The golden age of NZ comedy: Why our funny people keep doing well offshore

What is it about Kiwi comedians that the world finds so funny? Glenn McConnell investigates.

Who’s heard the one about Clarke Gayford and the taniwha?

It’s a strange little story, where three bumbling police officers save the prime minister’s fiancé​ from a cave, where he’s a seaweed-wrapped hostage taken by a taniwha. Funny, right?

You’d imagine this storyline, of Wellington Paranormal, would require you know a few things to get the joke. Mainly, that you’d know who the fiancé​ of the prime minister of New Zealand is, that he hosts a fishing show, and what a taniwha is.

​Not so, however. The television show, which producer Paul Yates says was made unashamedly for Kiwis, rose to the top of the American streaming charts in July.

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Now, Mike Mingoue, Karen O’Leary and Maaka Pohatu​, who play those three police officers, wake up to tweets from fans across the globe.

Minogue, an actor and host at Radio Hauraki, isn’t always sure what they’re talking about. The series streaming now in the US is years old, but only launched recently on HBO Max and CW.

Its delayed international release is due to the wider popularity of What We Do In The Shadows, the film which this spin-off series is based off.

The film, about vampires living in Wellington, launched in 2014 – earning critical acclaim around the globe, and a “cult” following in the US. That led to another television spin-off series; an American-made What We Do In The Shadows launched in 2019 on cable network FX. They had to give that American spin-off some breathing room, before eventually sending Wellington Paranormal into the world.

It’s streaming in dozens of countries, including on Sky in the UK – that’s how Minogue’s family tune in. But it’s the feedback from strangers that has surprised him.

“It seems to be universally loved, which is amazing because as we know, Twitter is not a place people go to lay out their most positive feelings about anything,” he says.

The steam doesn’t seem to be running out. Some streaming companies opted to release just one show a week, frustrating the mega fans who know there are seasons sitting in the bank. And, Minogue says, he expects the series to find a second wind when children discover it – despite blood and vampires, the show does make for family-friendly viewing.

The Wellington show, think of it as Police Ten 7 meets kids’ Halloween party, rose to the top of the American streaming charts shortly after its global release this year.

It was made with modest funding of $1.46 million, which – compared to a show like the American hit mockumentary Parks and Rec – wouldn’t get much more than one episode.

“This is one thing we were concerned about,” says Yates.

“We’re on two big networks in the US, with the CW and HBO Max – it’s up against big-budget American shows. We were concerned, initially, the show might look a little cheap and cheerful.”

However, he says their “low-budget sensibility” is all part of the charm.

“People apologise for it. They don’t mind. They get the idea it’s low-fi, low-budget comedy. Americans seem to love that, and I think they find it refreshing that they’re not hammered over the head with big budget special effects.”

So, the budget issue is turned into a positive. But what about the storyline, or the very deadpan acting? From the Kiwi accents, to the talk of taniwha, do Americans even understand what’s going on?

Here’s another story: Did you hear the one about the gates of hell opening on Cuba St? Buckets of blood poured from the Bucket Fountain, an obvious sign of the apocalypse.

“Any time there’s gates from hell, give us a call,” Minogue tells the camera, after they solve their first paranormal mystery. It’s so ludicrous, but especially comical if you grew up watching Graham Bell​ on Police Ten 7 or have ever stood, waiting for the big red bucket to finally tip.

Is it still funny if you’ve never heard of Detective Inspector Bell, or sat atop the giant tuatara on Cuba St?

“We never shied away from doing stories unique to New Zealand,” says Yates.

”I think Americans get a giggle out of our accents with the small, quick vowels we use, but ultimately we do try and fit jokes in which proves a joke is a joke, wherever you are.”

The use of te reo and including taniwha and other mythical creatures from te ao Māori also adds to the authenticity and uniqueness of their show, he says.

“Most countries in the world have an indigenous population. Although international audiences may not understand te reo Maori or tikanga, they understand that’s what it’s about.”

When the series first reached the top of the American charts, in July, executive producer Jemaine Clement remarked: “We didn’t even know if you’d understand what we were saying!”

They clearly can, although Yates reckons it’s true – the New Zealand accent does help get a laugh.

It seems the makers of Wellington Paranormal managed to turn every perceived challenge into a positive. The accents, the specific New Zealand references, the budget and the mishmash of cops and horror, made it a difficult sell – especially for international audiences. But those are exactly the reasons this comedy stands out from the crowd.

Nick Holm, an academic who studies comedy at Massey University, says comedians such as Clement and Taika Waititi, who directed What We Do In The Shadows, have become experts in turning the challenges of New Zealand comedy into global appeal.

He’s hesitant to say there’s any major marker of New Zealand comedy; instead, he suggests it’s just a melting pot of American, British and Australian comedy.

“The kind of humour that has been working offshore is the Kiwi dry, or deadpan humour. I think people are sometimes a bit quick to say this is very different or distinct, or uniquely New Zealand. John Clarke pointed out, many, many countries around the world claim to have a specific deadpan form of humour, but are not alone,” he says.

However, he says one clear skill of successful Kiwi comics is making the most out of limited budgets. It’s not just Wellington Paranormal that does this; Peter Jackson’s early work was low-fi but still packed a punch, and other shows, notably Creamerie, are also attracting international attention with New Zealand budgets.

According to Holm, there’s a proud tradition of being “a bit s…”, in a good way.

“John Clarke did it, Billy T James did it a bit, Leigh Hart’s stuff, with Moon TV, Havoc and Newsboy; we have a long comic tradition of being a bit s… and I think Wellington Paranormal does that well.”

There’s a question over whether American audiences connect with that.

While Yates suspects their low-fi aesthetic has earnt respect, Holm believes the American audiences are “laughing at us”.

When he used to teach in Canada, Holm played Clement’s earlier work, Flight of the Conchords, to the class.

“I noticed the Canadians were laughing at different points than I was. They were laughing at the characters, sort of, whereas I was more on their side,” he says.

“They’re not in on the joke in the same way.”

Those who know Clement say he’s not worried if he’s being laughed at, or if the different audiences are laughing at the same jokes. He declined to comment for this story, but his name kept coming up throughout interviews about New Zealand comedy translating offshore.

Flight of the Conchords​, which saw Clement and Bret McKenzie leave Wellington for New York, wasn’t the first New Zealand act to tour the US – but Paul Horan, a comedy expert and producer of Funny As, says their 2007 show on HBO was the opening for other Kiwi comics to sign with international broadcasters.

The Conchords opened the floodgates, but a trend of Kiwi stand-up comedians doing well offshore started in the 80s, says Horan. The Montreal Comedy Festival played a part in getting Kiwis to North America, with Kiwi comics regularly taking part. The Topp Twins, for instance, toured extensively.

After Flight of the Conchords took off on HBO, with McKenzie, Clement and Rhys Darby, others have followed. Darby became a Los Angeles local. Taika Waititi arrived, too.

Horan calls them “the veterans”.

Now, a new generation is moving in.

Prominent among them are Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden, the makers of the BBC and HBO Max production Starstruck.

The romcom has been a hit, winning fans and critical acclaim with its story of Matafeo’s character, Jessie, and her one-night stand turned potential romance with a man who turns out to be super famous.

The success of Starstruck has caught the attention of producers across the globe, says Horan, who continues to work in media.

“In meetings, I’ve heard names come up, people like Rose Matafeo. Her show is done by HBO Max, and I know for a fact they think she’s amazing.”

This track record of success for Kiwi comedians has been opening the door even wider in Hollywood, he says. At least it was, until Covid-19 changed the game.

“It has never been easier, in the history of entertainment, to get a meeting in Hollywood because you are a New Zealander – thanks, largely to Taika.”

Waititit’s ever-upward trajectory is a major part of this story. Starting out with Eagle vs Shark in Wellington, he cemented his name in New Zealand’s entertainment industry with Boy. From there, What We Do In The Shadows propelled him onto the world stage where he’s gone onto direct blockbusters such as Thor and Reservation Dogs.

His risky move with Jojo Rabbit, a satire in which he played Hitler, showed what Horan calls New Zealand comedians’ distinct ability to not worry too much.

“Because we are not career obsessed, we do anything we like,” he says.

“Americans arrive looking for a very certain type of network deal or have a specific career goal, whereas New Zealand comedians never have and have the freedom to do whatever they feel is funny.”

Being more carefree, being used to working with smaller budgets, and not worrying too much about what others think is all part of the authenticity which Horan and others say could be one of the major reasons Kiwi comics are in demand.

The biggest issue is at home. With a very small industry, Holm warns few will be given a step on the ladder. The smaller market leaves broadcasters more risk-averse, and limits what risks comedians are able to take.

Maybe things have changed, a bit, since Flight of the Conchords was rejected by TVNZ before they moved to the US. This year, a new and somewhat unusual comedy arrived at TVNZ.

Creamerie, a dystopian black comedy where all men have died, is a name that continues to pop up in comedy circles. SBS in Australia quickly picked up the programme.

Horan says discussions he’s had indicate this show has put its creators, JJ Fong, Perlina Lau and Roseanne​ Liang​, and Ally Xue, firmly on the radar of American producers.

Yates calls it a remarkable concept, that stands out from the crowd and “would have been a tough sell”. It’s certainly unique.

If you’re betting on the next show to take off, perhaps this production is the one to bet on.