Shaun Brown: TV newsman turned network boss...
Shaun Brown’s distinguished television career spans 45 years, beginning as a reporter with the NZBC. In his early days as a journalist, he covered a number of historic stories including the nuclear bomb tests on Mururoa Atoll, and the funeral of New Zealand Prime Minister Norman Kirk. Brown moved from reporting to producing, followed by executive roles as the Head of TVNZ News and Current Affairs and then the boss of TV ONE. He then moved to Australia to head up the Special Broadcasting Service.
James Griffin - Funny As Interview
James Griffin is the brains behind many successful Kiwi TV dramas and comedies (he co-created Outrageous Fortune and The Almighty Johnsons). He talks in this Funny As interview about failing, succeeding and more, including: Putting together a TV pilot for comedy group Funny Business, while working at TVNZ's drama department Writing comedy scripts for "old school gentleman" Billy T James How he became script editor for 1980s melodrama Gloss in his mid-20s, and drank lots of champagne Being asked to work on a film Pacific Islanders would like, which ultimately became hit movie Sione's Wedding Learning a lot from failing (City Life, Diplomatic Immunity) as "it can teach you a few things if you're smart enough to learn" How infusing comedy into his dramas (Outrageous Fortune, The Almighty Johnsons) "normalised" Kiwis to seeing New Zealand humour on screen
Brendhan Lovegrove - Funny As Interview
Brendhan Lovegrove's comedy has been described as "verging on the psychotic side". He appeared on TV's A Night at the Classic and all eight series of Pulp Comedy. Lovegrove discusses his career in this Funny As interview, including: How he and friend Jason Hoyte (later half of comedy act Sugar and Spice) used to sit on a bench at school when they were eight years old, and make other students laugh Deciding that he wanted to do stand-up after watching an "electric" performance by Alan Brough Feeling blessed that one of his early stand-up gigs "bombed", as it made him work harder Moving to the United Kingdom, and performing at comedy clubs like Jongleurs and The Glee Club Taking a "long time" to feel confident on camera— his first TV appearance (on A Bit After Ten) was "terrible"
Guy Williams - Funny As Interview
After starting out in stand-up comedy as a university student in Wellington, Guy Williams won a contest to become Dai Henwood’s protege in 2009. He has been working in TV and radio ever since.
Alister Barry: Making political films from Mururoa 1973 to Hot Air...
Alister Barry is the filmmaker behind a series of provocative and politically charged documentaries, most of them self-funded. His first documentary Mururoa 1973 tackled nuclear testing, and saw him on a boat headed into the middle of a bomb test zone. Over the next four decades Barry has continued to make significant political documentaries including Someone Else’s Country, The Hollow Men, Wildcat and Hot Air.
Richard Harman: Veteran TV political reporter and producer...
Richard Harman is a seasoned journalist, TV reporter and television producer who began his career in newspapers before joining TVNZ News in the 1970s. As a political reporter on Eyewitness and later Eyewitness News, he covered the 1984 general election as well as the Springbok Tour and the Rainbow Warrior bombing. In 1999 Harman set up his own production company which launched the current affairs shows Agenda and The Nation.
Jaquie Brown - Funny As Interview
Jaquie Brown began her media career in radio, before branching out into television as host of music show Space and star of comedy series The Jaquie Brown Diaries.