Ginette McDonald
Although Ginette McDonald's career is most associated with the gormless, vowel-mangling girl-from-the-suburbs: Lyn of Tawa, she is a woman of many parts. Alongside an extensive acting and presenting career, her work as producer and director spans three decades, and includes Shark in the Park, Gliding On, and kidult series The Fire-Raiser.
Peter Sharp
Peter Sharp is one of New Zealand's most prolific directors of screen drama. Though his directing work covers the gamut from police shows and soap satires to live performance, Sharp is best known for his work helming kidult dramas - including Maurice Gee period tales The Fire-Raiser and The Champion. He also directed award-winning mini-series Erebus: the Aftermath.
Rosemary McLeod
Best-known as an outspoken and award-winning columnist, Rosemary McLeod devised and was principal writer on iconic 80s TV soap Gloss, detailing the lives, loves and trades of Remuera's Redfern fashion magazine dynasty. She has also written scripts for Country GP and Bruno Lawrence/Ginette McDonald late 70s gender politics sitcom All Things Being Equal.
Murray Reece
Murray Reece has been the director at a number of key turning points in New Zealand's television history: from the debut of our first drama series (Pukemanu), to the first telemovie (The God Boy), to the episode of Country Calendar where Fred Dagg first showed us around the farm.
Maurice Gee
Maurice Gee, who was named an Arts Foundation icon in 2003, is one of New Zealand's most acclaimed writers. His work for the screen includes creating 80s kidult series The Fire-Raiser and The Champion. Gee's novels have also inspired a number of adaptations, notably classic sci-fi series Under the Mountain and movie In My Father's Den.
Paul Holmes
Paul Holmes, KCNZM, helped change the face of New Zealand broadcasting. In 1989 the actor turned radio host began presenting primetime news and magazine show Holmes in spectacular style, when guest Dennis Conner walked out of his interview. Holmes balanced the TV show and a popular radio slot for 15 years, followed by a stint with Prime TV and current affairs show Q+A. He passed away on 1 February 2013.
Tessa Hoffe
Tessa Hoffe’s directing credits include Shortland Street and iconic British soaps Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Grange Hill. The Wellington raised filmmaker has written and directed six short films, all selected for international film festivals. She has also directed children’s dramas, including World’s End and Bafta-nominated family tale Rocket's Island.
Hugh Macdonald
Hugh Macdonald began his long, award-studded career at the National Film Unit, where at 25 he directed ambitious three-screen spectacular This is New Zealand (1970), which was seen by 400,000 New Zealanders. In the 80s he produced Oscar-nominated short The Frog, the Dog, and the Devil and established his own company, continuing a busy diet of commercial films, train documentaries and animation.
Simon O'Connor
Simon O'Connor began acting and writing for stage, radio and screen in the late 60s. In 1978, he co-starred as Ginette McDonald's hippy husband on live TV comedy All Things Being Equal. Later he was award-nominated as the meek husband of the murder victim in Heavenly Creatures, and starred as a likeable murderer in black comedy How to Murder Your Wife. O'Connor is also the winner of a Bruce Mason playwriting award.
Malcolm Kemp
Malcolm Kemp's expertise at covering live events took him from New Zealand to the sports department of the BBC. The one time head of entertainment at TVNZ masterminded TV coverage of concerts, Top Town competitions, elections, World Expo and the Commonwealth Games.