Their New Zealand heritage—and the fact that Americans don’t seem to know much about it beyond being home to The Lord of the Rings—is a comedic thread that runs throughout the show.
“Well, there’s the sheep. And the bungee jumping—that’s quite famous,” Mr. McKenzie said, in response to an Observer reporter’s question about other well-known New Zealand things. “There’s Edmund Hillary, first person to climb Mount Everest.”
“The first person to split the atom,” added Mr. Clement.
“Crowded House,” said Mr. McKenzie.
“That cat’s-eye thingy, the little thing that marks the lines on the road.”
“That song ‘How Bizarre’ … Once Were Warriors … The Piano.”
“Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand.”
“Then there’s us,” Mr. McKenzie concluded.
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