Cult televison gurus Chris Stapp and Matt Heath started out in Dunedin, making short films for their friends' enjoyment. Now their show is to be screened across the globe...
By Stephen AdamsCult televison gurus Chris Stapp and Matt Heath started out in Dunedin, making short films for their friends' enjoyment. Now their show is to be screened across the globe...
By Stephen AdamsCult televison gurus Chris Stapp and Matt Heath started out in Dunedin, making short films for their friends' enjoyment. Calling themselves Back of the Y (or BOTY) The pair combined basic slapstick humour with cleverly designed stunts, explosions and props. Then they added an adults-only twist with excessive references to sex, schoolboy masturbation jokes and random acts of violence to produce some of the most original, groundbreaking and funny comedy their small but growing audience had ever seen.

Stapp and Heath eventually ran off some copies of their creations (including the Mad Max-inspired Vaseline Warriors and the riveting, hilarious cop drama Cunstables) and as copies filtered their way around the country one eventually ended up in the hands of TV producer David Rose of Auckland's Satellite Productions. Rose, whose company makes New Zealand music shows Squeeze, Space and M2 was delighted with his find, and he found a slot for Back of The Y in the now-cancelled Friday night music show Ground Zero
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That slot became Back Of The Y Masterpiece Television, which screened on TV2 last year to howls of indignation and screams of delight, depending on whose lounge you were sitting in. After series one, TVNZ declined to pick up another series. Although initially dejected by the news, Heath and Stapp have had reason to celebrate recently: their show has been bought by entertainment heavyweight MTV Europe. But this isn't a story about instant fame and fortune: for the Back of the Y team, making it in TV-land has been all about the long, hard slog.

"The early stuff was all self funded" says Heath, taking a break from editing the latest show, a Back of the Y goes to Hollywood special (as well as editing, Heath is the show's producer, and shares writing and presenting duties with Stapp, who also directs). Even the stuff for Ground Zero was self funded."

Once the Ground Zero shorts made it to screen, the funding problem was quickly solved. Not by NZ On Air, who turned down the project, but by long-time Back of the Y sponsors V energy drink. Although the pair can now draw a wage for their efforts, Heath admits it was hard going initially. "From very early on people thought our stuff was funny, so that's what kept us going. We mainly did it for fun for years and years with no chance of making money. We just liked filming stuff with our mates then watching it back and laughing. These days it's just as fun, but instead of being a hobby it's kind of like - gainful employment or something."

The deal with MTV came about when Heath and Stapp made a decision to head overseas to find new markets for their show. With TVNZ and not interested, they knew they had to seek opportunities further afield if they were going to be able to continue. "All our opportunities had dried up in New Zealand" explains Heath. "No one wanted a second series from us, despite good ratings and huge video sales. Meanwhile lots of people in England were buying our videos over the net and saying they thought it was very funny"

Heath and Stapp figured out a way to get overseas: the approached their sponsor, V, with a concept for a Hollywood special. V agreed, and the pair headed for LA with a plan in mind to make the show and scout around for potential buyers of the show. In true Back of the Y style, it didn't work out that way. "We went to Hollywood and filmed a lot of cool stuff" explains Heath. "But we forgot to have any meetings. So we went to London and had one meeting with MTV and thought nothing would happen. Two months later they rang us in New Zealand with an offer".

The offer from MTV is a very promising one: the network will have taken the first series, and have agreed if that rates well they will fund and broadcast series two, which may be made in the UK.

There's a Kiwi connection in the deal: MTV Europe boss Brent Hansen is a New Zealander (he used to produce Radio With Pictures back when Karen Hay was fronting it). Heath explains. "Yeah, Brent is a friend of Tim Finn's who's a good friend of ours, so that's how we met him. But we haven't dealt with him since chatting with him in his office. He doesn't run the area we are working with, but he was our foot in the door".

With the connection made and the deal done, Heath and Stapp are now preparing to head back to London to promote the show.

Meanwhile, he has some words of advice for aspiring television makers. "Just get a camera and film stuff" he says. " People always ask me how to get started and it's like 'just f#cken do it!' None of the good filmmakers waited for someone to tell them what to do and how to do it: just look at Peter Jackson. With digital cameras and home computer editing, it's so easy: if you have an idea just go out and film it!"

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