The hit man

In Paul Simon’s classic 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, he lists the many ways a girlfriend has left him. If you were to write an accompanying song to the New Zealand drama series The Brokenwood Mysteries, you could instead list the litany of ways unsuspecting villagers met their maker. Luckily for me, there is a Wikipedia entry that does just that, which I present to Tim Balme, the series’ writer and creator, during our interview.

Found dead in a fermentation vat? “Yes, that’s right.” Rugby coach found dead, naked and tied to the goalposts? “Yes, I remember that one fondly.” Lord of the Rings tour guide poisoned by spider venom? “Shot by an arrow at the historical village. Murdered in a Santa costume…”

The residents of Brokenwood have had a tough old time. So the question has to be: How does Tim come up with ways to kill people, and which of those deaths are his most memorable?

“All of my children are equally my favourites,” tourism expo with a giant polyurethane spider over the top of her… how did that happen? Believe it or not, you do have to find the truth of a situation like that. And that’s what is so fun about writing for . You have to put your creative hat on as a potential killer.”