Madeleine Sami subbed in seamlessly for in episodes one and two.
Hurley, Sproull and Sainsbury are seasoned performers, Howells is delightful and full of surprises, while nothing seems to phase Fepulea’i. The challenges are intriguing and quirky, but the show is always strongest when it captures the unique ways that five people approach the same task.
I loved the completely ridiculous “who can throw their shoes the closest together” challenge at the end of episode one (more incredible athleticism, this time from Howells), as well as the “celebrate the best goal” challenge that saw Fepulea’i fire up the barbecue and snack on some (probably still pink) chicken nibbles. “That’s genius,” Sami said when she saw the post-goal sausage sizzle. “That made me so happy.”
That’s what Taskmaster NZ is all about: finding joy in the most unexpected, ridiculous moments. It must be a challenge to keep a well-known show like Taskmaster feeling fresh, but season five feels vibrant and confident. The cast is having a great time, the Taskmaster’s banter feels more relaxed, and visually, it has moments that look like a work of art. Hang this in the Louvre, or at the very least, the Taskmaster NZ caravan:
Perhaps they can hang it next to that photo of Hurley on what was surely the proudest day of his life. “One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” Williams declared, while Wells called it “the greatest thing that’s ever happened in the history of New Zealand”. A gold medal-worthy performance indeed, even if the Taskmaster didn’t even give Hurley maximum points for pulling it off. That didn’t make any sense, but then again, nothing on Taskmaster ever does – and that’s exactly what makes it work.
Taskmaster streams on TVNZ+ and screens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm on TVNZ2.
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Why you should watch: A Mistake (NZ International Film Festival)
In an uncanny turn of events, two audience members had medical incidents in the first 15 mins of the premiere of this New Zealand film directed by Christine Jeffs, and based on the novel by Carl Shuker. The incidents may or may not have had anything to do with the tell-all surgical scene that opens the film (and the book). So, be warned. Use that “peep through the fingers” trick if you’re squeamish about blood, and scalpels, and lots more blood. The scene is essential to the story, though, as we follow top surgeon Elizabeth Taylor (played magnificently by Elizabeth Banks) as she navigates middle-management bureaucracy, doctor-patient relationships, surgeon-registrar responsibilities, and her relationship with herself.
It’s always incredibly satisfying to see New Zealand stories treated so well: Auckland is the landscape upon which all the tension plays out and it’s wonderful (the novel is actually set mostly in Wellington so maybe if there’s a TV adaptation it could be filmed there). All up this film, like the book, raises questions about the medical system and the inordinate stress that medical experts are under, and by proxy, the public. Also the two audience members, we were told at the end of the film, were treated by the ambulance and are doing fine. / Claire Mabey
Why you should watch: Love is Blind UK (Netflix)
The infamous bunker of love is spreading across the globe, with this new British version of the hit reality series that matches singles by putting them in windowless rooms and making them talk through a wall. “A group of single men and a group of single women date each other in futuristic rooms known as ‘pods’ and can only communicate through a thin mahogany wall,” we wrote in 2020, having fallen hard for the new reality format. “The experiment? To see if love can be, in fact, blind. The flaw? Every single person cast is extremely conventionally reality TV hot. The surprise? They all fall in love in five seconds. Like, it’s an unprecedented amount of love.” It’s messy, but hugely compelling: think Love Island without the island, or The Bachelor with walls instead of roses. Can’t wait.
More pop culture news from The Spinoff:
Alex Casey spoke with Ant Timpson and Emma Slade from new movie Bookworm about how they’re breathing new life into the decades-old urban legend about the Canterbury panther.
The Traitors NZ might have finished (I’m tempted to go back and watch it all over again), but you can still devour our final power rankings and our chilling interview with the winner.
Is there any movie experience better than from inside the “enchanted castle” of Auckland’s Civic Theatre? Toby Manhire doesn’t think so.
If you love fishing, you’ll love the latest My Perfect Weekend Playlist with Princess Chelsea.
Shanti Mathias reviewed a new play that captures the full emotional force of climate change.
New Taskmaster NZ contestant Abby Howells reveals why she loves the show so much in this week’s My Life in TV.
We’ve got all the new shows and movies dropping this week, including KJ Apa on a motorbike and the reboot of Mean Girls.
Why you should watch: Secret World Of Sound With David Attenborough (Netflix)
Sir David Attenborough is back to once again take inside the extraordinary world of animals, this time letting his ears be his guide. Whether it’s hearing how baby caiman communicate with each other from within the egg, how lions and hyaenas battle in the dark using sound, or how a strange fish has baffled local residents with its eerie hum, we’re looking forward to blasting up the volume and hearing some crazy critter sounds. Also, it’s David Attenborough. The man is 98 bloody years old – the least you can do is watch his damn show. / Alex Casey
Before we pop off…
Zed is back with a new album, with the Christchurch band releasing ‘Future Memory’ on August 23 (which we assume was mostly inspired by Alex Casey’s delightful review of their reunion tour last year).
I enjoyed this Ensemble interview with Elijah Wood, which features a lot of chat about New Zealand pies and a random photo of him meeting one half of the Topp Twins in Methven.
In more Lord of the Rings-related food content, Oscar winner Cate Blanchett joked she was paid in “free sandwiches” to make the film series, which went on to make $2.9 billion worldwide.
That’s it for Rec Room for this week. If you liked what you read, why not share Rec Room with your friends and whānau.
