David McPhail was a pioneering figure in the history of Kiwi TV comedy. Working alongside Jon Gadsby, his longtime comic partner in crime, he impersonated Sir Rob Muldoon in landmark sketch shows A Week of It and McPhail & Gadsby. Later McPhail starred in the Barry Crump-style yarns of Letter to Blanchy, and as an alarmingly straight-talking teacher in Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby. He died overnight on 14 May 2021.
When I proposed it to some of my superiors, they thought I was insane ... I was told quite frankly by one, 'you have to understand, David. You're young and you're energetic but you don't know the facts of life, and one of the facts of life is New Zealanders do not have a sense of humour. They are very, very staunch sensible people and they don't like laughing, and they don't like laughing at themselves.' David McPhail on trying to get comedy show A Week of It off the ground, in his extended interview for 2019 TV series Funny As: The Story of New Zealand Comedy
Interview, 2022
Interview, 2019
Interview, 2009
2021, Subject - Television
2019, Subject - Television
2019, Subject - Television
2019, Subject - Television
2011, Subject - Film
2010, Subject - Television
2010, Subject - Television
2010, Subject - Television
2009, As: Elvis - Film
2007 - 2010, As: The Green Termite/Harry Seaforth - Television
2007, As: Harry Seaforth/The Green Termite - Television
2006, As: Judge Henry - Film
2005 - 2006, As: Mr Gormsby - Television
2005, As: Mr Gormsby - Television
2005, As: Mr Gormsby - Television
2000 - 2001, Director - Television
1997, Writer, As: Derek - Television
1996, Subject - Television
1996, Writer, As: Derek - Television
1995 - 1997, Writer, As: Derek - Television
1995, Writer, As: Derek - Television
1995, Writer, As: Derek - Television
1995, Writer, As: Derek - Television
1994, As: Roger Douglas - Television
1994, As: Roger Douglas - Television
1994, As: Roger Douglas - Television
1994, As: Derek - Television
1994, Writer - Television
1992, Subject - Television
1991 - 1992, As: Various roles, Director, Writer - Television
1991, Writer, As: Various roles - Television
1990, Writer - Television
1985, Subject - Television
1983, Writer, Executive Producer, As: Rob Muldoon, Rob Whitingdoon, David Hartnell, Male backlash winner, various roles - Television
1982, As: Reading - Television
1981, Performer - Television
1980, Writer, As: Various roles - Television
1980, Writer - Television
1980, As: Various roles, Writer, Producer - Television
1979 - 1980, Writer - Television
1979, Producer, Writer, As: Various roles - Television
1978, Writer, Producer, As: Various roles - Television
1977, Writer - Television
1977, Actor, Writer, Producer - Television
1977, Writer, Producer, As: Various roles - Television
1977 - 1979, Writer, As: Various roles, Presenter, Producer - Television
1976, Writer, As: Various roles - Television
1976, Writer, As: Various roles - Television
1975, As: Mad John - Television
1974, Producer - Television
1974, Producer - Music video
1974 - 1975, Producer - Television
1967 - 1974, Producer - Television
1968 - 1970, Reporter (Christchurch) - Television
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