Pictorial Parade No. 79
The Wellington region is the focus of this 1958 edition in the long-running NFU series. The newsreel shows the rapidly developing town of Porirua, where farmland is being converted into state housing. Meanwhile in Taita the Hutt Valley Youth club provides entertainment for bored young people on Sunday afternoons. Highland dancing vies with skiffle and rock and roll, and Elvis-style quiffs date the teen spirit. Such clubs were set up after the 1954 Mazengarb inquiry into juvenile delinquency. And at Athletic Park a classic All Black line-up wallops the Wallabies 25-3.
Rugby
This collection celebrates rugby in New Zealand as it has been seen onscreen: from classic bios and tour docos, to social history, dramas and protest. In the accompanying backgrounders, broadcaster Keith Quinn looks at the on air history of rugby in NZ; and playwright David Geary asks if rugby is a religion, and argues it is a good test of character.
TVNZ Transmission Opening ID
In the era before 24 hour transmission, packages like these opened the day on TV1 and TV2. United by patriotic zeal, they focused on Kiwi people at work and play, and on scenery, and could have doubled as tourism promos. (The 1976 edition — second clip — borrows more than just the soundtrack from short film This is New Zealand). The party piece is the first clip: an epic tag-team version of the national anthem, sung by Annie Crummer, Peter Morgan, the Patea Māori Club and Dalvanius, backed by the NZ Youth Jazz Orchestra. It was originally recorded for Expo 88 in Brisbane.
Mike King - Funny As Interview
At one point Mike King was so famous, he appeared on three TV channels on the same night.
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”
Russell Crowe
By 2001 Russell Crowe was an international star, thanks to award-winning performances in The Insider, Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind. Born in New Zealand and raised on both sides of the Tasman, the Oscar winner continues to act in feature films, and in 2014 made his movie directing debut with Aussie hit The Water Diviner. Once known as Auckland singer Russ le Roq, Crowe also sings in band The Ordinary Fear of God.
Jaquie Brown: On not being Jackie Clarke...
Jaquie Brown's first TV role was as co-host of youth culture show Space with Dominic Bowden in 2000, before becoming one of the two main anchors on burgeoning music channel C4. From there, Brown moved into 'grown up' TV with John Campbell and Carol Hirschfeld, in the series A Queen’s Tour, before becoming a reporter on the current affairs show Campbell Live. Brown then stepped into the challenging realm of programme-making, forming her own production company with Gerard Johnstone. One season later and The Jaquie Brown Diaries was a hit with critics and viewers, and was named Best Comedy at the 2009 Qantas Film and Television Awards.
Rose Matafeo - Funny As Interview
Comedian Rose Matefeo’s star is in the ascendant.
Olly Coddington
Olly Coddington won fame as one of the presenters of bilingual youth show Mai Time, and its successor I AM TV. Since leaving I AM TV in 2009, he has taken on a range of screen roles, from on air work to producing Māori Television reality show Game of Bros. Coddington is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori.
Paora Maxwell
Paora Maxwell spent three years as Chief Executive of Māori Television. He began in the job in May 2014 after time heading TVNZ’s Māori and Pacific Programmes Department, and 15 years making shows for his company Te Aratai Productions. Maxwell was set to step down from Māori Television in August 2017.