Spin Doctors is a New Zealand political satire television series that debuted in 2001. It is a topical series written close to airtime to focus on current events. For the second series scripts where given to actors on Sunday evenings, the episodes were filmed on Mondays and Tuesdays with editing on the second day. It is then finalised on Wednesday and aired that night. It is set in a fictional PR firm O'Connor and Associates. In addition to the regular series there was a one-off Election Special in July 2002.
Cast John Sumner as Giles O'Connor Michelle Langstone as Melissa Swann Kayte Ferguson as Hineroa Kopu John Leigh as Kevin Handy Elizabeth Hawthorne as Liz Brasch Mark Ferguson as Andrew Couch Patrick Wilson as Ron "Rooter" Baylis Li Ming Hu as Ming Yee
Reception The show rated around a seven or eight (256,000 to 270,000) in its first two years and was met with mixed reviews.
Commenting on the start of the series Jo McCarroll of the Sunday Star Times said "the first episode of TV One's new satirical comedy simply wasn't very good." On the same episode the Evening Post's Jane Bowron said "Last week's debut of Spin Doctors (9.35 pm, TV One, Tuesday) looks like we could be back in showbiz", adding "at last the country's getting a chance to healthily chuckle at ourselves on a weekly basis." Sarah Daniell, also of the Evening Post, wrote "Lately, Kiwi TV humour has been no laughing matter. This is our best crack at comedy in years."
Awards 2002 TV Guide NZ Television Awards Best Comedy Programme - Spin Doctors, Tony Holden (Comedia Pictures) - won Best Script, Comedy - James Griffin, Roger Hall, Tom Scott, Spin Doctors (Comedia Pictures) - nominated Best Director, Comedy - Tony Holden, Spin Doctors (Comedia Pictures) - nominated 2003 New Zealand Television Awards Best Comedy Programme - Spin Doctors, series 3, Tony Holden (Comedia Pictures) - won Best Entertainment/Comedy Performance - Spin Doctors, series 3, Elizabeth Hawthorne (Comedia Pictures) - won Best Script, Comedy - Spin Doctors, series 3 , Roger Hall, James Griffin, Dave Armstrong (Comedia Pictures) - won
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