Jono Pryor & Ben Boyce - Funny As Interview

Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce both got their starts in TV comedy after stints at broadcasting school, before joining forces in 2012 to create long-running hit show Jono and Ben. Here they talk about their careers, including:

• Hating M*A*S*H but loving SportsCafe — and how Jono and Ben was a loose version of Marc Ellis and Matthew Ridge's TV partnership, only without the athleticism or business smarts
• Early forays into broadcasting, including a young Jono harassing Mai Fm DJ Robert Rakete until he was allowed on the radio, and Ben Boyce’s haphazard attempt at rugby commentary as a 19-year-old
• Ben discusses early creative endeavours including making movies on a farm as a kid, writing the "show us your crack" advert, and creating an early version of Pulp Sport at broadcasting school
• The perks of working with your best mate everyday on Jono and Ben, and getting to see younger talents from the show succeed — e.g. Guy Williams, Rose Matafeo, Laura Daniel and Jordan Watson (How to Dad)
• The challenges of transitioning from their 10pm time slot after 7 Days, to an hour of prime time at 7:30pm — and how Jono and Ben was hitting its stride in its seventh and final season
• How the internet is changing how comedy is viewed, and the difficulty of advertising executives always requesting “a viral video”

This interview was recorded for 2019 TV series Funny As: The Story of New Zealand Comedy. All audiovisual content is copyright to Augusto, and may not be reproduced. Publication of Funny As extended interviews made possible with funding from the NZ Lotteries Grants Board.