The season four finale of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula arrives on Shudder this Tuesday. But before it hits, we here at Nerds That Geek had the opportunity to sit down with two of the four finalists for season four, Dahli and Saint, to discuss their craft and their experiences with Dragula.

John Betancourt: What was it that got each of you into Drag Performance?
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Saint: Actually, it was Eve of Destruction from season three. That was like the first stretch that I've ever been to. And I remember that night very clearly. She ended the show, and I had never seen someone like… express themselves. And like, it was such like a tangible art form like, you could see like the culmination of years of practice and experience. And I don't know, it was just like watching just her, like, flail her body around that stage with such like purpose and passion just inspired me from the very next day.

Dahli: So, I kind of like come from a kind of a club background like, club kids. I used to work at a lot of goth clubs when I was young, underage even. And we always did like these really crazy fantastic, themes and stuff for these parties. And my job was just to literally dress up and like walk around and like meet people and you know, get them to party and everything. So just being around that amount of creativity, I didn't even know that it would be considered drag at the time. Because I was like maybe 17 when all this was happening. And then you know, a few years went by I kind of like, had given it a rest. And I had not really come in contact with like drag and have any like gay friends or anything and didn't know anything about like, you know, my own culture really. And finally going to one of my first drag shows when I moved to San Diego, it happened to be Chad Michaels. And Chad Michaels absolutely just blew me away. I had never seen such an insane transformation out of one person. In one night. It was crazy. Like, he came out he did Cher and then he did Selena. And then he came out with his last number, he did Manson. And I was just so like… I didn't know that this could be drag. I was like “this might be something I'm into.”

John Betancourt: Since Drag Performance is obviously such an important part of your lives, what is that you still love about it so much?

Dahli: I think what I really like holds me to it is the fact that there is not really any limitations, especially for myself I kind of just do whatever makes my dark heart happy. And I think just like having like the freedom of just doing whatever I want to, is really what pushes me to do it. I don't have like, a limitation or anything holding me back where I’m like “Oh, I have to be like this certain way for the rest of my career.” I can change and just keep evolving and getting into what I like and bringing it into drag.

Saint: I just love it. What it can do for people, this like self-therapy it provides for people, I feel like what drag provides for me can be totally different from for what it provides for someone else. Which is so special. Like… it just helps people find themselves.

John Betancourt: Now since you both have such a history with Dragula, what does it mean to each of you… to be a finalist on the show?

Saint: Dragula for me, was when I first seen season one just to see artists who approached drag differently because the other TV show, put drag in such a finite category, that to see drag being expressed, like this just… plethora of different things was just refreshing. So, to be sitting here and having my drag be a refreshing take for some people and just opening doors and like knocking walls down, because I think that's like what the whole purpose of drag is for, is to just, kind of like, tear down like the constructs of what life is. So, to be on this, to be one the finalists on the stage that's personally like tearing down the constructs of like, what people see drag as.

Dahli: I'm gonna definitely double down on what Saint is saying. The show itself is just… as a viewer, I've been a fan for, you know, since it started, I've been a fan of the Boulet’s for even longer than that. So just like seeing this, evolution of drag, like setting the bar in a different place where people would never expect it. It's just so unpredictable and inspiring. And it makes me just want to, like, keep doing it and representing it. And, having so many people, like reach out on a daily basis, they're like, “you know, I never considered doing drag because I always thought it had to be one way or this way, but seeing you do whatever you want to do really inspires me to like, do what I want to do.” And now we just have so many different visions of what drag can be. And I think it's just going to keep going.

John Betancourt: Now I would love to know, where each of you find your inspiration for the monsters you’ve created on stage.

Dahli: Um, so I live with extremely bad night terrors. Yeah, and I take a lot of inspiration from things that aren't necessarily what people would find, like scary traditionally, like, things like ghosts and goblins and stuff like that are, you know, they've been scary for years, but taking an inanimate object, like a tree or something and making it absolutely terrifying is where I come from, like in the horror background and things.

Saint: Honestly, just like my imagination, my drag is like a personal love letter to my childhood. So, um, whenever I'm having… maybe like a mental roadblock, something I'll do, I'll try to put myself back in… you know, when you're a kid and you're in the car, you're on the highway, you have that like, imaginary person running next to you?

John Betancourt: Yes!

Dahli: Oh yeah!

Saint: When I'm like having a hard time thinking of something, I like to put myself back in that place.

John Betancourt: Now that’s very cool.

Dahli: That’s a great, great explanation of it, for sure. very relatable.

John Betancourt: Now since you’re obviously inspiring others with your art, what kind of advice would you offer to those who want to get started in drag performance?

Saint: Um, I say just go for it. Don’t put too much thought into it. Just do what your heart is telling you to do, go in the direction you want to go in.

Dahli: Yeah, I mean, I kind of have to agree. It's something you can't really like, sit on, and think about because you only have so much time on our small little floating rock in the middle of space. Yes, make the best of it. And you might as well like, you know, make art and do things that make you happy. And that's, I mean, that's what it should be. So having any, limitation… I know, I keep saying that. But it's, really important. I think a lot more people need to hear that you literally can just do whatever you want.

John Betancourt: Now what does it mean to each of you to be a part of a show that has inspired so many?

Dahli: It means a lot in the way that like coming off, like as a viewer and then being like on the show. I wish that when I was younger that there was like something like this that I could have seen on television, you know? And who knows where we would be if that were the case. But I don't know. Setting that example, I guess. And like giving people that mindset to look into and, you know, it makes them self-reflect a little bit. That's… it's kind of difficult to explain, I guess, in a way.

John Betancourt: No, I don’t think there’s a wrong answer to that.

Saint: I just think there are so many people who like open up and tell me what drag means to them, and I think that's like the special part about having, inclusive drag, is the idea that people are going to be approaching it differently and doing it differently. And like, even this season, like being so close to Dahli and Dahli's process being so vastly different from mine, and it kind of makes you be like, “Oh, that's, that's okay to do.” Like, I want to take a piece of all of the drag that I see and, amalgamate it with mine.  

Dahli: Absolutely.

Saint: Past that, I don't know how to describe it. It's a hard one to describe.

John Betancourt: No, I think you both nailed it. In keeping with a theme of ‘meaning’ though, what are each most of proud of when it comes to your time on Dragula?

Saint: I think my time, the thing that I'm most proud of is just being myself. Because for a long time, especially growing up, you know, black and queer, it's just been… I've had you know, identity issues with myself for a very long time. So just like, knowing that being myself this whole time has gotten me here has been something that I've been able to look back on and just be very proud and happy about.

Dahli: I kind of have to agree. Without a lot of the people that have like reached out to me... I mean, with like, drag aside, it's a lot of you know… like the representation, I guess it's like, having like a non-binary person not have a gender specific approach to drag, which for some people that aren't open to it, I realized can be a bit confusing for them. And I hope that they're just able to appreciate what they see and move along without saying anything nasty, but uh… -pause- I just lost my train of thought there!

Saint: It’s a good question. It’s an important question. Because I think as an artist, we're like constantly asking ourselves, like, you know it can seem silly, almost, because sometimes I'll put like this, like, intention and purpose in it. And I'll like, feel a little silly. I'll be like, “I'm doing this portion of this look, because this is what it means to me as an artist.” And I’ll be like that’s silly. I'm making that up. But then, when you look back at, like painters and the things that you revel on, when you're looking at their work. When they're long gone. It's just like, “oh, they did this like specific color palette, because it meant this portion of their lives.” Like this, this meant something to them.

Dahli: Yeah. To have like somebody, like, analyze it and kind of break it down and try to see a story behind it that they can relate to. That's really cool. Because it's kind of how music works the same way. Like, you'll hear a song and it not be like written about that certain situation or like your personal life, but you relate to it in a way. Yeah. It’s just great to hear from other people, it’s nice.

John Betancourt: With that in mind, would you say then, Dahli, your pride really stems from the representation aspect of what you brought to the table?

Dahli: Absolutely. Also, what Saint said, just being like, recognized for being yourself. There's nothing like more validating than knowing that so many people enjoy you for you and not like a character that you tried to play on TV because there's like a lot of pressure in reality television to like, you know, give them a show and you know, act crazy and everything and that's not who I am. I've never really tried to be that person. So, for everyone to have such positive things to say about like, just how I am naturally in my daily life is really sweet. I hate it. -laughs-

John Betancourt: So, last question… what are you most looking forward to people experiencing in the Dragula finale? Without spoiling of course.

Dahli: I am excited to make other people feel filthy -laughs- and say “I shouldn’t be watching this. But I can’t look away.”

Saint: I'm just excited for people to see the drag that's presented from all four of us. I felt so honored being next to Dahli, Sigourney and HoSo. Because all three of them I have admired so much, and to be sitting there and to see this in person, and to just be part of something just so grand? So, I'm like so excited for the world to be able to see our drag as well.

John Betancourt: Awesome. Well, thank you both so much for your time today and for the nightmares. Because I used to not have an issue with clowns in the slightest, but that changed because of you two and your costumes.

Dahli: You’re welcome!

The season four finale of ‘The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula’ premieres on Shudder on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. This interview was lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Connie Nielsen is a highly accomplished actor that has appeared in countless blockbusters and brilliant independent films over the course of her career, and it just so happens that Connie has a brand-new miniseries premiering on Sundance Now this week entitled Close to Me, and we here at Nerds That Geek had the chance to speak with Connie regarding her new series to learn more about its genesis and its themes.

John Betancourt: Since you are an executive producer on this project, what was it that attracted you to Close to Me?

Connie Nielsen: It was the ability to be part of really making sure that we were going to tell the unvarnished truth of the life of a normal woman going through not just midlife crises, but on top of midlife crises, a very serious brain injury. And the format I thought of the story was so genius, you know, this idea that you just take like your usual sort of genre idea, it starts with a fall and amnesia, right? That's like, a pretty, pretty well-known device. But from then on, nothing is what it appears to be. And I just wanted to be sure that we were going to do, is to really keep that “unvarnishedness” that, that truthfulness, that realism in there, and to really go into the truth seeking, in that psychological sort of detective story, that we go on with Jo, as we start finding out the truth behind what's really happened to her. Not just in the present, but also in the deeper, deeper, deeper past.

John Betancourt: So, speaking of Jo and her journey, what was it that attracted you to playing Jo?

Connie Nielsen: I mean, clearly, it's a dream role. This is a woman who you get to see, you know, going through childhood trauma, dealing with her parents dying, and going into Alzheimer's dementia. Telling, the normal experiences of any woman over 45 right now. You know, dealing with aging parents, dealing with the fact that you are going into menopause and, and changing. And I always say, “Don't ever let a good crisis go to waste.” -laughs- You know, a good crisis is, is worth something, it's important, it will give you something that you didn't have before. And so maybe a crisis is a loss of something, but you certainly will gain something from that. And that's what attracted me to that story. And to that character. She is also incredibly feisty, and the ability as an executive producer to be able to play that unvarnishedness, that realness about her, like showing her sexual fantasies the way they really are for women. The way that you know, Jo, is when she's disinhibited, due to her brain injury in the beginning that she says terrible things that are not the way we idealize women. But also like the fun of her friendships and her, politically incorrectness. When she says things about her kids, you know? Just for me, this really important thing of telling, not an idealized woman's story.

John Betancourt: Now, you’ve spoke to a lot of Jo’s complexities and what she goes through in this story. As an actor, how did you prepare yourself for so many difficult moments?

Connie Nielsen: I don't think you can prepare yourself. I just knew I was in for like, a ride. I knew I was going to have physical and mental stability issues. I knew that I was going to be in isolation almost throughout the whole shoot. That I would go on set and then I'd come home and stay in my apartment in London. And that was it. You know, some rental apartment and that it was really going to be, like a journey into this darkness. But I thought it was just really important to do and a really important story to tell. And you know, I think we're starting to talk more about the role of gaslighting and manipulation. But I don't think we really have shown, like the deep, deep pain that that causes, like the deep, deep wounds that are created from this gaslighting. And as we dive deeper and deeper into Jo's world, we realize that that gaslighting has been going on in her whole life. And I think that it was really important to me also to show just how devastating it is and… I really think it's a social problem, like just how much gaslighting there is. I really do. I think that people are constantly trying to pull one over on each other. And like trying to persuade each other that “no, I've got the truth.” Knowing very well, that you're just trying to pull the wool over someone's eyes. It's like, I wanted to tell those things and show that. In a really personal way, you know?

John Betancourt: Now, without spoiling too much, I did notice that the show appears to be setting up an in-depth look at domestic violence and the resulting trauma from that. Which are taboo topics. What led to the decision to grounding this in such heavy material? And I mean that in a positive way, because I think that is an important conversation to have.

Connie Nielsen: Precisely that, what you're saying. Because I think it's an important conversation to have, I've always been an actor, because I believe in the power of storytelling, I believe that storytelling is central to our ways of creating community. And I believe in continuing to have that conversation as a community about “what do we allow?” Like, why do we allow this violence? Why are we not talking more about why this violence exists? You know, and we need to engage, like, really earnestly sometimes, you know, we do it with a lot of humor in Jo, Jo uses humor and her self deprecation as a way of keeping a grip on herself. She uses humor as a way of also chastising herself, and disciplining herself in a way, but it also shows the mental aspect of a person who has been gaslighted. And therefore, continues to cause this violence to herself, in her mind, all the time. And potentially even to her own body. And, and that's, you know, knowing is that violence, you know, brought from her past? And then now, is she doing that violence? Or who is doing this violence?

John Betancourt: Well, that is the best part of this journey, the discovery.

Connie Nielsen: Well, it is sort of like, she's this detective, but the worst detective on the planet because she's got a brain injury. -laughs-

John Betancourt: Now, we’ve talked a lot about messages today and so far, out of all the underlying messages in this series… which one means the most to you?

Connie Nielsen: That, you know, well, first of all, don't step away from the truth. Like here you have a woman who has a brain injury, and she will not stop looking for the truth, she is desperate to find the truth. And I think let's not look away from the truth, let's really, really seek out the truth fearlessly. But to really seek our truth, we have to not have fear. We have to really, truly be courageous and brave, and in a moment where our society is having a really hard time to keep a hold on the perception of what truth is, the understanding of what truth is and how to find that. I think that I, as an artist, at least want to say, “well, you know what, number one thing is, don't be afraid of the truth.” You know, don't be afraid of it. And it may be that some kind of, you know, story is nicer. But let's really, really focus on the truth. The truth is essential to being human. We can't function as a society without truth.

John Betancourt: What are you most proud of when it comes to this series?

Connie Nielsen: I'm really proud of the fact that we've really succeeded in making this incredible story on so many levels, we've painted a true portrait, I think of a normal woman going through things that women go through. Be it the menopause, be it this coming of age, into the second half of your life. And then what does that mean? And to really focus on wanting to reengage with the notion of what women are. I refuse to accept this notion that menopause means women are no longer. And then this whole laundry list of what women were supposed to be in the first place. I refuse that laundry list; I want to say with the story: women are awesome! Whether they can, you know, have babies anymore or not. They are sexy. They are wise. They're smart, and they're fierce. And they are fighters. For, dignity. And that's really what I feel really proud of. That… with this series, we're telling that.

John Betancourt: You’re absolutely right. That’s another great conversation to have. So, without spoiling anything, what are you most looking forward to fans taking away from this series?

Connie Nielsen: I really think that courage, and the role of courage in confronting your life is essential. That courage is often fed by your network of friends and family. And they are really important, and want for you to, to have that courage, to confront the truth about your life and yourself. But I think that courage, I think, is really what I'd like people to take away at the end of the story. That, you know, everybody has traumas and these traumas, they form us, they shape us, but it's never too late to engage with life and yourself. And to right the wrongs.

The series premiere of ‘Close to Me’ will debut on Sundance Now on December 16, 2021. This interview with lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Rebecca Gibney is a highly accomplished and award-winning actress who is well known for her roles in Wanted and Packed to the Rafters, has a new dramedy coming out on Monday on Acorn TV entitles, Under the Vines, and we here at Nerds That Geek were lucky enough to sit down with Rebecca to talk about this brilliant new show and what went into its creation.
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John Betancourt: What was it that attracted you to Under the Vines?
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Rebecca Gibney: Look, you know, I haven't played a role like this before. The the last few things that I've been doing… like Lola in Wanted is kind of this badass Kind of chick who kind of kicks butt and drives fast cars. And, you know, Julie Rafter in Packed to the Rafters is kind of the all-Australian mother and so Daisy is someone that I've never played before. She's kind of this vacuous, flaky, Sydney socialite who loves labels. I mean, I wouldn't know label if I fell over it. -laughs- So, to be able to wear Chanel's and Gucci's and all that stuff, it was obvious, and it was a lighthearted, joyous romp. You know, I think the world is kind of sad at the moment. So, to be able to be a part of a show that is that is joyous and full of light and heart and funny was… yeah, it was kind of an obvious thing for me.

John Betancourt: Speaking of Daisy, you mentioned a few of the reasons she caught your eye, what was the top reason as an actor, that attracted you to playing her?

Rebecca Gibney: Well, you know what the great thing was, I came on board as an executive producer, very early on, I was able to help shape Daisy. Erin White, who created the show had this character and the project in her bottom drawer for a long time and when I came on board the show I said, “Can we shoot it in New Zealand?” So, she came to New Zealand, and she went through the vineyards. And she found everything and worked with some New Zealand writers, and I was able to give input into the character. And I love the fact that she was kind of an older woman, trying to, you know, maintain her youth and all the things that as an older woman, myself, you sometimes think about. You’re like, “Oh, God, do I need to keep doing this stuff to remain relevant?” And what I love about Daisy's journey over the course of the series is that she learns that it's not about that. Life is not about being on a surface, it's about what's underneath and finding family and commitment and working hard at something. And it's not about the surface stuff. That's not what matters. So, I love the journey as a character.

John Betancourt: Now you bring up a very good point, in that, there’s a lot of depth to this show. How much influence did you have in assembling a lot of the themes present in this season?

Rebecca Gibney: As an executive producer, I was across all the early drafts. Anyone who knows a writers table, you start off with beat sheets. So, you get beat sheets of what's going to happen. Character development as well. And I was right there at the casting with the producer. I was in on all casting. So, I think, once you've got really beautifully drawn characters, getting the right cast is important. And we were lucky that we assembled some of New Zealand's finest actors, Charles Edwards, I think has a major part to play in that, in the sense that he and I, from the minute we met each other, just clicked. And, you know, Erin wanted the show to be kind of like a harking back to the screwball comedies in the 40s and 50s. Hepburn and Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, those kinds of things, and to be able to be involved in those creative discussions is just fantastic. So, I think I had a little bit to put in there. But obviously, I'm not a writer. So, kudos to the writers because they have to take notes from a lot of people. But yeah, certainly, I had input into the creation of Daisy and where she ends up.

John Betancourt: Now, of the many themes present in the show, which out of all of them are you most eager for people to experience, because there really are a lot of lessons present in this show.

Rebecca Gibney: Totally, I think it's about being your authentic self, I think that’s really important. And I love the idea of… I mean, everyone loves a fish out of water story, you know, fish out of water characters that come to a place, and they learn to adapt to the environment, and they fall in love with the environment and the people. And I think, for me, just to see this woman evolve -- and also, you know, life doesn't have to end after 50! What I love is that we've got, you know, two lead characters that are both in their 50s that are just as vital and exciting and interesting as they were in their 20s. So, I love that this is a show about how you can start again at any age, you know, even if the characters are in their 60s or their 70s. It's about, it doesn't matter what's on the outside. We all feel the same on the inside, you know, like my mother is 86. And she said when she looks in the mirror, she doesn't recognize that person because inside she still feels like a 35-year-old. So, I just love the fact that it's about it's about being who you want to be and there is hope in there as well. Because at the moment, let's face it, the world is a little bit of a sad place, but you can come to Peak View and have hope.

John Betancourt: And good wine, too, no doubt!

Rebecca Gibney: Great wine! You know what, when we talked about it in the early days the other thing, the other show that kept coming back was Northern Exposure. I don't know if you remember Northern Exposure, but everyone loved Northern Exposure, and I love Northern Exposure, and so did the creator, Erin. And so, when we when we sat around a room talking about it, we talked about, well, this is like, “we want it to be like Northern Exposure… with wine.” I mean, what’s not to love? You know, if it's like Northern Exposure with wine, hopefully everyone will want to watch it.

John Betancourt: Now I also noticed that Daisy is a very complex character, and it seems like at where she’s at in her life, she’s searching for something. What is it you think she is searching for?

Rebecca Gibney: Um, family, she doesn't have family. She's not a part of a family. Her mother died when she was young. Stanley's been her only real family, and now he’s died. So, she has no family left. And I think for Daisy, it's also about commitment, family, and commitment. She's never committed to anything; she's never had to. She's just been going from place to place to place, buying stuff, trying to fill her life with stuff. And I think the journey for her over the course of this is actually committing to something, working for something, and finding that these people that are strangers, they become her family. And I love that. I love that about her. And I love the relationships that are formed over the course of the series.

John Betancourt: So, we’ve talked a lot about themes today, simply because the show has so many present and one that really caught my eye, was the underlying discussions of the nature of grief and recovering from that. What do you hope people take from that particular theme as season one rolls along?

Rebecca Gibney: Well, the interesting thing is as the as the season wears on, particularly for Daisy, there's an episode coming up, where she does have to deal with grief, in the sense that she's never really grieved properly, and never really spoken about it. And I think we're going to explore that more if we get to go season two, and three, and four, I think those are themes that we only really touch on season one, but it is about recognizing that grief and, and touching on it. Because I think the minute you see that with a character that seems to be fine on the surface, which you will see later on in the series, you realize, “oh my gosh, she hasn't really dealt with this stuff.” And we all have to deal with it. Because we're all going to go through grief, whether it gets delayed or not. I mean, personally, because I lost my dad at 17, I know what that kind of grief is. And I was able to access it myself. But I think it's about allowing those emotions to play out and allowing those feelings to be there. Because for a lot of people grieving is really tricky. You know, they go into denial, they don't want to deal with it. And they just push it away, and they get on with their life and they just push it away. It's going to come back at some point, you're going to have to deal with it at some point. So, I think that's the other thing that the show is trying to you know -- even though it's very joyous and lighthearted, it's got a great heart, because it is talking about the heart. We have to deal with that stuff. Yeah, I'm surprised you even picked up on that, because that's, something we definitely deal with. But it's, you know, it's just there. We've kind of dropped it in along the way.

John Betancourt: Which leads me to my next question, I really get the impression that you and the rest of the creative time want Under the Vines to serve as an inspiration to people. Is that a big reason why so many themes are present in this series?

Rebecca Gibney: Definitely. Oh, definitely. I think you know, we shot the series earlier this year, and so we'd had a year of the pandemic. And we actively decided not to put the pandemic in there. We didn't want any reference to COVID because we are hopeful that we are going to get through it, obviously. And we will come out the other side and COVID will end up being something that we went; “well wasn't that a terrible couple of years.” But we're going to move through it because we have to, because there is no alternative. And so yes, definitely when we were making this, we wanted people to be able to sit down with a glass of wine or a cup of tea or soda or whatever and watch the show, and escape into it for the 45 minutes that it's on. And just really go back to a time where there is joy and hope and light and love and remember the most important thing is friendship and family and heart and love. Because at the moment there's not a lot of that going on in the world. Certainly not seeing it on the screens either. And I'm like “we need more of that.” I mean I love a good murder mystery as much as anyone but I'm kind of over them. I want to see romantic comedies I want to watch, you know, Four Weddings and a Funeral or Love Actually, or Notting Hill. I want to watch stuff like that. And I that's why, you know, I love this because it's kind of a rom com. It's Under the Tuscan Sun feel. You can escape completely and feel good. Hopefully at the end, you can actually go: “Oh, that makes me feel good.”

John Betancourt:  So, out of everything we've talked about today so far, what would you say that you're most proud of when it comes to this series?

Rebecca Gibney: Um, I'm, look, I'm just most proud of all of it. I love our cast. I love our writing. I love that at the end of it, you know, there is even at the end of Episode Six, you're gonna go: “Ah, there's that cliffhanger!” But I want people to sing along to the when the song comes on, which there’s a great band, The East Pointers, and they very beautifully gave us the theme song, I want people to be able to sing along to that song when they hear it. I want it to get ingrained into their heads because again, it's joyous. It's something that you're skipping to in the kitchen afterwards. And I that's what I'm proud of. I'm proud of the fact that I've been a part of the genesis of it. I've watched it grow. I was in the edits, all of that, the music, everything, and I still cry when I watch it. And I still laugh, and I still feel good. So, I'm proud of that. I'm proud of the fact that even having seen it hundreds of times, I still feel old feelings when I see it.

John Betancourt: Before we go, the last question I have for you today, without spoiling of course, what are you most looking forward to audiences experiencing in this first season?

Rebecca Gibney: Apart from the beauty of New Zealand, because a lot of people haven't been to New Zealand, a lot of people don't know New Zealand. So, I think the landscape is -- because the landscape obviously plays a very important character in the in the piece. So, I think they're going to experience New Zealand in the characters. So, in that Northern Exposure kind of vein, you're going to meet these fabulous people who believe life is about simplicity and joy and kindness. And I think that's what people will go on, this journey of these two completely different humans. It's kind of a bit Moonlighting, you know, it's Bruce Willis, Sybil Shepherd, from way back. These are the people that kind of have nothing in common, but they kind of work together. And watching their journey through these extraordinary scenery with these other amazing people. I think that's what people are going to love.

‘Under the Vines’ premieres on Acorn TV on Monday, December 6, 2021. This interview was lightly edited and condensed for clarity.