The TVNZ sports commentator and author reflects on his journey in television. When The Spinoff gets in touch with Scotty Stevenson, he’s in a contemplative state, caught between narrating an engaging test cricket series and facing further significant staffing reductions at TVNZ. When asked about his well-being, he quickly shifts focus to his coworkers. “You’re […]
The TVNZ sports commentator and author reflects on his journey in television.
When The Spinoff gets in touch with Scotty Stevenson, he’s in a contemplative state, caught between narrating an engaging test cricket series and facing further significant staffing reductions at TVNZ. When asked about his well-being, he quickly shifts focus to his coworkers. “You’re amidst a considerable amount of chaos, as we’re clearly in an industry facing substantial commercial pressures,” he remarks. “It’s tough when individuals have been dedicated to their roles for years, and all of a sudden, the figures just don’t work anymore.”
This is, to say the least, not the typical statement expected at the outset of an interview meant to promote TAB Chasing the Fox, a new event showcasing “New Zealand golf icon Ryan Fox as he competes with a varied group of challengers… including sports figures, media personalities, politicians, and YouTube golf stars.” However, this is precisely why Stevenson remains a distinctive force in sports and television – his sharp intellect, dry humor, and unique blend of fervor for sports coupled with a critical perspective on its excesses.
He knows what the event aims to achieve – a bit of enjoyment and light-heartedness at the close of a challenging year in the industry. “We’re going to focus a lot on the party hole, which sounds like something the Royal Auckland Golf Club has never witnessed prior, and that will likely be a big part of the fun… there’s music, there’s excitement, and golfers are going to have to contend with it all.”
Chasing the Fox is a stark contrast to The Upside, a series of profound long-form interviews centered on mental health that he produced for TVNZ earlier this year. “I relished the chance to interview individuals in a truly intimate setting for an extended time regarding very personal matters. In hindsight, reflecting on that series was both uplifting and draining… You could concentrate solely on the individual in front of you and explore their life in deeply meaningful ways.”
Both the absurd and the profound can be found on television, especially in sports, the domain where Stevenson has spent over 20 years. Here is a glimpse into the life of this commentator, writer, and genuinely caring individual in television.
My earliest TV memory is… Growing up in the North, we’d engage in Saturday morning sports before heading off to my grandparents’ house in Whangārei. We would typically stay for lunch, dinner, and most likely the night. I recall my brother and I turning on the TV to watch the test pattern. I laugh about it now, thinking of everyone glued to their phones – we were actually watching the test pattern waiting for cartoons to begin.
A TV moment that haunts me is… I’ve been falconed [rugby league slang for being hit on the head with a ball] during a live broadcast. It happened before a Super Rugby match in Wellington, while I was on the sidelines, and it nearly knocked me out. I believe it was Jackson Garden-Bachop. He was practicing his kicks and hit me square on the head. I remember feeling pretty dazed afterwards, but that’s the nature of live TV, particularly live sports, surrounded by crowds and with the ball in play – there’s always an element of risk.
The TV ad I can’t stop thinking about is… I believe Lotto executes the cliffhanger extremely well. There are a few that really stand out, especially the one where a woman has an accident in Thailand, and the ticket is discovered beneath her cast. That ad is iconic.
I understand everyone dreams of winning the lottery, but I think the creative teams behind those commercials excel at portraying the possibility of a win, leaving you craving more. They tap into emotions and craft very compelling narratives.
My earliest television crush… Fenella Bathfield, who hosted 3.45 Live, which aired after school. I was a young teenager, and she exuded confidence and coolness. Even the name Fenella was captivating. She starred in The Other Side of Paradise and appeared on the Bugs Bunny Show as well. She had some fabulous hair.
My TV guilty pleasure is… I must admit, I don’t watch much television aside from sports. However, I do confess that when my mum visits and watches Coronation Street, which she inevitably does, I find myself drawn into it. I think the brilliance of Coronation Street is that they’ve been using the same storyline for decades, and nothing seems to change. The plots sometimes get a little more outlandish, and at times we revert to the ordinary. My youngest son, Joe, enjoys watching with Granny too. If she’s watching Coro, he’ll tune in and point out, “Granny, this is the same story.” I love that.
My favourite TV moment is… Dennis Connor on Holmes. It was more the shock factor than anything else. It revealed a great deal about everyone involved. Holmes was persistent and confrontational – while pretending not to be – fully aware he had a difficult guest and was going to provoke him. Connor was just being insufferable. There was something shocking yet predictable about how it all unfolded, and then him walking out – it was an unexpected moment that underscored New Zealand’s views on Americans and cemented Holmes’s status as the best in the business.
My favourite TV character of all time is… Hawkeye from M*A*S*H. He was a character navigating a challenging reality while trying to maintain his humor and sanity. I appreciated Hawkeye. Though I can’t recall the entire character arc, it was a brilliantly acted and well-written role. The show captured its era, depicting many moments where the struggle of human beings under pressure was evident.
The most stylish person on television was… Anthony Bourdain. He was consistently effortlessly cool. He exuded an air of indifference, embodying the heroin physique, and an affection for punk and rock. It never felt like an act – he seemed born to roam. He appeared to be a man escaping both himself and the world. His style was laid-back: a simple pair of denim jeans and a loose linen shirt, and off he went. Remarkable.
The sport which leaves me cold is… Netball. I’ve never commented on netball, and while I respect the athletes, I find it’s a sport that hasn’t truly captured my interest. This isn’t a critique of the sport itself; I simply haven’t been drawn in the way many others have. I understand why people play it and somewhat grasp its appeal, but there’s something about the nature of the game – it tends to shy away from a genuine contest.
The funniest TV show of all time is… Curb Your Enthusiasm – because it’s the most excruciating viewing experience one could endure. I love comedies centered around genuinely unpleasant individuals. Larry David has a knack for worsening every situation. There’s brilliance in both the writing and the performances. I’ve had moments where I needed to pause the show and think, “can I continue watching this?”
The greatest moment of commentary I’ve ever heard is… It’s an Australian commentator, Dennis Cometti, who had a memorable line during an AFL match. He had numerous great lines, but one that stands out is when a player went for the ball and ended up with blood streaming from his eye. His comment was, “you could say he went into the pick optimistically and came out misty optically.” I consider that to be one of the finest lines I’ve ever encountered. He may have crafted it over time, but the moment had to present itself, and the delivery needed to be spot on. That line is just fantastic.
A controversial TV opinion is… We have been slow to adapt. I think newsrooms have lagged in adjusting to a new reality. While traditional methods might still attract good ratings, we should have been exploring alternative operational approaches much earlier. There is significant resource allocation for creating a news bulletin, particularly with 1News, which is an important segment. Still, the way it is produced remains very conventional, and whether that was the best operational strategy in recent times is debatable.
It’s definitely an area that could have benefited from more foresight, perhaps evaluating how the production comes together and what the outcome of the day’s efforts was – whether everything should have concentrated on one hour of news or if there was potential for it to be distributed more broadly throughout the daily schedule.
A show I’ll never watch… Love Island. Or anything set on an island. Unless it’s Attenborough discussing mating on an island.
The last thing I watched on television was… I’m still progressing through Yellowstone. It’s must-watch television for my partner [White Fern Suzie Bates] and me, although she’s frequently away. Yellowstone is fierce yet stunning. Rip might be one of the greatest TV characters ever created. Costner’s performance in the series is exceptional. I think it’s a tremendous achievement. Yellowstone excels visually, artistically, and narratively.
There’s an allure in witnessing a version of America that Americans, in a way, hold in high regard. People are drawn to portrayals of Montanans, Texans, hats, cattle, frontiers, valleys, and armed citizens taking care of business. That’s integral to American life and history. In American politics, we see a rejection of the liberal elite, which is likely to reflect in artistic and media expressions as well.
TAB Chasing the Fox premieres on Friday, December 13 on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+.
