Flight of the Conchords at 10: Rhys Darby looks back on band meetings – and the chances of a return “You turkeys. You’re like a couple of cool looking… idiots.” Band manager Murray Hewitt managed to express Flight of the Conchords […]

“You turkeys. You’re like a couple of cool looking… idiots.”

Band manager Murray Hewitt managed to express Flight of the Conchords in a nutshell during one of his many frustrated outbursts.

The cult comedy followed the ups and downs (mainly downs) of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement as they tried to forge a career in New York City.

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Hewitt, played by Rhys Darby, may have been the third wheel to the Kiwi folk duo who would bemuse a tiny chunk of the Big Apple with their unorthodox music and deadpan delivery, but he stole almost every scene he was in.

A decade on from the HBO show’s debut, Darby reflects on its genius, its origins – and whether we might ever see a third season.

From Edinburgh to New York City

New Zealanders Rhys Darby, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie met in the late 1990s while touring the comedy circuit. The trio then worked more closely in the early Noughties during the Edinburgh Fringe.

“It got to the point where Jemaine couldn’t be in the same room as he laughed so much, so my pieces were often shot separately.”

“We were at Edinburgh together in 2002, Bret tech’ed my show and handed out biscuits halfway through,” recalls Darby.

Flight of the Conchords would receive a Perrier Award nomination at the Fringe in 2003 and the three comedians would be reunited a year later when the misfit duo were offered a show on Radio 2.

This would mark the debut of Rhys Darby’s character Murray Hewitt, a passionate but incompetent band manager.

Darby claims the inspiration for the goofy and lovable character came from “a combination of my army sergeants, soccer coaches and my Mum”.

Three years on from the radio show, the folk duo and Darby would make their debut on the small screen in the USA.

Despite being suddenly thrust into the limelight, Darby notes that McKenzie and Clement remained grounded.

“They always managed to keep their cool despite the enormous pressure of making a TV show.

“I think we were young and a little naive and our optimistic Kiwi charm kept our heads above water. We were always trying to make each other laugh.”

‘Murray, present. Bret, present. Jemaine, present’

Alongside magnificent musical numbers, the band meetings in which Rhys Darby featured prominently were often the highlights of the series.

A typical band meeting Murray: “Who are those guys you were dissing? The only one I could make out was Snoopy. What’s your problem with him?” Bret: “No, Snoop Dogg.” Murray: “I know he’s a dog, Brett. I’m not totally in the dark ages, I do go out once in a while.”

Darby reveals that the back and forths between Jemaine, Bret and Murray were usually improvised.

“We improvised a lot, mostly in the band meetings. The spur of the moment gold quite often made the cut and it brought a raw honestly and realness to the show.”

Darby thinks he knows why the band meetings were so popular with the fans of the show.

“Because we quite honestly tried to make each other laugh in those scenes with improvisation,” he says.

“As time went by, particularly in the second season, it got to the point where Jemaine couldn’t be in the same room as he laughed so much, so my pieces were often shot separately.”

Despite the show’s niche concept, Flight of the Conchords would receive widespread acclaim for its infectious brand of humour.

A blend of well trodden “awkward comedy” and “unique, original and fantastic music”, was key to the show’s success, according to Darby.

Fans would only be get two seasons of the comedy, as the trio went on to pursue different projects.

Speculation over a reunion and a third season have periodically resurfaced since the finale of the second season.

Pressed on whether the show would return for a third outing or even a film, Darby’s answer is typically eccentric: “Never say never, as Sean Connery never said.”