TV3 (Three) - Melody Rules (1995)
Channel: Patrick Te Pou
Date: 27/01/2024

When it comes to sitcoms, there is a fine line between comedic genius and complete disaster. Unfortunately, for TV3's (now Three) first attempt at a sitcom, they ended up crossing that line and creating what was described as 'the worst sitcom ever made' - Melody Rules.

The show centred around the main character, Melody Robbins, played by TV and radio personality, Belinda Todd. Melody was a conscientious and mild-mannered travel agent, trying to rein in her wayward siblings (played by Jodie Rimmer and Iain Chapman respectively) while her mother was off on an archaeological dig in Malaysia. She was aided and abetted by her ditzy air hostess best friend Fiona (Susan Brady), her hapless co-worker Brendan (Alan Brough) and her nosey, filthy and unkempt neighbour Neville (Alistair Douglas) with his famous catchphrase 'Ya decent?'.

What made Melody Rules stand out (and not in a good way) was its cringeworthy attempt at comedy and over-the-top characters. Todd, who was known for her sexy and outrageous on-screen persona, had little acting experience and it showed in her performance as Melody. The other characters were also one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult for the audience to connect with them.

It's no surprise that Todd was chosen for the lead role as she was well recognised for her role as co-host of TV3's late night news programme, Nightline, at the time. However, her lack of acting experience and her reputation for being a TV personality, rather than an actress, may have hindered the show's success from the start.

Melody Rules was a significant investment for TV3, receiving $1,262,990 in funding from NZ On Air for production. It was hoped that the show would become one of the network's flagship productions but unfortunately, it failed to live up to expectations.

TV3 went as far as to hire an American television writer, John Vorhaus, to hold workshops in New Zealand, teaching aspiring writers how to script an American-style sitcom. This may have influenced the style of Melody Rules, which was created by Geoff Houtman and Mihera Paterson and produced by Ross Jennings Productions.

According to director Michael Robinson, the recording of Melody Rules took place in a small studio at TV3's headquarters in Auckland. The scenes were shot with three cameras and the footage was vision switched (compiled at the time of recording from the three camera shots provided) from an outside broadcast unit in the loading bay instead of the studio control room. Due to the studio's size, there was no live audience so the laugh tracks had to be added during post production. This may have contributed to the show's lack of authenticity and awkward humour.

Despite its best efforts Melody Rules, which premiered at 7pm on the evening of Sunday 2 April 1995, was a complete flop. After poor ratings and negative reviews, it was labelled as a total disaster and left a stain on TV3's reputation.

A trailer promoting an episode of Melody Rules, titled "Gentlemen Prefer Babes", featured Jeff (Iain Chapman) and Crayfish (Elliot O'Donnell) going on a date with twin exchange students while Neville (Alistair Douglas) used Brendan (Alan Brough) as a last-minute substitute. That episode was first shown on Sunday 28 May 1995.

Special thanks to the NZ Analogue Archive (via Instagram) for the use of this clip, and I would like to apologise to you all for the quality of either the picture or sound.