History
Pulp Sport started as a radio show on Radio Sport in 2001, and ran until the TV series began in 2003 on SKY Sport Syndication and also C4 where it achieved strong ratings. As a result, it was soon acquired by TV3 where its popularity continued to grow with even better ratings. The show still repeats on SKY Sport. In 2006 and 2007 Pulp Sport was judged "New Zealand's Best Comedy" at the Qantas New Zealand Television Awards. It was also a finalist in 2008 and again in 2010. In 2009 TV Guide Best of the Box Awards, Pulp Sport was voted "Funniest TV Show" and Bill and Ben were voted "Funniest Person on TV".
During March 2008, Season 5 (the 2007 season) was released on DVD, as "Pulp Sport – Volume 2", despite the fact no other seasons have previously been released on DVD. In late December 2008, "Pulp Sport – Volume 3" was then released, this features all 8 episodes from the 2008 season, Season 6.
The first series of Pulp Sport was made by Boyce and Linehan and their two mates using only one camera and edited on a borrowed computer in a kitchen flat. In the second series, they moved out to a garden shed.
In 2003 actor Jay Laga'aia appeared in Pulp Sport's first ever episode.During the basketball sketch, Laga'aia busted his knee cap in two places ending up in hospital for two days. This mishap delayed the filming of Star Wars, which Laga'aia was to film later that month.
In 2004 while playing one of their regulars pranks on New Zealand sports commentator Stephen McIvor, Bill and Ben hired a plane to fly the message "McIvor blows goats" over a Warriors game at Ericsson Stadium. McIvor and the New Zealand Police expressed their disgust over the message and consequently Linehan and Boyce received a police warning.
Linehan and Boyce set up their own political party, Bill and Ben Party, a joke political party based on their Pulp Sport persona's. In the New Zealand general election, 2008 they received 13,006 votes approximately 0.56% of the total party vote, out-polling all minor parties in the election.
Network Ten in Australia syndicated the episodes on their sports channel One in 2010 and 2011. Three series of the show also played on Fuel TV in Australia.
In 2010 Linehan and Boyce revealed that they would retire Pulp Sport. The two claimed that the original intention was always to end the program on a high note, rather than letting it drag.
Pulp Sport was voted Best locally made Sports Show of the last 50 years by readers of TV website throng.co.nz
Boyce went on to star in two series of his own show WANNA-BEn. in 2011 and then Jono and Ben at Ten in 2013.
Read more about this topic: Pulp Sport
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