When asked to name New Zealand's greatest TV export, a few names and shows spring to mind.
For some old enough to remember, that honour might go to Popstars. For better or worse, New Zealand's late 90s quest to find the next great pop group not onlygave us the iconic (yeah, I said it) TrueBliss, the show's format was also sold into dozens of other countries, eventually providing the inspiration for the monster Pop Idol and American Idol franchises.
Others might choose to give Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement the title. After TVNZ passed on their TV pilot in the 2000s, the comedy duo set their sights on America. Winding up on HBO, Flight of the Conchords championed quirky Kiwi humour and mangled vowels to millions — and the rest of the world lapped it up.
Meanwhile, Kiwi actor KJ Apa's 16 million followers on Instagram probably think he deserves the accolade, given his status as America's next teen heartthrob on Riverdale.
But if I had to pick New Zealand's greatest TV export right now, I'd say there's a new contender for the crown: Rose Matafeo.
Matafeo (right) with her Funny Girls co-stars Laura Daniel and Jackie Van Beek. Photo / Supplied
Her talent has been obvious ever since she co-hosted the completely chaotic — but quite excellent — U Live (RIP) in what was essentially a hallway at TVNZ's Auckland headquarters.
Quickly becoming a household name in New Zealand with a star turn on Jono and Ben, she cemented that status with Funny Girls, the part-sitcom, part-sketch comedy show that, amongst other things, wasn't afraid to go after God as part of the #MeToo movement for impregnating the Virgin Mary without her consent.
But since moving to the UK in 2015, Matafeo has steadily worked her way to becoming a household name there, too, with appearances on popular panel shows like Have I Got News For You and 8 out of 10 cats does Countdown. She's even popped up on spin-off shows attached to some of the biggest reality TV franchises on the planet, namely The Great British Bake Off and Love Island.
And let's not forget Matafeo is on the brink of breaking the lucrative American market, too, with her new project, Starstruck, a comedy that's slated for BBC Three in the UK and HBO Max in the US. With Matafeo playing a London millennial dealing with the awkward ramifications of accidentally sleeping with a movie star, it sounds like the perfect showcase for her whip-smart humour.
But until Starstruck hits our screens, we can check out Matafeo charming audiences on yet another hugely popular British institution. As part of the new season line-up on TVNZ Duke's Taskmaster, Kiwi viewers can keep track of her progress as she navigates the challenges set down for her and four other comedians on this bonkers panel show.
With her Jono and Ben At Ten colleagues, Guy Williams, Ben Boyce and Jono Pryor. Photo / TV3
For anyone not familiar with the series, it sees host Greg Davies berating both the contestants and his "assistant", show creator Alex Horne, as he doles out points for tasks on a completely arbitrary basis.
To give novices an idea of what to expect, tasks from previous seasons have included getting a boulder as far away from its original location as possible, destroying a cake beautifully, emptying a bath without using the plug hole, and impressing the Mayor of Chesham.
Admittedly, tomorrow night's first episode doesn't give Matafeo and her fellow contestants, including David Baddiel and Jo Brand, a whole lot to work with. With tasks that include hiding three aubergines and putting different-coloured ice blocks in rainbow order while blindfolded, it's not as riotous as previous seasons — yet. But I have complete confidence Horne will dream up something spectacularly stupid for the contestants to deal with in future episodes.
The season premiere does, however, show off Matafeo's talents for improvising in the studio, as she campaigns for the metric system and also educates the Brits on the proper way to remember the order of the colours in a rainbow.
It also demonstrates her creative flair, with taskmaster Davies most impressed by her efforts in the "make a dramatic entrance" challenge. And as tasks go, there's really no better metaphor for this comedy star's career trajectory right now.
Once she cleans up the competition on Taskmaster, I expect American viewers will appreciate Matafeo's dramatic entrance on their own screens, via Starstruck, too. Watch this space, people.
Taskmaster premieres tomorrow at 8.30pm on TVNZ Duke.
