We use cookies to help us understand how you use our site, and make your experience better. To find out more read our privacy policy.
Play

00:00

/

00:00

Full screen
Video quality

Low 0 MB

High 0 MB

HD 0 MB

Captions
Volume
Volume
Hero image for 6.30PM News - Grahame Thorne's Perm

6.30PM News - Grahame Thorne's Perm

Television (Excerpts) – 1983

With stints as an All Black, Springbok triallist, sports presenter, National MP, and sometime celebrity chef, Grahame Thorne has experienced his share of fame. But perhaps his hottest 15 minutes came after he dared to present the sports news one day in 1983 ... with a perm. The ensuing national trauma inspired headlines, irate phonecalls, and “curls are for girls” banners at rugby games. Sadly the perm’s freshest incarnation is lost to the archives, and this slightly grown-out version is the only extant evidence of a key moment in Kiwi fashion history.

It was great because you could just get out of the shower, give it a shake and Bob's your uncle. And the women loved it.
– Graham Thorne, in a 2009 Sunday News interview

Key Cast & Crew

Generic Profile image for Grahame Thorne

Grahame Thorne

Presenter

Profile image for Philip Sherry

Philip Sherry

Presenter

More from the Rugby Collection...

Thumbnail image for The Good, the Bad and the Rugby

The Good, the Bad and the Rugby

This documentary follows the then world champion All...

Thumbnail image for Men of the Silver Fern
Series

Men of the Silver Fern

Never broadcast on local TV, Men of the Silver...

Thumbnail image for Legends of the All Blacks - The Legend Begins: The Battle with Britain

Legends of the All Blacks - The Legend Begins: The Battle with Britain

Screened in the lead-up to the 1999 World Cup final,...

Thumbnail image for Score

Score

The theatre of sport is given full-blown operatic...

Thumbnail image for Looking at New Zealand - 'Rugby, Racing and Beer'

Looking at New Zealand - 'Rugby, Racing and Beer'

This 1968 segment from an early Sunday night magazine...

Thumbnail image for This is Your Life - George Nepia

This is Your Life - George Nepia

Host Bob Parker opens the book on the life of 81 year...

Thumbnail image for The Making of an All Black

The Making of an All Black

This NZBC documentary goes behind the scenes of the...

Thumbnail image for The Mighty Pride

The Mighty Pride

Some of the great names of...

Thumbnail image for My Old Man's an All Black - performed by Howard Morrison & Billy T James

My Old Man's an All Black - performed by Howard Morrison & Billy T James

'My Old Man’s an All Black' was a big hit for...

Thumbnail image for The Game of Our Lives - Home and Away

The Game of Our Lives - Home and Away

This four-part series explores New Zealand social...

Thumbnail image for Patu!

Patu!

Merata Mita’s Patu! is a startling...

Thumbnail image for All Blacks Profiles
Series

All Blacks Profiles

These short profiles of then-current All Blacks were...

Thumbnail image for 20/20 - The Real McCaw

20/20 - The Real McCaw

For this 4 May 2006 20/20 profile, reporter...

Thumbnail image for Close Up - All Blacks interview (June 2005)

Close Up - All Blacks interview (June 2005)

This Close Up All Blacks interview was...

Thumbnail image for Warbrick

Warbrick

This short follows Joe Warbrick (Calvin Tuteao, from...

Thumbnail image for Blood, Sweat and Touring

Blood, Sweat and Touring

The follow up to 1989 tour doco The Good, the...

Thumbnail image for The Wyllie Bunch

The Wyllie Bunch

The third of Pasta Productions’ popular All...

Thumbnail image for Savage Play
Series

Savage Play

This three part miniseries is loosely based on a...

Thumbnail image for bro'Town - Get Rucked

bro'Town - Get Rucked

This hit animated TV comedy follows the adventures of...

Thumbnail image for The Kick

The Kick

When the All Blacks beat France to win the 2011 Rugby...

Thumbnail image for All Blacks Invincibles Tour

All Blacks Invincibles Tour

This silent 16mm gem shows two legendary All Black...

Thumbnail image for Talk Talk - Graham Henry

Talk Talk - Graham Henry

In this episode from season three of Talk...

Thumbnail image for This is Your Life - Colin Meads

This is Your Life - Colin Meads

Based on the US show of the same name, This Is...

Thumbnail image for Through Scrummage, Three Quarters and All

Through Scrummage, Three Quarters and All

This National Film Unit newsreel offers a wide-ranging...

Thumbnail image for Ngāti Porou East Coast 2001 - True Colours

Ngāti Porou East Coast 2001 - True Colours

"1-2-3, Ngāti!" This is a behind the scenes look at...

Thumbnail image for Old Scores

Old Scores

A deathbed confession from a touch judge leads to a...

Thumbnail image for Skin and Bone

Skin and Bone

Twenty three years after Foreskin's Lament...

Thumbnail image for The Test

The Test

Some of the great names of...

Thumbnail image for France vs All Blacks 1994 - the try from the end of the world

France vs All Blacks 1994 - the try from the end of the world

In this excerpt from One World of Sport’s...

Thumbnail image for France vs New Zealand (first test, 1961)

France vs New Zealand (first test, 1961)

Peppered by colourful commentary this newsreel shows...

Thumbnail image for Extraordinary Kiwis - Dan Carter

Extraordinary Kiwis - Dan Carter

Clarke Gayford spends a day with the All Blacks' star...

Thumbnail image for The Lion and the Kiwi

The Lion and the Kiwi

This National Film Unit documentary follows the...

Thumbnail image for All Blacks for Africa - A Black and White Issue

All Blacks for Africa - A Black and White Issue

This 1992 TV One documentary follows the All Blacks on...

Thumbnail image for 6.30PM News - Grahame Thorne's Perm

6.30PM News - Grahame Thorne's Perm

With stints as an All Black, Springbok triallist,...

Thumbnail image for This is Your Life - Grant Fox

This is Your Life - Grant Fox

All Black great Grant Fox is given the big red book in...

Thumbnail image for Extraordinary Kiwis - Colin Meads

Extraordinary Kiwis - Colin Meads

Jim Greenhough profiles Colin 'Pinetree' Meads —...

Thumbnail image for Anger Within: Jonah Lomu

Anger Within: Jonah Lomu

Stéphane Le Goff...

Thumbnail image for British Isles vs New Zealand (second test, 1966)

British Isles vs New Zealand (second test, 1966)

Highlights from the second test of the 1966 Lions tour...

Thumbnail image for British Isles vs New Zealand (fourth test, 1966)

British Isles vs New Zealand (fourth test, 1966)

This 1966 NFU film shows highlights of the fourth...

Thumbnail image for Try Revolution

Try Revolution

Some argue that if the 1981 Springbok rugby tour of...

Thumbnail image for Weekly Review No. 263 - Rugby in New Zealand

Weekly Review No. 263 - Rugby in New Zealand

This excerpt from a post-war NFU newsreel begins at...

Thumbnail image for Survey - Take Three Passions

Survey - Take Three Passions

Tony Williams recognised that passion makes for...

Thumbnail image for Gladiator: the Norm Hewitt story

Gladiator: the Norm Hewitt story

Gladiator: the Norm Hewitt story is...

Thumbnail image for Don't Go

Don't Go

In the vein of 'We are the World' and 'Do They Know...

Thumbnail image for Lew Pryme - Welcome to my World

Lew Pryme - Welcome to my World

Lew Pryme's life was a wild ride that took in...

Thumbnail image for The Garlick Thrust

The Garlick Thrust

Young Geoff Garlick reckons he's developed a...

Thumbnail image for TP McLean Interview

TP McLean Interview

In this unexpurgated (and until-now unscreened)...

Thumbnail image for The Whistle Blowers

The Whistle Blowers

Anna Cottrell's documentary looks at three high...

Thumbnail image for Attitude Special - The Journey of the Wheel Blacks

Attitude Special - The Journey of the Wheel Blacks

Attitude is a weekly series looking at the...

Thumbnail image for Maul

Maul

The dark arts of the maul and scrum are shown in a new...

Thumbnail image for Chasing Great

Chasing Great

Nominated for three Moa Awards, this documentary...

Thumbnail image for New Zealand Mirror No. 24

New Zealand Mirror No. 24

This was the 24th edition of New Zealand...

Thumbnail image for Giants of the Past

Giants of the Past

Surveying All Blacks rugby from 1905 until 1967, this...

Thumbnail image for The Game of Our Lives - Tries and Penalties

The Game of Our Lives - Tries and Penalties

This episode of rugby series The...