A big year ahead for TVNZ drama dept

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 14

A big year ahead for TVNZ drama dept

1986 looks set to be a busy and exciting year for TVNZ’s drama department.

The drama head, John Mcßae, says his department will provide at least 56 hours of TV drama this year — “and out of this there is bound to be something for everyone’s tastes.”

The 16-episode series “Seekers” which was originally to screen last year, but was postponed because of an industrial dispute, will begin on February 10 at 7.30 p.m. on One and will continue until the end of May.

It stars the New Zealand actors Bridget Armstrong, Temuera Morrison, Kerry McKay

and Jennifer Ward-Lea-land. The series revolves around Maggie Settler, her three children and an inheritance.

Following this, on June 2, a giant 27-part series called “Open House” gets underway, also screening at 7.30 p.m. on One. The series is produced by Wayne Tourell and centres around a community house in Wakefield — a fictitious town somewhere between Petone and Lower Hutt.

“Open House” is based on an idea by Liddy Holloway and stars Frank Whitten, as social worker Tony Van der Berg, and Wickham Pack as his wife Penny. David Copeland stars as the community

house organiser, Martin. The series opens with a 72-minute special, but the remaining episodes are one hour long. A new six-part series of “Heroes” also begins this year on Sunday, July 13, at 6.30 on Two. The first series followed the development, misfortune and rise of the New Zealand band, but its sequel concentrates more on the compromises the band must make in order to achieve success and stay at the top. Now in production in Auckland is a 12-part kidult series called “Adventurer.” This is a coproduction with Thames Television who has invested $1 million in Auck-

land’s Browns Bay studio as their commitment to the series. "Adventurer” is a swashbuckling nineteenth century sequel to “Smuggler,” which was screened in New Zealand more than a year ago. It stars the English actor Oliver Tobias in the lead role as Jack Vincent, an escaped convict and ex-smuggler.

Also in the cast are the New Zealand actors Peter Bland, Temuera Morrison, Paul Gittins, Marshall Napier and Peter Hambleton. The series, produced by Sidney Cole and directed by Chris Bailey, begins transmission on Sunday, September 28. Chris Bailey has also directed “Terry and The

Gunrunners,” a co-pro-duction between TVNZ and Finlayson-Hill Productions, which is based on the adventures of a comic book hero called Terry. It screens at 6.30 on Sunday, April 13, on Two.

Another kidult drama is also in production — this time from Avalon. “The Fireraiser,” produced by Ginette McDonald and directed by Peter Sharp, is based on Maurice Gee’s story about four children who set out to expose a 40-year-old arsonist called Edgar. Still in production, "The Fireraiser” is scheduled to screen on Sunday, August 24. The cast includes the New Zealand

ballet dancer Jon Trimmer as the mad arsonist. This is Trimmer’s first “full scale” acting role. i

Also coming up ’ for young viewers in 1986 is a television movie called “Mark II,” however, a firm date on transmission for this has yet to be;set. The film, directed by John Anderson, and starring Mitchell Manuel, Junior Amiga and Nicholas Rogers, examines the life of three Maori youths as they cruise from Auckland to Wellington in a 1 Mark II Zephyr. “There are also a number of other productions in the pipeline,” says John Mcßae. “These include a four-part mini-series,

•Verdict On Erebus,’ based on the book by Peter Mahon.”

The rights to the book were bought last year and production will begin in Auckland around January 1987. The producer, Caterina de Nave, says the book is now being dramatised by Greg McGee. The director for the miniseries is Peter Sharp.

Caterina de Nave is producing another series this year titled “Steel Riders,” about a group of children who become hackers and try to tap into a big computer network. .

Production for the eight-pail series begins in September and should be on our screens around March 1987. The director is Wayne Tourell. Production also begins towards the middle of this year on a seven-part series, “The Marching Girls.” “The drama examines in a humorous and uplifting way, the relationship of a group of ten women who have joined together to form a social marching team and within six months are ready to take on the North Island

championships,” says the Wellington producer, Steven La Hood.

An up-market serial entitled “Gloss” is also due to begin production around September this year. The 20-eplsode drama will reflect the lifestyle of New Zealand’s more affluent society. It is based around the life of a 40-year-old glossy fashion magazine editor, her former husband and her son who owns a restaurant “The emphasis will be on the way it looks. Each episode will contain lots of glamour, exclusive fashions and beautiful homes,” says the producer Jan Finn. The writing team includes Rosemary McLeod, Judith Fyfe, Judy Callingham, Derek Payne and Jeff Thomas. Production will be based in Wellington and the series will probably go to air in early 1987.

Early pre-production will also take place on a four-part mini-series called “Opo,” written by John Smythe and based, on the real-life story of New Zealand’s famous Opononi dolphin.