Beyond a Joke!

Television (Full Length) – 1996

This 1995 documentary chronicles the origins of New Zealand humour, and features classic TV comedy moments from Fred Dagg, Barry Crump, A Week of It, McPhail and Gadsby, Billy T James, Pete & Pio, the Topp Twins, Gliding On, Lynn of Tawa and Funny Business. Tom Scott, John Clarke, David McPhail and Jon Gadsby talk about the nature of New Zealand satire; Pio Terei, Peter Rowley, and Billy T James producer Tom Parkinson discuss the pros and cons of race-based humour; and the Topp Twins explain the art of sending people up, rather than putting them down.

...it's a very American way of doing things: stand-up comedy's very American. Sketch comedy and ensemble comedy is very English. So that's why I don't think we had stand up comedy here for quite some time, because we are very English.
– Actor and comedian Alan Brough