Billy T James Show, The

1 9 8 1 – 1 9 8 6 (New Zealand)
36 x 30 minute episodes
1 9 9 0 (New Zealand)
26 x 30 minute episodes

Born William Taitoko, Māori comedian Billy T James first captured New Zealand television audiences as the music hall character Dexter Fitzgibbons on the variety show Radio Times. His success paved the way for his eponymous television sketch shows through the 1980s.

Broadcast on TVNZ, the show (with regular co-stars Doug Aston and Laurie Dee) featured a mix of sketches, stand-up comedy and songs and made the comedian a household name in New Zealand.

At the height of his popularity, his show was watched by 1.3 million people – over half the country’s population at the time.

A highlight of the show was a Māori news show called ‘Te News’ (“somebody pinched all the toilet seats out of the Kaikohe Police Station – now the cops got nothing to go on!”) with Billy in a black singlet and yellow towel, which became iconic to Kiwi audiences.

Billy suffered a major heart attack in 1988, and received a heart transplant the following year.

In 1990, he starred in a second television show, also titled The Billy T James Show, which aired on TV3.

Abandoning the popular sketch comedy format, this show was a family sitcom starring Billy T James as a CUZ-FM talkback radio host; Ilona Rodgers as his Australian wife, Thelma; Willa O’Neill and Tania Wehi as his daughters Nadine and Lydia; Mark Hadlow as Bill’s aggressively dim Australian brother-in-law, Greg; and Mark Wright as Lydia’s politically correct Pakeha boyfriend, Nigel.

The new series ran for just one season.

William Taitoko died from heart failure on 7 August 1991, aged just 43. His death was mourned by the nation.