Rocked the Nation - No 21: The New Zealand Accent

Television (Excerpts) – 2008

This bite-sized excerpt from Kiwi cultural highlights series Rocked the Nation looks at growing acceptance of the Kiwi accent on New Zealand television, from the prevalence of RP (received pronunciation) in our news bulletins to the social satire of comedians like Ginette McDonald, John Clarke and Flight of the Conchords. McDonald discusses how Lynn's Kiwi twang was her character, and actor Danielle Cormack remembers influential Radio With Pictures host Karyn Hay's laidback Kiwi style. This show is narrated by British-born actor and presenter Jaquie Brown (The Jacqui Brown Diaries).

A Week of It launched the TV careers of several notable New Zealand comedians, among them the late Jon Gadsby. Poking fun at Kiwi culture and topical issues, the show resonated well with local audiences, a standout quickly emerging in Gadsby's gormless character Wayne. Though notable for his own whiny vocals, Wayne is perhaps most famously known for inspiring the classic Kiwi put-down "Jeez, Wayne".
– Excerpt from an article about New Zealand accepting its own accent onscreen, The NZ Herald, March 2017