Hounds | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | Comedy |
Created by | The Down Low Concept |
Written by | The Down Low Concept |
Directed by | The Down Low Concept |
Starring | Toby Sharpe Susana Tang Mick Innes Josh Thomson Catherine Waller |
Theme music composer | Chabs and Milky (James Dansey of The Sneaks and James Milne of Lawrence Arabia) |
Opening theme | "The Warmth of the Sun" |
Country of origin | New Zealand |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Matt McPhail |
Cinematography | Dave Cameron |
Running time | 25 minsutes |
Production company | The Down Low Concept |
Original release | |
Network | TV3 |
Release | 1 June – 6 July 2012 |
Hounds is a New Zealand television comedy series, written, produced and directed by The Down Low Concept.
Set in Auckland, New Zealand it centres on a self-centred lawyer, Will Carrington (Toby Sharpe), and the unusual family unit he is thrust into following the death of his father David, (Roy Billing). Will inherits half a stately house, half a racing greyhound with its live in trainer, Marty (Mick Innes), and guardianship of his estranged half-sister Lily (Susana Tang).
The series follows Will's transition from a soulless city slicker as he deals with his new family that he has never met, and the low rent surroundings of the Greyhound community. Backed with a strong supporting cast of comic actors, including Will's best friend, the arrogant and self-serving Lance (Josh Thomson) and shallow ditsy girlfriend Amber (Catherine Waller), Hounds also featured well known comics Guy Williams and Rhys Mathewson in minor roles, and veteran New Zealand actors Derek Payne, Steven Ure and David Weatherley
The series is one of New Zealand's most critically acclaimed comedies ever produced. [1] [2] [3]
Before the series even aired it courted controversy due to the name of the racing greyhound Lundybainwatson when lawyer Joe Karam complained to the network citing bad taste [4] and potentially a defamation lawsuit. [5] Writers and producers The Down Low Concept had named the dog after three infamous and controversial New Zealand murder cases, due to the character of Will's father, and the original owner of the dog being a high court judge. The dog's name referred to convicted multiple murderers Mark Lundy, Scott Watson and David Bain. Bain was later acquitted after spending 13 years in jail following numerous appeals from Karam resulting in his eventual release from prison in 2009.[ citation needed ]
The unintentional publicity stunt caused a minor stir [6] when the producers of the show called for suggestions on the Hounds Facebook page. [7] At the behest of the network the production company re-shot and re-recorded audio in the few scenes where the dog's name was mentioned, [8] renaming the dog Lundydixonwatson. Dixon referred to another controversial New Zealand murderer, Antonie Dixon.
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | General TV Award | Best Comedy or Comedy Series | The Down Low Concept | Won | [9] [10] |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Finalist Certificate | Best Comedy | The Down Low Concept | Won | [11] |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Writing Award | Best Television Comedy Script | The Down Low Concept | Nominated | [12] |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Television | Best Actor | Mick Innes (Marty) | Nominated | [13] |
2013 | Television | Best Actress | Susana Tang (Lily) | Nominated | [13] |
2013 | Television | Rising Star | Susana Tang (Lily) | Nominated | [13] |
2013 | Television | Rising Star | Catherine Waller (Amber) | Nominated | [13] |
2013 | Television | Best Comedy | The Down Low Concept | Nominated | [13] |
Show creators The Down Low Concept were also awarded the Worst Onscreen Death 2013 prize for the death of the dog Lundydixonwatson from television critic Chris Philpott, calling the moment "Laugh-out-loud funny, but totally awkward". [14]
This was the second year in a row for the production company winning in the comedy category at the New Zealand Television Awards, having won the previous year with their comedy gameshow, 7 Days. [15]
"Is Hounds the best Kiwi comedy ever? Yes." Chris Philpott, Stuff.co.nz [16]
"Hounds, I believe, is the best Kiwi comedy show ever made... at one point during the show's six unmissable episodes I found myself doing just that, snot smeared on the carpet, begging, pleading with them to dial back the laughs just for a bit so I could clean up the mess." Chris Schulz, The New Zealand Herald [3]
"Think Vigil with a post modern nod to Fred Dagg humour". Jane Bowron, The Dominion Post [17]
"This isn't the laugh out loud, neon-lit, canned-laughter comedy we get from so many American imports. It's original, understated and thoroughly well written." Pattie Pegler, Stuff.co.nz [18]
"It is very sweet, completely silly, and amazingly rude". Michele Hewitson, The New Zealand Herald [19]
“Like mould on a bathmat in an Auckland winter, it grows on you. Like the culture from which it springs, it’s effortlessly, compulsively, authentically weird.” Diana Wichtel, The Listener [20]
"The Down Low Concept took their show to an unfamiliar setting, loaded the cast with unfamiliar (but talented) faces, and stocked the script with some of the cleverest dialogue you'll find in any comedy, let alone a locally produced one". Chris Philpott, Stuff.co.nz [2]
"The Down Low Concept are as close to a Kiwi comedy hit factory as currently exists". Lee Henaghan, The Nelson Mail [21]
"When I watched the whole series the first time it was down to being diligent; the second time was to make absolutely sure it's as good as I thought it was; the third and every subsequent time (and there will be many, I'm sure) will be for the sheer, absolute joy of it" Nick Grant, Herald on Sunday [22]
Episode | Original air date | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | TBA | 1 June 2012 | |
Will is struggling at his law firm, his heart isn't in it and he is making mistakes at work. But one day everything changes. His Dad dies, leaving him a greyhound racing dog, half a house with a live in trainer, Marty, and an estranged half-sister, Lily. | |||
2 | TBA | 8 June 2012 | |
Will moves into his new house with his unusual new family. He tries to make up for forgetting Lily's birthday by throwing her a surprise party at the dog track. | |||
3 | TBA | 15 June 2012 | |
The new unconventional family receive some terrible news so they try to distract themselves. Will goes hunting, Marty goes on a date, and Lily tries her hand at fencing. | |||
4 | TBA | 22 June 2012 | |
Will, Lily and Marty go to the dog auctions to get a new dog. Will quits the job that he hates, Lily gets excited about attending the Dog Owner's Ball, and Marty has an accident. | |||
5 | TBA | 29 June 2012 | |
Marty is sentenced to community service, Will takes a new job in retail, and Lily tries to get their new dog, Bernie Lomax, back on track after the hound is brutalised by Holden's dog. | |||
6 | TBA | 6 July 2012 | |
The season finale sees Lily upset that Will is taking a new job that requires a lot of travel and a lot of time away from the family. Marty and Lily take desperate measures to get Bernie Lomax to run again, with surprising results. |
Kiwibank Limited is a New Zealand state-owned bank and financial services provider. As of 2023, they are the fifth-largest bank in New Zealand by assets, and the largest New Zealand-owned bank, with a market share of approximately 9%.
Sir Mark James Todd is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the discipline of eventing, voted Rider of the 20th century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.
Maurice Donald Williamson is a New Zealand politician and former diplomat.
Paul Henry Hopes, known professionally as Paul Henry, is a New Zealand radio and television broadcaster who was the host of the late night show The Paul Henry Show on New Zealand's TV3 which ended December 2014 so that Henry could host a new cross platform three-hour breakfast show Monday to Friday on TV3, RadioLive and online. Paul Henry launched on 7 April 2015 and initially had an audience larger than the two shows it replaced on radio and TV. For nine months in 2012, he also co-hosted an Australian television show, Breakfast, which ceased production on 30 November 2012, due to low ratings.
Leigh Hart is a New Zealand comedian, radio announcer and performance artist who is also known as "That Guy". He has made various appearances on New Zealand television, including SportsCafe and his own show, Moon TV.
thedownlowconcept is a production company and creative collective based in Auckland, New Zealand, specializing in producing comedy for film, radio and television. It was formed in 2002 by Jarrod Holt, Ryan Hutchings and Nigel McCulloch, and have since frequently collaborated with actor and comedian Josh Thomson. They are notable for their quirky, irreverent, and sometimes controversial comedic style.
Antonie Dixon was a convicted New Zealand thief and murderer. His most notorious crimes were committed in an 11-hour spree of violence in 2003 in which he completely or partially severed the hands or arms of two women with a Samurai sword, shot a man dead with a homemade sub-machine gun and kidnapped another man. Dixon acquired over 150 convictions, mostly for theft and burglary; he was imprisoned at least 14 times. His former girlfriend Simonne Butler said he used methamphetamine from at least 2001.
Madeleine Nalini Sami is a New Zealand actor, director, comedian and musician. She started her acting career in theatre before moving to television, where she created, co-wrote, and starred in Super City. She co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the 2018 film The Breaker Upperers, along with Jackie van Beek, which was a New Zealand box office success. Sami co-hosted The Great Kiwi Bake Off.
Robyn Jane Malcolm is a New Zealand actress, who first gained recognition for her role as nurse Ellen Crozier on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street.
Dame Lisa Marie Carrington is a flatwater canoeist and New Zealand's most successful Olympian, having won a total of five gold medals and one bronze medal. She won three consecutive gold medals in the Women's K‑1 200 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as gold in the same event at the 2011 Canoe Sprint World Championships. At the 2020 Summer Olympics she also won a gold medal in the K‑2 500 metres, with crewmate Caitlin Regal, and as an individual in the K‑1 500 metres.
The 2013 New Zealand rugby league season was the 106th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the National Competition run by the New Zealand Rugby League. The competition was won by the Akarana Falcons, who defeated the Counties Manukau Stingrays 22-12 in the final.
Guy Malachi Jones Williams is a New Zealand comedian and television personality. Williams was a co-host on satirical news and entertainment television programme Jono and Ben, until the show's end in 2018. In 2019, he began hosting New Zealand Today, a show detailing the lives and events of New Zealand towns and the people who live in them.
Agent Anna is a New Zealand comedy-drama television series, created by Maxine Fleming with Vanessa Alexander and devised by Robyn Malcolm. It is produced by Great Southern Film and Television and funded by NZ on Air and Television New Zealand. It began airing its first series of six episodes in New Zealand on 31 January 2013. NZ on Air announced on 12 August 2013 that the show received funding for a second series of 10 episodes.
Rose Catherine Lettitia Matafeo is a New Zealand comedian, actress and TV presenter. She was a writer and performer on the New Zealand late-night comedy sketch show Funny Girls. In 2018, she won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for her show Horndog.
Caren Pistorius is a South African and New Zealand actress. She is best known for her role as Rose in the 2015 film Slow West.
The Fred Award is the highest honour at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, awarded to the best show written and performed by a New Zealand comedian.
Diana Wichtel is a New Zealand writer and critic. Her mother, Patricia, was a New Zealander; her father, Benjamin Wichtel, a Polish Jew who escaped from the Nazi train taking his family to the Treblinka extermination camp in World War II. When she was 13 her mother brought her to New Zealand to live, along with her two siblings. Although he was expected to follow, she never saw her father again. The mystery of her father's life took years to unravel, and is recounted in Wichtel's award-winning book Driving toTreblinka. The book has been called "a masterpiece" by New Zealand writer Steve Braunias. New Zealand columnist Margo White wrote: "This is a story that reminds readers of the atrocities that ordinary people did to each other, the effect on those who survived, and the reverberations felt through following generations."
Melanie Rita Bracewell is a New Zealand comedian, actress and scriptwriter. In 2018, Bracewell won New Zealand's Billy T Award. She currently co-hosts The Cheap Seats and was a contestant on the fourth series of Taskmaster NZ.
Retailing in New Zealand is an important sector in the economy of New Zealand, as a channel for a large proportion of household spending and international visitor spending.