John Harris: Long-time Greenstone owner...
John Harris was the long-time owner of one of New Zealand’s biggest production companies: Greenstone Pictures. He began his television career at TVNZ working in news and current affairs and helped launch Top Half. Moving into the private sector he produced a number of TV shows including That’s Fairly Interesting and Heroes. In 1994 he created Greenstone Pictures, and went on to produce a huge range of TV shows such as The Zoo; Epitaph; Motorway Patrol; and Neighbours at War. In 2010 Greenstone acquired the production company Cream Media, and more recently Harris has sold Greenstone.
Murray Keane: From acting to directing in prime time…
Actor and director Murray Keane's first big acting role on screen was in 80s TV series Peppermint Twist. Since then he has appeared in Away Laughing, and movies Braindead and Chunuk Bair. In the 1990s, Keane expanded into directing, working on popular drama series Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune, The Almighty Johnsons and Go Girls.
Ray Henwood: The voice...
Ray Henwood, ONZM — father of comedian Dai — arrived in New Zealand from Wales, just in time for the birth of professional theatre downunder. Best known to TV viewers for five seasons playing Hugh on hit comedy Gliding On, Henwood’s screen roles included villains (The Legend of William Tell) and surgeons (Shortland Street). On stage he played Stalin, Einstein and Richard Burton, and starred in early plays at Wellington theatres Downstage and Circa.
Tim Batt - Funny As Interview
After starting in radio, comedian Tim Batt found his place with podcasts, including The Worst Idea of All Time — New Zealand’s most globally successful podcast. He discusses podcasts in this Funny As interview, and also talks about: Watching a “painfully shy” Guy Williams perform his first stand-up show His first radio job, learning from legendary DJ Kevin Black The challenges of being a political comedian in a small democracy Comedians moving into the commentary space, and whether that's good for society Working with comedian Guy Montgomery on The Worst Idea of All Time How 7 Days made it respectable to be a comedian in New Zealand Being "livid" when youth channel TVNZ U was cancelled — after “honing some of the best comedians in our part of the world”
Allan Martin: Pioneering television in New Zealand...
Allan Martin was influential in television in both New Zealand and Australia. In the early 60s he helped the fledgling television arm of the BCNZ produce popular regional show Town and Around, and was a key player in the creation of ground-breaking current affairs series Compass. After time in Australian television, he returned to set up NZ's second TV channel South Pacific Television in 1975. Martin was later Director-General of TVNZ from 1980 to 1985.
Michael Heath: Vampires, mad scientists, and forgotten artists…
Michael Heath's imagination has spawned movies bursting with murder and mayhem, as well as lyrical tales of childhood and unheralded artists. Heath's work ranges widely – some of his films are lyrical, comical and murderous all at the same time. His scripts include two contenders for New Zealand's first horror film (Death Warmed Up and Next of Kin), plus an affectionate adaptation of Ronald Hugh Morrieson classic The Scarecrow, which was the first Kiwi movie invited to the Cannes Film Festival. In recent years Heath has blossomed from writer into director.
Stacey Daniels Morrison: Versatile broadcaster...
Stacey Daniels Morrison began her TV career on What Now?, presenting a weekly cooking segment while still at high school. After missing out on a role at Ice TV to Petra Bagust, she joined current affairs series Marae, which helped her discover her Māori heritage. She then moved to fledgling music show Mai Time, where she found herself at the forefront of a change in the way Māori culture was portrayed on screen. Morrison has moved between presenting and working behind-the-scenes, on everything from Guess Who's Coming to Dinner to SportsCafe. She is also a radio broadcaster.
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.
Vicki Walker - Funny As Interview
In the early 90s Vicki Walker acted in sketch show Away Laughing, and helped launch women's stand-up group Girls Gotta Eat.
Kevin Milne: Fair Go hero...
Kevin Milne is one of New Zealand’s most popular TV presenters after more than 20 years on Fair Go. In that time he won settlements worth millions of dollars. Before Fair Go, Milne was a reporter for Eyewitness News and the TVNZ lifestyle shows Production Line and Then Again. He has also been a presenter on the travel show Holiday and Fair Go spin-off Kev Can Do. Milne left Fair Go at the end of 2010.