6 June 2023
A much-loved broadcasting maverick is to get his own scripted comedy series. Jono Pryor, of Jono and Ben fame, is the creator and star of the new series, greenlit with funding from NZ On Air.
Titled Vince, and screening on ThreeNow and Three, the new prime time comedy follows the eponymous television presenter who is dumped by his network after an unfortunate mishap. Scheming with his shambolic agent, Vince is determined to clear his name and get back on screen.
Since leaving our screens, Jono Pryor has been developing his screenwriting skills and acting in shows such as Golden Boy and Raised By Refugees.
Another new comedy headed to ThreeNow and Three is n00b which follows a group of adolescent outcasts in small-town Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005 who use the internet and its newly invented social media to escape their depressing realities.
n00b had its genesis as a successful TikTok series funded in 2021 via Every Voice, a joint initiative between NZ On Air, Screen Australia and TikTok. Since its launch in mid-2022 n00b the online series has had over 1.5m views on TikTok.
NZ On Air Head of Funding Amie Mills says it’s exciting witnessing our creative talent embracing fresh and ambitious avenues of storytelling.
“To see the talented team behind n00b taking it from TikTok to TV and partnering with the experience of Great Southern, and to see Jono craft his own scripted series with Kevin and Co is a great endorsement of the value of our investment in talent pathways,” she says.
“Every Voice and a number of scripted series over recent years have not only engaged audiences but given our storytellers space to hone their skills and grow their careers in the screen sector,” Ms Mills continued.
*Both projects were invited to make a production funding application in a closed round as they’d previously sought production funding but were instead supported for further development prior to production funding being reconsidered.
Funding details:
Vince, 8 x 22’, Kevin and Co for ThreeNow and Three, up to $1,709,052
n00b, 6 x 22’, Great Southern Television for ThreeNow and Three, up to $1,499,541