A lively new weekly programme for Maori youth, a look back at one of our most successful songs and its creator, and a series with three sisters who could run rings around the Kardashians have been supported by NZ On Air in the final funding round of the financial year.

A lively new weekly programme for Maori youth, a look back at one of our most successful songs and its creator, and a series with three sisters who could run rings around the Kardashians have been supported by NZ On Air in the final funding round of the financial year.

2Kaha will be a live hosted studio entertainment magazine-style programme, offering a window into the world of successful young Maori. It has been funded under NZ On Air’s Rautaki Maori strand.

A new eight-part documentary series, with the tongue-in-cheek title Keeping Up With The Kaimanawas follows the lives of three young sisters as they try to turn several of the wild Kaimanawa horses into champion show jumpers.

A two-hour tele-feature for Maori Television will explore the creation of one of New Zealand’s most famous songs Poi E, and the legendary man behind it, Dalvanius Prime.

Continuing the music theme, a one-off one-hour documentary charting the development and history of New Zealand’s most famous female musos will be made for Prime. Rock Chicks will feature the likes of Shona Laing and Sharon O’Neill, through to the stars of today such as Gin Wigmore and Lorde.

Bullies, a three-part series on Prime will investigate bullying in New Zealand and seek solutions, while a one-hour documentary for Prime will tell the stories of a generation of young offenders who spent time in state institutions, to illustrate how their experiences have shaped who they are.

The acclaimed localist series Christchurch From The Streets will be back for a second series providing insights for the whole of the country from the Christchurch rebuild.

We’ve also funded the return of the very popular TV One series This Town, taking viewers to all corners of New Zealand to hear the stories of our diverse communities. Four new documentaries for Maori Television have also been supported under the Pakipumeka strand.

“Diversity is at the heart of what NZ On Air is here to deliver. The line-up of programmes funded this round will ensure that New Zealand viewers continue to have fresh, innovative ideas covering diverse topics presented on screen in the coming year,” says Jane Wrightson, Chief Executive of NZ On Air.

Funding details

• 2Kaha, 25 x 30mins, Whitebait Productions for TV2, $1,025,000
• This Town 2, 8 x 1hr, Jam TV for TV One, $968,820
• Keeping Up With The Kaimanawas, 8 x 30mins, Project Melting Pot for TV One, $493,800
• Bullies, 3 x 1hr, The Gibson Group for Prime, $439,200
• Christchurch From The Streets 2, 6 x 30mins, Frank Film for TV One, $248,425
• Poi E, 1 x 2hrs, Jawbone Pictures for Maori Television, $189,000
• Rock Chicks, 1 x 1hr, Kingfisher Films for Prime, $179,957
• Little Criminals, 1 x 1 hr, White Balance Pictures for Prime, $169,967

Pakipumeka Aotearoa

• Murupara Dreaming, 1 x 1 hr, Bates Productions for Maori Television, $125,596
• The Silent Soldiers, 1 x 1hr, Whitiora Productions for Maori Television, $125,053
• A New Zealand Way Of Death, 1 x 1hr, Pou Media Limited for Maori Television, $125,000
• A Karakia For Alan Smith, 1 x 1hr, Blue Bach Productions for Maori Television, $124,990

Media Release: NZ On Air
30/05/2014