Wellington Paranormal

Wellington Paranormal
Created by	Jemaine Clement Paul Yates
Written by	Jemaine Clement Paul Yates Melanie Bracewell Jessica Hansell
Directed by	Jemaine Clement Jackie van Beek Tim van Dammen
Starring	Mike Minogue Karen O'Leary Maaka Pohatu
Country of origin	New Zealand
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Taika Waititi Jemaine Clement
Producer	Paul Yates
Production company	New Zealand Documentary Board
Original release
Network	TVNZ 2
Release	11 July 2018 (2018-07-11) – 23 March 2022 (2022-03-23)

Wellington Paranormal is a New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror television series which first aired on 11 July 2018 on TVNZ 2. The series is a spin-off of the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows and first television series in the franchise, and its lead characters—Officers Minogue and O'Leary—first appeared in the film as a pair of incurious police officers.

The series was created by Jemaine Clement and Paul Yates based on characters from What We Do in the Shadows by Clement and Taika Waititi. Waititi and Clement serve as the series' executive producers, while Clement directs four of the six episodes in season 1. The series was confirmed for a second season of 13 episodes, which aired 6 episodes beginning on 16 October 2019.

A Christmas special aired on 19 December 2019, with the remaining six episodes airing as a new season. Between the special and third series, a sixteen-episode digital web series and public service campaign by New Zealand Police to inform the public on health, safety, and best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, titled Important COVID-19 Messages from Wellington Paranormal, began airing from 26 March 2020, featuring Andrew Coster and Clarke Gayford as themselves. The lead characters also appeared as part of a 2018 New Zealand Police Recruitment video, and four 2018 Police Safety campaign videos. The third season premiered on 24 February 2021.

Jemaine Clement stated in June 2021 that the fourth season was in post-production. He added: "We're pausing on [Wellington Paranormal], we're not sure we'll be back for a fifth season", while discussing a new series that he and Waititi are currently developing. It was later confirmed that the fourth season would be its last, which premiered on 16 February 2022.

Cast

Main

• Mike Minogue as Officer Kyle Minogue
• Karen O'Leary as Officer O'Leary
• Maaka Pohatu as Sergeant Ruawai Maaka

Recurring

• Thomas Sainsbury as Constable Parker
• Lynda Topp as Mrs. O'Leary

Guest

• Cori Gonzalez-Macuer as Nick
• Jemaine Clement as Mobot Voice
• Rhys Darby as Anton

Episodes

Series	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released
1	6		11 July 2018 (2018-07-11)	15 August 2018 (2018-08-15)
2	6		16 October 2019 (2019-10-16)	20 November 2019 (2019-11-20)
Christmas special	1		19 December 2019 (2019-12-19)
Important COVID-19 messages	19		26 March 2020 (2020-03-26)	3 September 2020 (2020-09-03)
3	6		February 24, 2021 (2021-02-24)	31 March 2021 (2021-03-31)
4	6		February 16, 2022 (2022-02-16)	23 March 2022 (2022-03-23)

Series 1 (2018)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Demon Girl"	Jemaine Clement	Jemaine Clement & Paul Yates	11 July 2018 (2018-07-11)
Wellington police officers Minogue and O'Leary encounter a young girl projectile vomiting in Cuba Mall, and claiming to be Bazu'aal of the Unholy Realm. The girl is taken back to the station, where she proceeds to climb the walls like a spider and escape. Sergeant Maaka recruits Minogue and O'Leary into his new Paranormal Unit and tasks them with investigating strange phenomena in and around Wellington. Pursuing Bazu'aal as he body hops between the girl's family members, Minogue and O'Leary conduct an exorcism to stop the demon from opening a hellmouth in the Bucket Fountain.
2	2	"Cop Circles"	Jemaine Clement	Melanie Bracewell	18 July 2018 (2018-07-18)
Sergeant Maaka sends Minogue and O'Leary out to the country to investigate an incident where a cow has ended up at the top of a tall tree, and he suspects aliens are responsible. The officers speak to the farmer and his strangely similar family members, and find crop circles and seed pods in the fields. As night falls, the police are pursued by plant-based extra-terrestrial life forms, but manage to lock them in a shed. As they outline the night's events to the documentary crew, their alien clones escape the shed and wander away.
3	3	"Things That Do the Bump in the Night"	Jackie van Beek	Nick Ward	25 July 2018 (2018-07-25)
Minogue and O'Leary attend a noise complaint in Khandallah, where they find what appears to be a 1970s theme party in full swing. When O'Leary unplugs the record player, the party goers vanish. Sergeant Maaka suspects that ghosts are responsible, and calls for a medium, Chloe Patterson, to attempt to communicate with them. The officers encounter a series of spectres in the house, who they discover are the ghosts of people who died at a party held by Raymond St John, known as the "Party King", in the 1970s. They convince St John, who has possessed Patterson, to release her and allow his guests to go on to the afterlife. St John however manages to escape custody due to his spectral form.
4	4	"The She Wolf of Kurimarama Street"	Jackie van Beek	Jessica Hansell	1 August 2018 (2018-08-01)
When a pizza delivery boy claims he was attacked by a "dog wearing jeans", Minogue and O'Leary follow a trail of destruction and missing pets to a disoriented young woman named Sheena. As they drive her home, the full moon is revealed, and Sheena transforms into a werewolf. When Sheena returns to human form, she realises her ex-boyfriend, Dion (one of the werewolf pack from What We Do in the Shadows) has transmitted his condition to her.
5	5	"A Normal Night"	Jemaine Clement	Sam Smith	8 August 2018 (2018-08-08)
Minogue and O'Leary confront a series of mysterious events—a wilful floating plastic bag, apparent thefts of blood bags from Wellington Hospital, strange sacrificial rites in a Wellington park, and a posse of evil clowns in a very small car. Apart from the evil clown posse, the common underlying element to the events is Nick (the fledgeling vampire from What We Do in the Shadows), who is selling bootleg stolen blood from his job as a Wellington Hospital orderly to other local vampires. Ultimately, Nick glamours them into forgetting it all ever happened.
6	6	"Zombie Cops"	Jemaine Clement	Jemaine Clement & Paul Yates	15 August 2018 (2018-08-15)
Two fellow Wellington Police officers, Donovan and Laupepe, get bitten by a zombie in a police interview room and turn while out on patrol, leading to a string of mishaps until the Paranormal Unit recognises the situation and takes steps to retrieve the errant officers, who have meanwhile bitten a fast food attendant and driver. Fortunately, the zombies are found to be susceptible to radio wave control and are soon back safely in the custody of their colleagues. Donovan and Laupepe are reassigned to desk duty.

Police Recruitment video

No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	URL
–	"Breaking News"	Unknown	Unknown	23 October 2018 (2018-10-23)	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjKxJeF13hk
After a senior officer announces that the police are looking for new recruits, members of the public ask various cops what requirements are needed and opportunities are available. In one instance, two officers are watching a sheep being levitated and speculate that it might be UFO related. A bystander then asks them if the NZ Police have a paranormal division. The officers turn to answer, revealing that they are O'Leary and Minogue; O'Leary denies the existence of such a division while simultaneously Minogue confirms there is one, then quickly corrects his answer to match O'Leary's.

Police Summer Safety

No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	URL
1	"Zombie"	Unknown	Unknown	4 December 2018 (2018-12-04)	https://www.facebook.com/NZPolice/posts/1496699357130709
O'Leary and Minogue discuss the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt, and try to convince a zombie driver to wear his.
2	"UFO"	Unknown	Unknown	12 December 2018 (2018-12-12)	https://www.facebook.com/NZPolice/posts/1503358636464781
O'Leary and Minogue discuss the dangers of being distracted while driving, and are then themselves distracted by a UFO.
3	"Speed Demon"	Unknown	Unknown	19 December 2018 (2018-12-19)	https://www.facebook.com/NZPolice/videos/657921548007420/
O'Leary and Minogue discuss the dangers of speeding and clash with a demonic speedster.
4	"Ghost"	Unknown	Unknown	27 December 2018 (2018-12-27)	https://www.facebook.com/NZPolice/videos/708311352902632/
O'Leary and Minogue discuss the dangers of drunk driving with the ghost of a man killed because he drove while intoxicated.

Series 2 (2019)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
7	1	"Taniwha"	Dean Hewison	Nick Ward	16 October 2019 (2019-10-16)
Sergeant Maaka, and constables Minogue, O'Leary and Parker head to Wellington Harbour, where ten anglers have disappeared, including the prime minister's fiancé Clarke Gayford. Taking to the water with Captain Quinn of the police maritime unit, the officers encounter a taniwha, a sea monster of Māori legend who has emerged in response to overfishing. The taniwha seemingly captures Parker and devours the documentary crew. Maaka, Minogue and O'Leary manage to rescue most of the other anglers but one is devoured. While watching two taniwha mating in the Wellington Harbour, the two encounter Parker, who had been staying the night with his mother.
8	2	"Fear the Briannas"	Jackie van Beek	Amanda Alison	23 October 2019 (2019-10-23)
Minogue and O'Leary investigate a floating chippie packet, leading them to a local girls' high school called St Carrietta's Girl School where an implosion has happened in the library, destroying the witchcraft section. The principal is uncooperative but the officers learn about unexplained supernatural activities after questioning the students. The officers discover that three teen witches known as the Briannas are behind the supernatural activities. Following a struggle, Minogue manages to subdue them with a taser. The girls are issued with a warning by Sergeant Maaka. However, the school is revealed to be inhabited by students with magical powers.
9	3	"Mt Victoria Hooters"	Tim van Dammen	Melanie Bracewell	30 October 2019 (2019-10-30)
While enforcing a ban on unnecessary horn tooting in the Mount Victoria Tunnel, Minogue and O'Leary accidentally unleash a ghost policeman named Constable Miller from the 1930s. Miller goes around enforcing antiquated laws including floggings, jailing people for indecency, and closing bars. Sergeant Maaka tasks Minogue and O'Leary with getting rid of Miller. Following a prolonged chase through the Wellington CBD including the Wellington Cable Car, the officers manage to reach a compromise with Miller by reversing the ban on horn tooting.
10	4	"Copy Cops"	Tim van Dammen	Cori Gonzalez-Macuer	6 November 2019 (2019-11-06)
The discovery of a dead policeman that looks exactly like Minogue leads the cops to the Parkland Motel in the country full of exact copies of themselves. O'Leary and Minogue quickly discover that the "clones" are actually the alien fungi they had encountered in an earlier incident. The alien fungi also managed to capture Sergeant Maaka. The cops discover that slugs are harmful to the alien fungi and force the aliens to retreat back to their flying saucer.
11	5	"Haunted Nissan"	Jackie van Beek	Paul Yates	13 November 2019 (2019-11-13)
While visiting a zombie themed party, Minogue and O'Leary's patrol car is stolen. Sergeant Maaka considers downsizing the paranormal unit after purchasing a new drone. Minogue and O'Leary respond to the theft of a 1980s Nissan 300ZX. After finding a boy inside, Minogue discovers it's haunted by the original owner, the late boy racer Shane who committed suicide after his girlfriend Sharon wanted to leave the relationship. Following a confrontation with Sharon and the officers, Shane makes peace with his former girlfriend and leaves for the next life. A pleased Maaka decides to keep both Minogue and O'Leary but on reduced working hours.
12	6	"Mobots"	Jemaine Clement	Jemaine Clement	20 November 2019 (2019-11-20)
During a briefing, Sergeant Maaka warns his team of constables not to use pepper spray on food. Later, Maaka briefs O'Leary and Minogue about a recent spate of stolen electronic devices including out of date mobile phones. The two officers visit O'Leary's mother's home to stake out her place, which is near a communications tower. At night, the missing phones gather into the form of a snake before transforming into a robot. The robot is led by O'Leary's 2004 mobile phone and seeks revenge against its former human owners by wanting to turn the newer mobile phones against them. Sergeant Maaka enlists the services of a hacker named Ben, who installs new updates which cause the robot to overload and disintegrate.

Christmas special (2019)

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
13	"Christmas Special"	Dean Hewison	Paul Yates	19 December 2019 (2019-12-19)
Minogue and O'Leary respond to several supernatural incidents on Christmas Eve including Satan assuming the role of a mall Santa, meat disappearing into a vortex during a barbecue, a demon-possessed doll terrorizing a family, and a photocopying machine serving as a vortex. Following these adventures, Minogue and O'Leary present Sergeant Maaka with a soft toy as a Christmas present, which turns out to be possessed.

Important COVID-19 messages (2020)

No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Distance and isolation"	Unknown	Unknown	March 26, 2020 (2020-03-26)
New Zealand Police and Wellington Paranormal team up to provide some important COVID-19 messages, and a little bit of humour to brighten your day 👻#stayhomenz
2	"Having Fun at Home"	Unknown	Unknown	March 29, 2020 (2020-03-29)
All the things you never knew you could do to have fun at home. A little bit of humour to brighten your day.
3	"Looking After the Older Folks"	Unknown	Unknown	March 29, 2020 (2020-03-29)
Now's the time to get over using the phone for actually 'talking' to people issues and be bold. Call your grandparents, elderly neighbours, anyone that might find speaking to someone really quite nice at this time. Go on, do it.. 📞
4	"7 Day Twitch"	Unknown	Unknown	April 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)
The 7-day twitch could possibly be feeling worse than a 7-year itch right now. But don't do it, don't leave. Stay in and work on your relationships. Most importantly, try not to go mad like Minogue.
5	"Two Metres Please"	Unknown	Unknown	April 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)
Here's the two-metre song from Officer O'Leary. Hear it once and you'll never forget it. This and other tips for keeping the 2-metre rule from Officers O'Leary and a cameo appearance from Officer Phil.
6	"Who needs Batman?"	Unknown	Unknown	April 4, 2020 (2020-04-04)
Who needs Batman? New Commissioner Andrew Coster meets Officer O'Leary and says he has a direct line to 10,000 Supermen and Superwomen. Out there, doing their jobs, every day. Keeping you safe.
7	"TEN-FIVE"	Unknown	Unknown	April 5, 2020 (2020-04-05)
Paranormal monster in the house? Run out of pasta? O'Leary takes Minogue through when to call or go online to contact the Police. The actual Police.
8	"Misconceptions"	Unknown	Unknown	April 9, 2020 (2020-04-09)
Officer O'Leary's mother (aka Lynda Topp) is full of the goss sugar plum. She's just about heard every misconception going about the Coruba virus.
9	"Teenchat"	Unknown	Unknown	April 10, 2020 (2020-04-10)
Officer O'Leary has a message for teens at this time. Yes, it totally sucks to be you. Minogue translates to teen-speak. Eye roll. LOL.
10	"Paranormal Briefing"	Unknown	Unknown	April 12, 2020 (2020-04-12)
Sergeant Maaka holds a Paranormal unit briefing in lockdown. Officer Parker and Minogue join O'Leary to report in on Supernatural crime in Home Isolation.
11	"Clarke & Neve"	Unknown	Unknown	April 15, 2020 (2020-04-15)
Officer O'Leary checks in with Clarke Gayford (Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's bloke) about life at home with toddler Neve under lockdown. It's just not easy being at home with kids, especially if you've got a Minogue around!
12	"Supermarket Etiquette"	Unknown	Unknown	April 18, 2020 (2020-04-18)
"I don't want to talk about your nuts Minogue". 🥜 If you're headed to the SUPERMARKET this weekend, Officer O'Leary has some supermarket etiquette tips to help you keep everyone else safe and happy.
13	"Cycle safety"	Unknown	Unknown	April 19, 2020 (2020-04-19)
Is that lycra legal? If you're going out cycling check your bike is in good nick first, wear a bike helmet and cycle locally. If you're like Minogue and taking 'local' super seriously then thumbs up to you. But please - could you put away any exposed nipples, it's just not a good look! 🚲
14	"Ghost Cop"	Unknown	Unknown	April 24, 2020 (2020-04-24)
Whooo hooo. If you're thinking of sneaking out, just be warned there's an Officer O'Leary ghosty about. Ok people, it would be really just great if you could just stay home and not be tempted to go out and catch up with friends or go somewhere you shouldn't (or risk being terrified by ghosts). Whooo hoop 👻
15	"Level 3"	Unknown	Unknown	April 29, 2020 (2020-04-29)
Have you felt a bit invisible at Level 4 Lockdown? Officer O'Leary understands the feeling! Now we've moved to Level 3 here's all the things you can now do just in case you've missed them.
16	"The Wrap Up"	Unknown	Unknown	May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)
It's a bit emotional really! New Zealand Police and Wellington Paranormal - Citizens Brigade would like to thank you for watching and being so supportive of our mini-series which covered Covid19 related information and messages. We saw all your likes and shares and read all your comments too. We know it's been an incredibly difficult time for New Zealanders over the last six weeks and that there are tough times to come, but we hope that these videos have brought a smile to your face, and provided you with useful information too. Thank you also to Wrestler who produced the series. We couldn't have done it without you especially at such short notice. Kia kaha New Zealand. Thanks for watching!
17	"Go Get a Test"	Unknown	Unknown	August 23, 2020 (2020-08-23)
Officer O'Leary is back with a super infectious song 'Go get a test'! Just like Covid-19, Wellington Paranormal - Citizens Brigade has returned! If you download the app, get a test if you need it and wear a mask when you need to it will hopefully just be for a short time.
18	"Been Here Before"	Unknown	Unknown	September 3, 2020 (2020-09-03)
Sgt Maaka addresses the nation while Auckland is still at Alert Level 3 and the rest of the country is at Alert Level 2. Mrs Maaka gives him a dressing-down about being a Flashy Pants.
19	"Download the App"	Unknown	Unknown	September 3, 2020 (2020-09-03)
If Officers O'Leary and Minogue from Wellington Paranormal - Citizens Brigade can use the NZ Covid tracer app, you can too! Make sure you are downloading the right app to make it extra useful! When wearing masks apply common sense, unlike Minogue.

Series 3 (2021)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
14	1	"The Invisible Fiend"	Tim van Dammen	Nick Ward	February 24, 2021 (2021-02-24)
After getting called out to a mysterious home invasion with no visible signs of entry, Minogue and O'Leary manage to arrest an invisible entity and bring it in for questioning. The entity turns out to be a large multi-tentacled creature. Despite the efforts of Minogue, O'Leary, Sergeant Maaka and Constable Parker, the creature manages to escape police custody. Minogue and O'Leary finally track the creature back to the home they initially visited. From the little girl they meet, they discover that the creature is named Daisy and is more afraid of them than vice versa. After installing a tracking device, they join the girl and other monsters for tea.
15	2	"Te Maero"	Jemaine Clement	Jemaine Clement	March 3, 2021 (2021-03-03)
Tonight, after finding footage of a camper being abducted by a large hairy creature, the cops decide to head for the bush near the Remutaka Range. There, they discover that the creature is a Maero, a giant from Māori lore, who is looking for a mate. The Maero mistakes Parker for a male member of its species. Maaka, Minogue and O'Leary tell the truth but this enrages the Maero. The three barely managed to escape while Parker is left behind.
16	3	"Fear Factory"	Jemaine Clement	Paul Yates	March 10, 2021 (2021-03-10)
While on a night patrol, Minogue and O'Leary encounter several people who have been accosted by various objects they fear including a shark. During their investigation, they discover that these individuals had visited a shop known as the Fear Factory, whose owner is a shapeshifter that feeds on peoples' fears and phobias. The officers bring him in for questioning but he manages to escape by projecting the various officers' fears. With the help of Parker, Minogue and O'Leary corner the shapeshifter in the Fear Factory, by overloading his shapeshifting powers.
17	4	"The Sevens Ghosts"	Tim Van Dammen	Cori Gonzalez-Macuer	March 17, 2021 (2021-03-17)
Minogue and O'Leary investigate a group of ghostly rugby fans dressed as Where's Wally figures, whose activities including kidnapping pedestrians and vomiting. The constables managed to apprehend two of the ghostly figures but they escape. While confronting them in a van, Minogue is kidnapped by the ghosts, whom they discover are rugby fans who died in a car accident in 2001. Together with Parker, O'Leary visits an old friend of the ghostly rugby fans, who is able to convince them that they are deceased. After returning with Minogue, the ghosts depart.
18	5	"The Revengers"	Tim Van Dammen	Amanda Alison	March 24, 2021 (2021-03-24)
While attending to a traffic incident in the suburbs, Minogue and O'Leary respond to a meteorite strike, which has caused some of the local residents to gain superpowers. These residents, a Polynesian gentleman who can shoot electricity, a cat lady, and a young lady, form a neighbourhood watch called the "Revengers" who exact vigilante justice against bank robbers, graffiti taggers, and a man who fails to pick up his dog's excrement. Minogue and O'Leary confront the Revengers with the help of a water-squirting man and the ineffectual Parker, who has acquired magnetic powers. A showdown between the electric-wielding Polynesian man and the water-squirting man creates an explosive reaction that causes the mutants to lose their superpowers.
19	6	"Fatberg"	Jemaine Clement	Melanie Bracewell	March 31, 2021 (2021-03-31)
Constables Minogue and O'Leary investigate reports that a sentient fatberg has been devouring people and pets. After escaping the fatberg during a carwash, the two rescue a man from being sucked down the sewers by the entity. Continuing their hunt, the two encounter the entity beneath the sewers of Wellington. O'Leary escapes absorption but one of the cameramen is devoured. Meanwhile, Sergeant Maaka and Constable Parker discover that fire is deadly to the fatberg. The fatberg attacks a Wellington fish and chip shop, devouring the patrons. The police officers manage to blow up the fatberg, in the process freeing the people that the entity had absorbed.

Series 4 (2022)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
20	1	"Bird Woman"	Unknown	Unknown	February 16, 2022 (2022-02-16)
21	2	"The Wicked Man"	Jackie Van Beek	Unknown	February 23, 2022 (2022-02-23)
22	3	"The Coolening"	Unknown	Unknown	March 2, 2022 (2022-03-02)
23	4	"Skeleton Crew"	Unknown	Unknown	March 9, 2022 (2022-03-09)
24	5	TBA	Unknown	Unknown	March 16, 2022 (2022-03-16)
25	6	TBA	Unknown	Unknown	March 23, 2022 (2022-03-23)

Broadcast and distribution

The series is broadcast on TVNZ 2 with catch-up availability on TVNZ's streaming service TVNZ OnDemand. In neighboring Australia, the series is available on SBS on Demand.

In 2021, Sky licensed three seasons of the show for streaming on Now (formerly Now TV) and Sky Q via Sky Comedy in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the series debuted on The CW on 11 July 2021, with episodes available to stream on HBO Max the day after they air.

Reception

Clarke Gayford's appearance on a short Wellington Paranormal video in April 2021 encouraging people who were looking after young children during the COVID-19 pandemic drew some criticism due to his relationship with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. National Party Member of Parliament Brett Hudson alleged during an Epidemic Response Committee meeting in early May 2020 that the video risked "politicising" the New Zealand Police. In response, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster defended Gayford's participation on the grounds that he was a well-known television personality who had participated in the television series.

External links

• Wellington Paranormal at IMDb