George Andrews: Veteran documentary maker...
Veteran documentary producer/director George Andrews has been a strong and consistent supporter of public service broadcasting, and was the main creative force behind the iconic early 1980s documentary series Landmarks. Andrews began his career as a broadcast journalist, later moving to producing and directing.
Peter Williams: Veteran sportscaster and newsreader...
Peter Williams has had a distinguished career as a sports broadcaster and newsreader. He began his broadcasting career in radio while still in his teens, then joined TVNZ as a sports reporter and commentator in 1979. He went on to present major events such as the Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup. Since the 90s Williams has read the news on TV ONE’s Breakfast, and on primetime weekend bulletins.
Robert Boyd-Bell: Veteran TV newsman...
Robert Boyd-Bell has made a huge contribution to the development of TV news reporting in New Zealand. He began his career as a reporter with the fledgling NZBC News service in the mid 1960s, and later headed the northern newsroom of TV One in the 1970s. Boyd-Bell has also worked as a documentary producer, and was instrumental in setting up educational television services eTV and The Knowledge Breakfast. He is a keen advocate for public service broadcasting.
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.
Tony Holden: TV comedy veteran...
Tony Holden has produced and directed hundreds of hours of NZ television from A Week Of It, Radio with Pictures and Gliding On to Shortland Street, City Life and Dancing with the Stars. Holden’s roles over his 40 year screen career include Head of Production at South Pacific Pictures, General Manager of Commissioning and Production at TVNZ, and CEO of Comedia Pictures.
Trevor Haysom: Veteran feature film producer…
Prolific producer Trevor Haysom has collaborated with some notable emerging filmmakers including Gregor Nicholas and the late Brad McGann. His feature film credits include In My Father’s Den, After the Waterfall, Tracker, and User Friendly. Haysom has also produced several documentaries for television, including Pacific 3 2 1 Zero, and Peter Peryer: Portrait of a Photographer.
The Top 10 NZ Television Ads
Great adverts are strange things: mini works of magic, with the power to make viewers smile, cry, and even buy. Kiwi directors have shown such a knack for making them, they've been invited to do so across the globe. But this collection is about local favourites; dogs on skateboards, choc bar robberies, ghost chips. NZ On Screen's Irene Gardiner backgrounds the top 10 here.
The World War I Collection
More than 100,000 New Zealanders served overseas in World War l. Over 18,000 died; at least 40,000 more were wounded. Campaigns involving Kiwis, from Gallipoli to the Western Front, were identity-forming, and the war's effects on society were deep. The World War l Collection is an evolving onscreen remembrance. Military expert Chris Pugsley writes about the collection here.
Top 10 NZ Comedy Series
Every now and then here at NZ On Screen, we like to stick our necks out and choose a Top 10. And our collective opinion is that these are the funniest New Zealand television series to date: from bro' Town to Billy T, from Gliding On to the tag team hijinks of 7 Days. Plus 10 runners-up that we couldn't agree on. Read on to find out more.
The Florian Habicht Collection
Florian Habicht first won attention for 2003's Woodenhead, a fairytale about a rubbish dump worker and a princess. By then Habicht had already made his first feature-length documentary. Many more docos have followed: films that celebrate his love for people, and sometimes drift into fantasy. In this collection, watch as the idiosyncratic director meets fishermen, Kaikohe demolition derby drivers (both watchable in full), legends of Kiwi theatre and British pop, and beautiful women carrying slices of cake through New York. Ian Pryor writes here about the joys of Florian Habicht.