The Best of New Zealand TV You Need to Check Out Right Now
-
Loading... - Cheryl Williams
- 31 May 2022
- 288 Views
- 2 Like
- 0 Comment
When people think of New Zealand film and television, things like Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and HBO’s hilarious Flight of the Conchords usually come to mind. They may even think of Taika Waititi and his ever-growing catalog of funny yet thoughtful productions such as BOY, Jojo Rabbit, Reservation Dogs, or even the cult classic What We Do in the Shadows (including the US spin-off series of the same name, which recently aired its third season).
While all this content is great, there is a whole world of New Zealand television that is just waiting to be discovered by global audiences, including both shows featuring up-and-coming talent and higher budget productions with more globally recognized cast and crew. If you enjoy the small amount of Kiwi content that has filtered into the Hollywood sphere and are looking to diversify your current media diet, then here are six television shows made in New Zealand you’ve been missing out on.
Creamerie (2021-Present)
In a world where a viral plague has wiped out the majority of men, three friends who live on a New Zealand dairy farm have a fateful encounter with what could be the last living man on earth. This black comedy is the brainchild of Perlina Lau, J.J Fong, Ally Xue, and director Roseanne Liang, four Kiwi Asian women making headway in diversifying New Zealand’s screen industry. The series premiered in 2021, ironically after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted production in 2020.
One of the show’s strengths is how each woman has a distinct well-written character. Lau’s Pip is optimistic yet naive, and ever so eager to please the leaders of the Wellness organization that now runs the country in lieu of the former government. Fong’s Jamie is an excellent exploration of substantial grief and perseverance. And rounding our the trio is Xue’s Alex, who is the perfect embodiment of chaotic good and a freedom advocate who's an outspoken critic of the Wellness organization. Watchers of Creamerie might notice some familiar faces with Rachel House, of Thor: Ragnarök and Jojo Rabbit fame, and Jay Ryan, who audiences will recognize as grown-up Ben in IT: Chapter Two, joining the cast. Lau, Fong, Xue, and Liang are also the founders of Flat3 productions, the production company behind Creamerie, whose flagship series Flat3 has three seasons, all available on YouTube and Vimeo. Creamerie is currently available for streaming on Hulu.
Wellington Paranormal (2018-Present)
A spin-off from the widely popular What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal is a mockumentary television series created by Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement that follows Wellington police and the X-Files-like cases they encounter. From alien abductions to demonic possession, Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu, seen recently in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop) and Officers Minogue (Mike Minogue - also known for Waiti’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and O'Leary (Karen O’Leary - returning from her cameo in the original What We Do in the Shadows), take each bizarre encounter in their stride and do their best to get to the bottom of things - often in unintentionally hilarious fashion.
A genuinely funny and earnest addition to what could be considered a What We Do in the Shadows shared universe, Wellington Paranormal Season 4 debuted on HBO Max back in February 2022.
The Luminaries (2020)
A BBC New Zealand miniseries based on the 2013 Man Booker prize-winning novel by Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries tells the tale of a young adventurer, Anna Wetherell, as she migrates to New Zealand’s South Island’s West Coast during the 1860s gold rush. A period drama filled with love, revenge, mystery, and intrigue, The Luminaries is perfect for fans of shows like Belgravia or Death and Nightingales and boasts a diverse cast including Eve Hewson (The Knick) as protagonist Anna, Eva Green (Penny Dreadful) as the mysterious fortune-teller Lydia Wells, Himesh Patel (Don’t Look Up) as adventurer Emery Staines, and Marton Csokas (The Last Duel) as ex-convict Frances Carver. The series is currently available on Starz. Read More…
