Lovebites is a 2002 New Zealand comedy television series spun off from the 2000 film Hopeless. It features Scott Wills, Phil Pinner, Adam Gardiner and Mia Taumoepeau reprising their roles from the film and adds Gentiane Lupi to the core cast. It was filmed in 2001 with a budget of $4 million[1] and aired on TV3 beginning 10pm on Thursdays in March 2002.[2] It follows the lives of five flatmates in their twenties living in Wellington.[3] 26 episodes were produced but it was taken off air after 12 episodes.[4]
| Lovebites | |
|---|---|
| Created by |
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| Based on | Hopeless |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | March 21, 2002 – 2002 |
Frances Grant of the New Zealand Herald said after the first three episodes "When the show's being true to the sometimes awkward, sometimes insecurely egotistical strain of our national character, it's very funny. When it attempts the kind of wacky, motor-mouthed repartee of an American sitcom it sounds forced."[5]
Cast
edit- Phil Pinner as Ben Gilmour
- Mia Taumoepeau as Maryann Moore
- Scott Wills as Phil Hope
- Adam Gardiner as Richard
- Gentiane Lupi as Clare Grainger
- Anthony Johnston as Iain
References
edit- ↑ McCarroll, Jo (4 March 2001), "It's dead funny TV", Sunday Star Times
- ↑ "Vicious circle of friends", The Evening Post, 18 March 2002
- ↑ Rae, Fiona; Cleave, Louisa (13 March 2002), "Kiwi rite of passage under scrutiny in comedy 'Lovebites'", The New Zealand Herald
- ↑ Pitts, Virginia Therese (2008). Cross-Cultural Filmmaking in New Zealand National Cinema (PDF) (PhD thesis). The University of Auckland. p. 140. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ Grant, Frances (9 April 2002), "Powerpoint: The wackiness of truth", The New Zealand Herald