Best of the 80s
This collection shows the screen icons from the decade of Springboks, sax and the sharemarket crash. The world champ All Blacks' jersey was loose, socks were red and shoulders were padded. On screens big and small Kiwis were reflected ... mullets n'all: from Bruno and the yellow mini, to Billy T's yellow towel, Karyn Hay's vowels, Poi-E, Gloss, Dog and more dogs showing off.
Colonial House - First Episode
This Touchdown reality series puts a Kiwi family in the shoes of a family of 1852 English immigrants to Canterbury. The challenge for the Huttons is to see if they have the 'pioneer spirit' and can live with colonial clothing, housing and food for 10 weeks. From a gentler, non-competitive era of reality TV, this first episode sees the Owaka family of six (including baby Neil) experience six days of life on a settler ship – seasickness, food rations, restrictive clothing and bedding and chamber pots – while relaying their personal reflections to the camera.
Mark Ferguson: On playing the bad guy…
Australian import Mark Ferguson made a big impact as an actor in New Zealand from his first appearance on Gloss. He went on to play Darryl Neilson, one of Shortland Street's most memorable villains, followed by Darryl’s good guy brother Damien. Since then, Ferguson has appeared in the Spin Doctors series and international shows such as Hercules and Spartacus.
Bryan Shaw: Editing images of cars, gladiators and upturned catamarans...
Bryan Shaw is a multi award-winning editor who has worked on a wide range of documentaries and dramas. Among the documentaries are Sense of Place: Robin Morrison, Photographer; Back from the Dead – The Saga of the Rose Noelle; and series An Immigrant Nation. Shaw moved into editing dramas with Street Legal, then went on to edit a number of other drama series including Outrageous Fortune, Westside, The Almighty Johnsons, and Spartacus.
Jeffrey Thomas: Close to Home, Shortland St and everything inbetween...
Actor Jeffrey Thomas has had a long and varied career in both TV and theatre. His best-known television role was as Inspector Brian Finn in the police series Shark in the Park. Thomas has also appeared in Mercy Peak, Shortland Street, Spartacus and Outrageous Fortune.
Jared Turner: Nice guys, bad guys, and the energy saving guy…
Jared Turner is the familiar face telling us how to conserve power in the Energy Spot commercials. Though born in New Zealand, Turner began his screen career on Aussie soap All Saints, before crossing the Tasman for 2004 film Fracture. Since then he has appeared in hit Kiwi dramas The Almighty Johnsons, Go Girls and Outrageous Fortune.
Barbara Darragh: On designing 'that' outfit for Xena...
Costume designer Barbara Darragh is the creator of Xena’s iconic outfit, Billy T James’ look as the Tainuia Kid in Came a Hot Friday, and has won awards for her work on the feature films The End of the Golden Weather and River Queen. Darragh’s television credits include Under the Mountain, Greenstone, Hercules and Xena, and, most recently, Spartacus.
Katherine Kennard: The ups and downs of the acting life...
Katherine Kennard left drama school and immediately landed a role on Xena: Warrior Princess. Her big break came playing lawyer Joni Collins over four seasons of Street Legal. Since then Kennard has appeared in a range of TV dramas including Orange Roughies, This is Not My Life, Underbelly and Spartacus. She was also part of the cast of the comedy-drama Nothing Trivial.
Stephen Lovatt: On indie movies, injuries, and playing cops with Campion and Kightley...
Stephen Lovatt’s acting career has taken him from ancient Rome to Ramsey Street. Aside from five years acting on Neighbours in Australia, he has played everything from reliable and unreliable dads to Hades, Lord of the Dead in shows like Go Girls, Being Eve, Marlin Bay, Shortland Street, and Xena: Warrior Princess. He has also appeared in a number of features — including acclaimed 2013 movie Fantail.
Craig Parker: Working at home and abroad...
Craig Parker made his television debut in 1980s soap Gloss, before starting a four year stint on Shortland Street as womanising social worker Guy Warner. After checking out of the long-running soap, Parker played a doctor on Mercy Peak, a villain in Legend of the Seeker and starred as the hapless diplomat in Diplomatic Immunity. His other screen credits include Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Spartacus.