Hudson and Halls: the tragic romance you’ve probably never heard of

New Zealand is widely considered one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to gay rights. New Zealand was the first in Australasia and thirteenth in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.

Not only that, but New Zealand’s media has always played a critical role in the visibly of the gay community on television. If you were to ask someone if they could name a LGBT personality who regularly featured on television, I would expect most would answer with the Topp Twins.

This dyke-namic (I’m so sorry) duo were a pair of yodelling sisters, Lynda and Jools, who to this day tour the country to sell-out crowds. In 1987 a Topp Twins Special showcasing the duo's stage material marked their television debut.

However, recently I was surprised to learn that they weren’t the only gay duo on our screens. In fact, long before the Topp Twins graced our screens, there was Hudson and Halls.

From 1976 - 1986, this popular cookery programme ran on kiwi television. The show was hosted by Peter Hudson and David Halls, whose blend of slap-stick comedy and camp humour became a smash hit across the country.

They became instantly famous for their on-screen bickering, regular cooking disasters and ever-constant sexual innuendo.

However what really made them so important is that they were an on-screen gay couple, when homosexuality was illegal.

After meeting in 1962 and falling in love, they had opened a shoe store together and then an ice cream parlour. However, they had a real flair for dinner parties and quickly booked their first television deal, earning just $20 an episode.

Hudson and Halls started screening nearly 10 years before the Homosexual Law Reform Bill was passed.

Here’s a clip from one of their shows:

While neither Hudson or Halls explicitly ‘came out’, the sexual tension between the two became a running joke between them and the audience. Everyone knew that they were a couple, and it merely added another layer of charm to the show.

“They seemed to know what the other was thinking. Those routines when they were cooking were more second nature than scripted. They weren't really planned. They worked as a team.” said John Carlaw, the show’s producer.

After being cancelled in New Zealand after a decade, the show then successfully transferred to the BBC in London, drawing millions of viewers.

However, it wasn’t long lasting. Six years after the duo left New Zealand screens, Peter Hudson died of prostate cancer. Close friends of David say his death had a permanent effect on him, which explains why he chose to take his own life just a year later.

It’s not a story that ends on a cheery note, but an extremely important one in New Zealand history.

I thought I’d share it with you.

#television #LGBT #NewZealand