A new and innovative science television series for kids, QTV, will air on TV One in September. The vision for the series was led by Wellington filmmaker, Di Oliver-Zahl who was tragically killed in February this year whilst training for a triathlon.

Di and business partner, Glenis Giles, had been developing Project Q for three years, to profile science by young people to young people in an interesting and contemporary multimedia format.

Image: Barnaby Frederick, Tessa Devereux, Chelsie Preston-Crayford and Paora Durie are the new presenters on QTV.A new and innovative science television series for kids, QTV, will air on TV One in September. The vision for the series was led by Wellington filmmaker, Di Oliver-Zahl who was tragically killed in February this year whilst training for a triathlon.

Di and business partner, Glenis Giles, had been developing Project Q for three years, to profile science by young people to young people in an interesting and contemporary multimedia format.

Image: Barnaby Frederick, Tessa Devereux, Chelsie Preston-Crayford and Paora Durie are the new presenters on QTV.The integrating of the 13 part television series, an interactive website and a series of Q CAREERS DVD's profiling career pathways in science. They lobbied strongly and eventually gathered support within TVNZ, across government departments and with industry players.

Di was passionate about the power of new media technology and about the ability of young people to own their own issues in society. She tutored in media studies and the creative industries and was in the process of preparing her PhD about women leaders within the Management School at Victoria University of Wellington.

After Di's sudden death the project was in danger of falling over completely as the team reeled from the shock. Di's business partner, Glenis Giles and Di's daughter and researcher on QTV, marine scientist, Megan Oliver, were faced with delivering a contract to TVNZ that had only just been signed the week before the accident.

Friends and colleagues rallied around and we can see the culmination of that creative team effort in an exciting 13 part series presented by a group of new young talent that 'Question Everything"! Tessa Devereux, Barnaby Frederic, Chelsie Preston Crayford and Paora Durie all hail from Wellington and are recent graduates from high school.

They travel throughout New Zealand and meet scientists working on the big issues facing the future: climate change, genetic engineering, energy, sustainability, waste management, tsunamis and volcanoes and much more!

Directed by Lala Rolls and Clare O'Leary the science series aims to present science in a funky and accessible manner, integrating leading edge graphics by Oktobor Interactive and Qiddles that ask questions like "What would your clone be like?" and "What if a tsunami hit Wellington?".

QTV is intelligent television for kids. It contextualises the big issues in science and society and talks to kids in their own language. You can learn and be entertained at the same time. The interactive website created with strategic partners, OKTOBOR will feature games and experiments that will change with each weekly episode and there are links to more information and experiences as the series progresses.

You can register online to win two fantastic prizes - a 10 day cruise on The Spirit of Adventure, donated by The Spirit of Adventure Trust or a week in Northland with dolphin scientist, Kirsty Russell who is working to save the endangered Maui dolphin. Her time was donated by the Sun Alliance Ellerslie branch of Rotary.

The QTV series also brings an amazing amount of corporate and public sector partners who have donated time and money into making the series scientifically authentic as well as providing the scientific talent for the show. These strategic partners want to see more discussion and debate about science in mainstream communications.

QTV is a joint venture between Oliver Giles Productions Limited, The Sir Peter Blake Trust, TVNZ, NIWA, CRI, Transpower, The Vodafone Foundation and the Ministry of Education with strategic partners Oktobor Interactive and the Royal Society of NZ. It encompasses a 13 part television science series and interactive website and the first of a series on DVD, Q Careers which features 10 profiles of young scientists from NZ.

The first episode of QTV, Microbial Forensics, screens on TV One, 21 September, at 3.35.

Contact Qteam Producer, Glenis Giles. Email: glenis.g@paradise.net.nz or Mobile: 021650387. To order the QCAREERS DVD or find out more, visit the website at www.qteam.co.nz or www.tvnz.co.nz Keyword 'QTV' and enter our competitions.