50 Years of New Zealand Television: 5 - Telling Stories

They're actually based firmly on four actual people who we just happened to have: a brainy one, a smooth good-looking ladies' one, a cheeky feisty one, and a little bit gay one...

– bro'Town creator bro'Town creator Elizabeth Mitchell, while sitting next to Oscar Kightley, one of the show's inspirations

We spent $600,000, and when I went to the board of South Pacific Television to get the funds, they nearly fell over: 'No, we can't spend that sort of money on a children's programme', they called it. I was proved right, because it made a huge amount of money — in the end it did.

– South Pacific Television drama boss John McRae, on 1976 series Hunter's Gold

Because there was only one channel, everyone watched everything, and then they discussed it the next day. So for me television was really doing its job then, which was to get an educated and informed citizenry.

– Paul Maunder, director of 1972 drama Gone Up North for a While

It's done the hard work in terms of making New Zealand drama more acceptable to us.

– Scriptwriter James Griffin on Shortland Street