RNZ In 1977, David McPhail, then a young producer with the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, pitched an idea for a satirical comedy show to air on its second channel, South Pacific Television. In 1977, David McPhail, then a young producer with the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, pitched an idea for a satirical comedy show to air on its second channel, South Pacific Television. The response from his superiors was that it was a terrible idea because New Zealanders are staunch sensible people who don't like laughing, and certainly don't like laughing at themselves. Photography by Jane Wyles Luckily, he ignored that and went on to make