Leigh Hart - Funny As Interview

After growing up partly in Peru, Leigh Hart moved back to New Zealand with his family when he was 11. Later he made his name on shows like SportsCafe and Moon TV. In this extended Funny As interview the topics range widely, including:

• Being exposed to British comedy growing up, working with a group of witty miners while digging the Channel Tunnel, and how Billy T James and John Clarke aren’t as ‘Kiwi’ as they're made out to be
• Singlehandedly publishing a Moon newspaper as a way to make money while at Christchurch Film and TV School, and how it helped Hart break into the screen industry
• His time on Sportscafe — including his debut as a snail racer — covering the 2004 Athens Olympics from Italy, and the “genius” of Sportscafe producer Ric Salizzo
• The origins of his show Moon TV, the opportunity to work with his old English teacher Joe Bennett, and how Jason Hoyte added some credibility to the role of "shit breakfast host" 
• The importance of maintaining creative control on a comedy show — and taking ownership of the finished product, regardless of how it is perceived
• The respect he has for shows like Back of the Y and Eating Media Lunch, and the favourite of his own projects: Leigh Hart's Mysterious Planet

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.