TVNZ has unveiled a powerhouse programming catalogue for 2015 featuring a choice of quality shows for viewers every night of the week.
After a stellar 2014 which saw TVNZ hold the number one programme in every key genre*, 2015 will not only see the return of many of these shows, but also the best new content from at home and around the world.
Highlights include New Zealand’s only local drama about WWI, the brand new and big-budget When We Go To War. TVNZ will also welcome the contemporary revamp of the cult classic, Thunderbirds Are Go, a co-production from ITV and Pukeko Pictures using high-end animation from our own Weta Workshop, and already generating much excitement both at home and abroad.
Other local investments include the multi-night event series Our First Home, a brand new format looking at how far parents will go to help their children, especially when faced with the challenges of home ownership. Kiwis will also be able to settle in and discover the best of the lifestyle we love down under with food, pets, travel, health, DIY and gardening covered in the brand new Kiwi Living.
As the leader in local television, TVNZ will screen more than 4,100 hours of local programming in 2015 and will make a $100 million investment in local production across ONE, TV2 and TVNZ OnDemand, including the return of MKR NZ and New Zealand’s biggest soap Shortland Street, as well as new shows The Big Ward, Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up and I Am Innocent.
International distribution deals will see the continuation of hugely popular shows like The Big Bang Theory and Broadchurch, plus the arrival of some of overseas audiences’ favourite new productions, including the USA’s number one new drama, How To Get Away With Murder starring double-Academy Award-nominee Viola Davis.
TVNZ’s Head of Content Jeff Latch says, “We set out to continue to provide programme choices across the board, appealing to Kiwis from all walks of life and the advertisers who wish to reach them. We feel we’ve done that very successfully. With an enormous line-up of high-quality programming to provide must-watch TV every night of the week, and much-anticipated developments with our already popular OnDemand service, we are committed to remaining the provider of New Zealanders’ favourite content, and ensuring our viewers can watch that content wherever and whenever they like.”
TVNZ’s news and current affairs programming will continue to be a driving force, both on-air and online. TVNZ remains New Zealand’s go-to news and current affairs provider, with Sunday the most-watched current affairs show and ONE News at Six reaching over 900,000** viewers each day.
Says Latch, “We’ve always been committed to keeping Kiwis regularly updated throughout the day, from waking up with Breakfast, to the Midday and 6pm bulletins, before closing the evening out with Tonight. In 2015 Kiwis want news as it’s happening, and we are dedicated to continuing to provide it in innovative and ground-breaking ways.”
TVNZ’s successful strategy of premiering new and returning shows OnDemand saw a record 6.3 million streams in October 2014 alone, and resounding feedback of audience appreciation. With ongoing investment and development into this service, Kiwis can expect even more from TVNZ OnDemand in 2015.
For more details of TVNZ’s 2015 programming, go to www.tvnznewseason.co.nz
Highlights from TVNZ’s New Season:
NEW TO TV ONE:
• When We Go To War – as New Zealand prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, this local drama was made with funding from New Zealand On Air’s premium Platinum Fund. With household Kiwi names like Ido Drent and Shavaughan Ruakere, combined with high quality production values, this promises to be a New Zealand television event.
• Our First Home – a brand new and locally made multi-night format. With BNZ, Fly Buys and Toyota making up the family of sponsors, this series showcases TVNZ’s continuing commitment to partner brands and content for the maximum benefit of both clients and viewers, providing brands another opportunity to reach their targets in innovative ways.
• Kiwi Living – sit back, relax, and plan out your weekend with the very best of the quintessential New Zealand lifestyle. Learn new recipes from cooking with the stars, get the very best in pet advice, pick up a few tips for brightening up your garden, and get some help planning your next big holiday.
• Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up – Kiwi favourite Nigel Latta will be back on our screens, but with a difference; making science fun for the whole family. Expect to see what happens when a house burns down, and an explanation of what happens when you get hit with 10,000 volts of electricity.
• I Am Innocent – a chilling new documentary series telling the stories of six New Zealanders whose lives were shattered after being wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit.
• 800 Words – a joint New Zealand and Australian drama starring fan favourite Erik Thompson (Packed to the Rafters) as a recently widowed father of two teenage sons who leaves Sydney in search of a simpler life in a picturesque Kiwi town.
• Aquarius – the killings that shocked a generation; based on the true story, David Duchovny stars as the homicide detective working on the notorious Charles Manson-lead murders.
• Stalker – starring Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott, and already confirmed for a full season run in the USA due to its popularity, this psychological thriller delves into the minds of those who become obsessed.
• Forever – also confirmed for a full season run in the USA, this drama follows a New York City medical examiner with a vested interest in studying the dead; he himself can’t die. Starring Ioan Gruffudd and Judd Hirsch.
NEW TO TV2:
• How To Get Away With Murder – the number one new drama out of the USA. From Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and starring double Academy Award-nominee Viola Davis (Get On Up) as a defence attorney and criminal law professor who teaches her students the dark truth about law.
• Thunderbirds Are Go – the smash-hit TV show gets a 2015 treatment using cutting-edge animation from our very own Weta Workshop, co-produced by ITV and Pukeko Pictures.
• Terry Teo – the 1980s classic is back! Join Terry in a modern day adaptation of the savvy teenager surviving the mean streets of Auckland.
• The Big Ward – from Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital, follow the diagnosis and treatment of six morbidly obese Kiwis seeking help.
• Bogans – and they said he couldn’t make a career out of a PhD in “boganism”. Dr. David Snell presents the vibrant lifestyle of everything that comes with being a bogan in New Zealand. Prepare to cringe and laugh with some great Kiwi humour.
• The Mysteries of Laura – successfully managing the tricky task of premiering in the USA’s weekly top 20 shows, this new dramedy sees Debra Messing play a gifted NYC detective overrun by her twin six-year-old boys.
• Marry Me – based on the creator’s relationship with his wife, who also happens to be the star of the show (Happy Endings’ Casey Wilson), this comedy follows the long and bumpy road between agreeing to marry someone, and actually doing it.
• Marvel’s Agent Carter – as superheroes continue to dominate on TV, Ondemand and at the movies, Hayley Atwell reprises the role she held in the short-film of the same name, a spin-off from the box-office record-breaking Captain America franchise.
Returning to TVNZ:
• More of the best local programming including a feature-length episode of Shortland Street, MKR NZ, Step Dave, Police Ten 7, Best Bits, Piha Rescue, Return to Gloriavale and much more.
• Proven audience favourites with multi-night viewing including MKR Australia, The Voice Australia, The Voice USA and The Amazing Race.
• Premium international content such as Broadchurch, Offspring, The Big Bang Theory, Wentworth, Call the Midwife, Arrow, Gotham, The Flash, Person of Interest, 2 Broke Girls, The Mentalist, The Walking Dead, Castle, Mom and much more.
• Still the home of New Zealand’s favourite soaps, with Shortland Street, Home and Away, Neighbours, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
* Source: Nielsen TAM 1st Jan – 31st October 2014 (consolidated). AP5+. Number one soap (Shortland Street), number one drama (Broadchurch), number one current affairs (Sunday), number one factual (Highway Cops), number one comedy (Mrs Brown’s Boys), number one news (ONE News at Six)
** Source: Average Daily Reach, AP5+. Nielsen TAM 1st Jan – 31st October 2014 (consolidated). Notes: NCA stats all exclude the Election and Vote 2014 programming across all Networks.