N.Z. viewers 'too critical'

Press, 12 August 1980, Page 15

N.Z. viewers 'too critical'

New Zealand television audiences arc spoilt by seeing only the best of overseas programmes and are too ready to criticise local productions, according to a senior television executive.

Mr Tom Parkinson, .head of Television New Zealand’s entertainment department, is responsible for homegrown shows ranging from “On the Mat” and “McPhail and Gadsby.”He accepts that some of the shows that have come from his department leave something to be desired, but he is quick to defend them against New Zealand critics.

He says New Zealand audiences do not see

the 60 per cent of overseas programmes that are of a low standard. They see only the top 40 per cent. In addition, Mr Parkinson says, few Austra-. lian-made series are seen on New Zealand television, and Australian programmes are not very good. He says the result of seeing mostly the best the world has to offer is thatviewers maek tough judgments of locally-made programmes. Mr Parkinson also believes there are elements of an inferiority complex in the attitude of New Zealanders to their own television programmes. He points to the restrictions facing New Zealand programme makers. For instance, the success-

ful “Radio Times” was produced for $7500. In contrast, “Donny and Marie” Osmond series costs $450,000. Mr Parkinson’s rule of thumb for good television is simple: It should not be boring. But the obstacles in the way of achieving that are difficult. For example, experiments should not be carried out on the screen, but the initial programmes of a series such as “Mainly Mahoney” are of necessity experimental. New Zealand tends to have two different audiences, Mr Parkinson says. Viewers in most of the country have tastes similar to the American Mid-West, and those in Auckland have tastes something like those in Los Angeles. He says it is impossible

to compute a successful show; success or failure cannot be judged until a programme appears on the screen. .Mr Parkinson is not entirely gloomy. He . says New Zealand has a lot of talent and its relatively low production costs mean that it has a chance to become a sort of tele-vision-production -equivalent of Japanese industry. “Hunter’s Gold,” which Mr Parkinson produced, was made for $27,000 and has already been sold to more than 30 countries. The British-made “Black Beauty” series. with which Mr Parkinson was also involved. cost $56,000. What is needed now, Mr Parkinson says, is far greater investment in television production.