N.Z. TV 'world standard’

Press, 17 November 1976, Page 6

N.Z. TV 'world standard’

New Zealand television, programme- have made great strides forward in the last: few years and are now of a standard comparable to that anvwhere else in the world, according to a novelist and scriptwriter. Michael Noonan, a New Zealander who has lived and worked in Australia and Britain since 1940 Mr Noonan returned to| Christchurch a few weeks ago to attend the centenarv of Sumner School. He was born in Sumner and gained his University Entrance there at a tune when the school still' had a secondary education department. Mr Noonan said yesterdays tha’ television programmes such a« "Hunter’s Gold" would put New Zealand on the map. particularly if they could be shown in big overseas centres, such as London. ■ "If programmes like this ' are shown, say. by the 8.8.C..,' it would encourage television 1 people and writers tn New i Zealand to be more crea- I five," he said. “It would also be a food revenue earner ’’ Mr Noonan »sid that New.l »»•

Zealand had a wealth of material suitable for television drama or documentaries. “Hunter’s Gold” was an example of how some of the country’s history could be I woven into an exciting series. There was also a rich fund of material in the many good short stories and novels which had been written about New . Zealand. This sort of material was ideal for a regular television theatre series. In the documentary’ field, the Sumner School centenary was an example of good material that would also be of interest if screened on British television. • “After all, Sumner — in fact, most of New Zealand — was conceived in Britain,”! said Mr Noonan. Mr Noonan said that if New Zealanders wanted to bei really adventurous. they should start their own film! commission to make feature films based on material al-! ready available in the coun-, try "But, if anything, I would' like to see New Zealand hit back at Britain ..with some-1

| thing like The Wombles’,” J he said. “It would have to be I something with a particularly j New Zealand flavour — perhaps the Hagleys of Hagley Park, or something. "These shows are relatively inexpensive to produce, but have a tremendous impact if they’re done well.” Mr Noonan has not forgotten New Zealand in his own work. He is working on a full-length documentary [which involves New Zealand 1 "in a big way.” He said that he was not at I liberty to discuss the feature! other than to sav that it was a follow-up to a recent 80-1 minute documentary based on I the discover.- and history of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Mr Noonan has been a busy man since he decided to ■ give up the priesthood 361 years ago. He started work in i a bank when he left Sumner!! School. In 1940, he left New!; Zealand to join the Francis-1 can Order in Sydnev but he!, decided that the priesthood! was not his vocation. At the age of i?, he be-jl

' came a radio copy and con- ’ tinuity writer and began working on scripts for children’s programmes. While on active service, he wrote two children’s books — "In the Land of the Talking Trees” and "The Golden Forest” — which were later published by Angus and Robertson,- the Australian publisher. The books were illustrated by another New Zealander, Mr p. H. Gilmore, who now lives in retirement in Christchurch, i Mr Noonan was eventually i invited to go to Britain for I three years in 1957 under icontract to the giant Elstree I film studios. I He has remained in BriItain since then, working as a I professional novelist and scriptwriter in London. He is i probably best known for his ■writing for children, which |he does largely because he i does not like the violence iniherent in much of today’s 'adult entertainment fare. . He concentrates on fantasy, [which, he says, tends to be, [ appreciated more by young! ( people, _ i