Happiness

Come to laugh at small town New Zealand, stay for the wholesome good times, laughs a minute and stars in the making.

Honestly this show really warmed my cold dead heart. I cannot wait to see more and am VERY eagerly awaiting the cast album because the music (as you'd hope in a show about a musical) is terrific!

Obviously you can't make a show about theatre without a.. well theatre! And the Dolphin makes a beautiful Pizazz theatre, even if it is a little far from Tauranga!

The actors are delightful, but a true standout is Melody Lui-Webster as "Mia" Her performance across the first two episodes alone leaves no doubt she is destined to become a star!

Watch Happiness NOW.

Happiness is hilarious from the first minute. It takes a niche dive into the amateur theatre scene in New Zealand, portraying a host of eccentric characters who will be very familiar to anyone who has tread the amateur boards. It is campy and self aware, exaggerated in all the right places and with a good through-line of heart.

The cast are excellent, the jokes are well written and original and the choreography blends seamlessly into the storyline. It is an accurate reflection of Kiwi culture, taken from a fresh perspective.

Full of hilarious theatre Easter eggs, Happiness has real personality. Well worth a watch!

Did not know this show was coming out and thought i would just watch a few minutes. I was hooked from the opening scene. This show was so good. It was highly entertaining and uplifting. I really loved it. Is the music going to be on Spotify? Would love to see a 2nd or 3rd or even 4th season!. Would be great to see the actual musical Troy being toured around NZ. The music was catchy. Really great singing and dancing. It left me wanting more. I will need to re-watch. Great cast and finally a really good kiwi show. We need more of this! It's a shame it was only 6 episodes. Seemed over too quickly.

The first episode of Happiness was fantastic--smart, funny, and full of great musical numbers. Unfortunately, every episode since then has been a huge disappointment. None of the humour or spark of that first episode is anywhere to be found in the subsequent episodes and the plot is absolutely non-existent. I mistakenly watched the fourth episode before episodes two and three and didn't even realize because so little of importance happened in those two episodes (which, yes, I did go back and watch). I'm also not clear on why this show is called Happiness other than it's another word for Glee? Sadly, the lack of originality in the title is emblematic of the rest of the show.

I am the biggest fan of New Zealand tv shows, at least the ones we can stream in the US. Whenever I see a new one, I can't wait to watch and enjoy, but honestly, this is the most inane one I've ever seen. And to think Rebecca Gibney signed on to this is beyond stunning. She is one of the finest actresses to ever grace the screen and has led many of the finest series ever made, but I had to do a double take when I thought I recognized her in the first scene. This show is pointless drivel. I don't know if it's trying to be a mix of Glee and Benny Hill or what. I finally turned it off near the end of the third episode when I asked myself, why on earth are you wasting time watching this?!!! Do yourself a favor and skip it. If you want to delight in a New Zealand series, try 800 Words or Brokenwood. If you want to delight in the spectacular work of Rebecca Gibney, try Packed to the Rafters, Under the Vines, Winter or Halifax Retribution.