Talkback - Excerpt

...to [Jason] Hoyte’s credit, he doesn’t do the character as an impersonation. There’s much more subtlety to it, with plenty to develop as the season progresses. If you had to imagine a starting point, Hoyte plays White more like if former Radio Sport shock jock Mark Watson discovered mindfulness and chilled out a bit. There’s plenty to admire too in his portrayal of the brittle ego of broadcasters.

– Reviewer Alex Braae on Jason Hoyte's performance as right-wing shock jock Steve Menzies, The Spinoff, June 30 2021

Clearly you do, because you're starting to smell like a rest home.

– Gretchen (Ginette McDonald) on young Zoe (Olivia Tennet)'s love for op shops

A colleague of mine has put me in touch with a massage parlour for seniors, just quietly. So I won't starve.

– Gretchen (Ginette McDonald) mentions Plan B, in case bad ratings put her out of a job

Money's no excuse for neglecting your principles.

– Zoe ( Olivia Tennet) cries into a void

It's bloody exhausting being held to account...

– Steve (Mike Minogue) describes radio ratings

...he’s sort of found himself at the top of the mountain for many years, but as time has progressed his views have become a bit more moderate and so he ends up swinging down the ratings little bit, and he’s prompted by the owner of the company to sort of buck up his ideas and get a bit more psychotic.

– Talkback creator Mike Minogue describes Jason Hoyte's character, right-wing talkback host Malcolm White, Radio New Zealand, 30 June 2021