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Unscripted comedy series Educators won Best Comedy and Best Supporting Actor-Rick Donald at 2023 New Zealand Television Awards. 

The awards were received by the show's producer Rachel Jean and director Jesse Griffin.

Far North has been singled out for Best Direction- David White and The Traitors NZ for Best Host- Paul Henry.

The winners will be announced at the Storytellers Gala virtual ceremony on April 16th.

Far North director David White won gold for Best Direction and The Traitors NZ host Paul Henry won Bronze for Best Host. 

Kura Productions is excited to celebrate 21 years of honouring Māori stories in the television, film and digital screen industry.

Te Ataraiti Waretini, the CEO of the company, says the milestone is a great achievement.

“21 years of creating Māori programmes and films to support te reo Māori and tikanga Māori is a great achievement for Kura Productions and the success comes down to all of the amazing ringa raupā, behind and in front of the camera, funders and networks  throughout  this industry who have helped to make it a possibility.”

Kura Productions was established by Quinton Hita with support from South Pacific Pictures in 2004 – with the express purpose of creating and celebrating Māori content for television, film and digital spaces. 

“I’m humbled to have played a part in its success,” says Quinton. “Over two decades, Kura Productions has had the privilege of working alongside iwi, broadcasters, artists, government agencies, and many others who share a common vision: that Aotearoa's media should reflect the depth, diversity, and dignity of te iwi Māori.”

Te Ataraiti took over from Quinton as managing director in 2021, continuing the company’s success into its 21^st year and beyond.

“It is a privilege to continue the hard work of the foundations Quinton Hita has laid down and to continue with that same whakaaro moving forward” says Te Ataraiti.

Kura Productions has created multiple successful productions, including the award-winning bilingual drama series, Ahikāroa, which is now in production for its seventh season.

The company will mark the milestone with a celebration at Te Pou Theatre.

To reminisce and tell us about the decision to give it another spin, Managing Director of South Pacific Pictures Andrew Szusterman speaks to Jesse.

List to the RNZ interview here: Shortland Street on YouTube

In its 35th year, New Zealand’s largest production company, South Pacific Pictures (SPP) has rebranded. A new logo and tagline has been revealed marking a significant milestone for the iconic company as it boldly navigates the future in the ever-evolving industry.

With an international reputation for producing world-class television and film, SPP has delivered more than 6000 hours of programming to date and has ambitious goals for the future. Under the leadership of CEO, Kelly Martin and Managing Director, Andrew Szusterman, the rebrand signals confidence and a commitment to innovation as the company realizes opportunities ahead.

Gone is the "starfish" logo that has been synonymous with the production house for decades. In its place, the company introduces a sleek and modern typographic logo, focusing on the abbreviation "SPP" - a nod to the affectionate moniker by which the industry refers to the organization. 

Alongside the new visual identity, SPP bids farewell to its tagline, "Turning Dreams to Drama," and welcomes “More to See” acknowledging the expanded depth of its content offerings today.

Martin says it was time for a refresh, “Whilst SPP is a stalwart of industry, we also boldly embrace change and opportunity.  High quality drama like Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune and The Brokenwood Mysteries are proud pillars of the heritage of SPP - and continue to be, as the success of Far North demonstrated this year.  However, over the past couple of years we have also had great success with reality, documentary and even live events. Our new brand reflects our ambitious and multifaceted approach moving forward”.

This includes innovative initiatives like releasing classic episodes of Shortland Street on YouTube globally, and being increasingly open to collaborations with new and upcoming talent.  Andrew Szusterman sees great opportunity here saying "The rebranding of SPP is not just a cosmetic change; it symbolizes our readiness to embrace the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving industry. We’ve introduced new formats like Dog House and Snackmasters, and the global sensation The Traitors.

Behind the high quality programming produced, importantly, sits the people involved. Thousands of people are involved in the output of SPP - and those people, whether writers, cast, crew, head office - are front of mind.  Martin points out, the refresh is designed to inspire and celebrate those people - importantly. “It is as much a stake in the ground for ourselves and our collaborators as it is for external parties.  We’re celebrating where we have been and intentionally signaling a future focus. The new brand sets a confident course for the future. It’s an exciting time for us”

Originally produced for TV2 in New Zealand, Astro has commissioned the format for a local version in Malaysia. The season will be 10 episodes long and adapted in Mandarin.

Local versions of Step Dave have also launched in Ukraine, Hungary, Greece and Poland.

Following the highly anticipated conclusion of the second series of the UK version of The Traitors, the BBC today confirms that three international versions of the hit reality entertainment show will be available on BBC iPlayer in 2024, meaning fans can get their Traitors fix throughout the year on the BBC.

For those who are new to The Traitors, it is a psychological reality game show centred around tactics, betrayal, suspicion and manipulation. Should the Faithful contestants eliminate all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund. If a Traitor makes it to the end, they steal the money.

The first series of The Traitors NZ hosted by Paul Henry will be coming to BBC iPlayer.

Dan McGolpin, Director, BBC iPlayer & Channels says: “The Traitors is one of the most thrilling shows around and the BBC will be following up on the latest UK series with more from Australia, New Zealand and the US, with all of this treachery to be available across 2024 on BBC iPlayer.”

Broadcast details for The Traitors US and The Traitors NZ will be confirmed in due course, with all episodes available on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/the-traitors-us-australia-nz-iplayer-2024

The Traitors NZ is shortlisted for Best Reality TV Drama. An adaption of the highly successful worldwide format centered on deception and strategy, The Traitors NZ has attracted a large audience both in New Zealand and overseas.

The critically acclaimed comedy-drama series Far North, directed by David White, is shortlisted for best drama. Based on a true story, the series stars two of New Zealand’s biggest names – Temuera Morrison and Robyn Malcolm.

Finally, The Brokenwood Mysteries has been shortlisted for best crime drama. Recently celebrating its 10^th anniversary, The Brokenwood Mysteries has seen huge success internationally and has been sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

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