Border Patrol

This long-running series offered an inside look at efforts to protect New Zealand's borders. It followed customs, immigration and Ministry of Primary Industries staff, as they intercepted contraband, and questioned suspicious characters attempting to slip through security — with everything from cocaine-lined suitcases to live tropical fish. Blending suspense and offbeat encounters, Border Patrol ran for over two decades. Produced by Cream Media and later Greenstone TV, the series was narrated by Tim Balme. It sold widely overseas. Similar shows with Border in the title followed in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.