22 September 2023
Local and international audiences have three brand new series to look forward to from talented New Zealand content teams, telling Aotearoa’s stories. Two series that debuted in 2023 have also secured a second year of support from Irirangi Te Motu| NZ On Air.
Son is set in rural Canterbury amid dystopian tumult caused by perpetual daylight as Earth’s gravitational fields go haywire. The story centres on a mother’s journey to find her son, and the characters she meets along the way. Created by Great Southern Television, it will screen on Sky Open and star Keisha Castle-Hughes.
Year Of The Fox from Awa Films is a new drama series for ThreeNow and Three . It tells the story of Mere who has returned to her tribal land to continue her father’s mission of saving the whenua. Mere’s life is a little complicated by a hot farmer neighbour and a dirt-bag ex who inhabits her head.
From the crack-up writing team behind Wellington Paranormal, we enter the story of Warren’s Vortex, a new scripted comedy for TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. Lower Hutt dad, Warren, has a hidden vortex in his garden shed that leads to parallel realities where life in New Zealand is all a bit twisted.
One of the stand-out local drama hits of 2023, The Gone will return for a second season on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. The New Zealand/Ireland co-production was funded for the first season through Te Puna Kairangi – Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund, with additional funding from NZ On Air. A strongbroadcast TV audience was amplified by record streaming numbers – becoming the highest reaching local new drama series on TVNZ+ so far this year.
Double Parked, another strong performer on demand, will also be back. The second season of the scripted comedy finds new-Mums and partners Steph and Nat struggling to save their relationship while looking after their newborns. It will again screen on ThreeNow and Three.
NZ On Air Head of Funding Amie Mills says the funding decisions demonstrate why NZ On Air lobbied for wider eligibility for the Screen Production Rebate applying to local productions.
“This Special Scripted round was strategically planned and scheduled to respond to the newly expanded eligibility criteria for local productions. This now includes genres beyond animation and children's content, allowing them to access the rebate in conjunction with our funding. The results of this round demonstrate that there is a wealth of ambitious local stories deserving of both international and local investment, all of which have been eagerly awaiting this opportunity,” Ms Mills continued.
*The asterisked funding decisions are subject to raising full finance, including NZSPR.
Funding details:
*The Gone 2, 6 x 50', Kōtare Productions for TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, up to $4,500,000
*Year Of The Fox, 8 x 30', Awa Films for ThreeNow and Three, up to $2,500,000
Double Parked 2, 8 x 22', Kevin & Co. for ThreeNow and Three, up to $2,219,650
*Son, 8 x 22', Great Southern Television for Sky/Sky Open, up to $1,980,000
*Warren’s Vortex, 6 x 23', Kitchen Table Productions for TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+, up to $1,465,000