Dedicated fan set on saving a piece of NZ comedy history
Tylor Keith first showed his collection of TV and film memorabilia out of a shed in Waipu. Now, writes Emily Brookes, he’s planning to open a museum in Auckland.
A collector who bought the old Days set in a Trade Me auction for $735 has plans to open a memorabilia museum in Auckland, having first shown his collection out of a shed behind his dad’s shop in Waipu.
Tylor 24, collecting schoolboy, acquiring costumes and props from Radiradirah, a sketch comedy series that ran for one eight- episode season on Three in 2010 and featured the likes of Rhys Darby, Madeleine Sami, Oscar Kightley, Dave Fane and, in a voice role, Jemaine Clement.
‘‘ I pretty much bought the entire show’s worth of props and costumes,’’ Keith said.
Knowing there wasn’t a lot of other interest, he would save up pocket money and earnings from his part-time job delivering fliers until he had enough to buy the next item, then head to the production office.
He’s since spent tens of thousands of dollars on film and TV memorabilia, including the Ford Laser driven by Bret McKenzie and Hamish Blake in Duncan and Robert Sarkies’ 2012 feature Two Little Boys, a mirror from 1990s teen time travel drama Mirror, Mirror, and props from comedysport show Pulp Sport, which ran for seven seasons on Sky.
‘‘ I started with just New Zealand because that’s really all I could obtain, but since then I’ve got a lot of stuff from overseas,’’ Keith said.
Keith, began as a 7
His prize pieces include costumes from the long-running US sitcom Married... With Children and a shirt worn by Robert De Niro in the 2016 comedy Dirty Grandpa.
He was ‘‘really excited about’’ his latest purchase – two original, hand-drawn storyboards from 1985 cult comedy-horror film ReAnimator, signed by director Stuart Gordon.
‘‘They obviously mean a lot more now since he passed away earlier this year.’’
Keith began displaying his collection from a shed behind his father’s shop in Waipu, opening it during the school holidays when he went to visit. He charged a $2 donation for entry.
That museum ‘‘ unofficially closed’’ when Keith left school to study, first at South Seas Film School and later at the NZ Radio Training School.
Now he’s planning to open a new one in Auckland, and the 7 Days set will have pride of place.
He was ‘‘ absolutely a fan’’ of the show, Keith said, had been in the audience on a few occasions and, when he was at radio school, had even interviewed Australian comedian Rove on the set he now owns.
The set was an ‘‘iconic piece of history’’, he said.
‘‘ Ten years of history, thousands of comedians . . . The thing people forget is before 7 Days we didn’t know who half these comedians were, so if not for 7 Days those comedians, people like Urzila Carlson, wouldn’t have the recognition they do now.’’
He thought the $735 he had paid for the two panellists’ desks and host Jeremy Corbett’s old desk was ‘‘an absolute steal’’ but said he would have kept bidding until the auction closed, no matter how high the price went.
‘‘I would’ve gone as far as it would have gone and begged all my friends and family to borrow money off them, I was that determined to get it.’’
He was intent on preserving the set as a historical artefact and save it from being broken down and re-used, which he had heard had happened to other bits of memorabilia.
Keith is currently producing a series called The Bigger Picture for Sky’s Face TV and hoped to open his new museum, which will be simply called The Movie and TV Museum, next year.
He was looking for financial backing to help open it, though he hoped to make some money from the series, too,which would go towards the museum.
The money raised from the auction will be donated to charity Starjam, which works with young New Zealanders with disabilities.
‘‘I would’ve gone as far as it would have gone and begged all my friends and family to borrow money off them, I was that determined to get it.’’ Tylor Keith
Days airs on Three on Thursdays at 8.30pm – with a new set.