Series Classification: PG (Parental Guidance)
The Citizen’s Handbook is a ten-part video and podcast comedy series and civics class for all New Zealanders, created by the award-winning team behind the popular satirical web show White Man Behind a Desk.
The series covers five topics: history, politics, law, economics, and international relations. In writing and producing the series, the creators (Robbie Nicol & Finnius Teppett) have teamed up with relevant experts and a writers’ room built on a partnership between Māori and Pākehā to ensure that all information is culturally and historically accurate.
Using thorough research and sharp comedy, The Citizen’s Handbook empowers its audience with the knowledge of how this country came to be, how it currently works, and how we can face the challenges that lie ahead.
The Citizen’s Handbook puts the focus on the actions of people, and by highlighting the power of human action in creating the present, demonstrates that your actions can have a powerful impact on the future.
It’s also really funny.
-
The Podcast Series Trailer
Tom, Robbie & Finn Photo: Kevin & Co / Tim Batt
New Zealand civics is filled with the weird and wonderful, which leads us to the Citizen’s Handbook podcast, a show which finds Robbie Nicol competing against a comedian in explaining New Zealand Civics, told in fact and fiction.
It opens with Robbie Nicol introducing the comedian, and Finn Teppett clearly outlining the rules. The object of this podcast is to explain a factual story about the episode's topic whilst also including three lies without being discovered. Robbie has five minutes to explain a factual story and incorporate lies based on the episode's topic; the comedian is then tasked to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. Hilarity ensues.
The comedian then has their turn explaining a story from the episode's topic while Robbie guesses what is true and what is false. Every lie spotted equals a point to the guessing contestant.
The end of each episode concludes by crowning the winner.
You'll find the podcasts share a page with the video episodes, or wherever you catch your podcasts!
[click here to find the episodes]
Topics
Tangata Whenua, The New Settlers, The Settler Government, The Constitution, A Bill Becomes a Law, Law Enforcement, The Court System, The Market, Managing the Economy, & Foreign Affairs
Guests
Jamaine Ross, Pax Assadi, Laura Daniel, Donna Brookbanks, Chris Parker, Brynley Stent, Alice Snedden, Eli Mattewson, Tom Sainsbury, & James Roque
Team
Host: Robbie Nicol, Creators: Robbie Nicol & Finnius Teppett, Producer: Bronwynn Bakker & Cameron Bakker, Podcast Producer: Izzy Walton, Production Company: Kevin & Co.
Robbie Nicol. The White Man Behind A Desk. Photo: Kevin & Co
Photo: RNZ/NZ On Air
