Hot Off the Press Release: TVNZ Announces 2013 Highlights

Among the big guns TVNZ announced tonight for screening next year are David Attenborough’s Africa, sterling British drama Mr Selfridge, a new Robyn Malcolm comedy/drama, Agent Anna, and the return of NZ’s Got Talent (presumably without NZ On Air funding since the agency is pumping $1.6 million into TV3’s The X Factor).

A raft of other local productions also were announced, including newcomers about finding the perfect wedding frock (Meet the Frockers), female cops (Women in Blue) and a new landscape odyssey, Beyond the Bombays.

Expect all of these to be in HD but it wasn’t clear at the time of tonight’s launch in Auckland if Africa and Mr Selfridge would be.

Other highlights, beyond those forecast on this site yesterday and in TVNZ’s press release reproduced below, include:

Devious Maids (left), Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry’s take on Beverly Hills housekeepers

Gordon Behind Bars, which is where most people would like to see Gordon Ramsay only it’s in a good cause — can he turn some of Brixton’s toughest criminals into chefs?

The Year That Was, in which four Kiwi comedians explore the year that rocked their lives

Dangerous Roads, in which six British celebrities travel along some of the most extraordinary highways on the planet

A Place to Call Home, an epic romance set in ’50s Oz

Puberty Blues, another Aussie newcomer about two girls coming of age in ’70s Sydney

House Husbands (right), a self-explanatory Aussie comedy/drama starring Gary Sweet

Thelma’s Girls, a Big Fat Gypsy Weddings spin-off about dressmaker Thelma Madine

Baby Daddy, a sitcom about a young solo dad whose family help to raise his baby

Fool Britannia, starring the Jackass of UK TV, prankster Dom Joly

Orange is the New Black,  fish-out-of-water-and-behind-bars drama about a happily engaged PR executive sentenced to minimum security prison for a decade-old drug offense

Strategic Traffic Unit, which follows ruw Traffic Alcohol Groups and Strategic Traffic Units run out of a number of Auckland police districts.

TVNZ ANNOUNCES 2013 NEW SEASON

Television New Zealand has confirmed its strong commitment to providing New Zealand’s leading news and current affairs programmes, delivering the best of international content through its international output deals, and continuing to provide New Zealand’s most popular local shows.

This evening the broadcaster unveiled an unprecedented line-up of new and returning programming for 2013 at a trade and media launch in Auckland.

Amongst the shows revealed are some of the most highly anticipated dramas, factual programmes and entertainment from New Zealand and around the world.

The new season will see the launch of a refreshed line-up of presenters on the Breakfast show, as well as a rejuvenated format for weekday current affairs at 7pm. Sunday, Fair Go and 20/20 will also be returning early in 2013.

On TV Oone, Jeremy Piven will lead the cast in the lavishly produced Mr Selfridge, a 10-part period drama chronicling the story of American entrepreneur, Harry Gordon Selfridge, the flamboyant founder of Selfridge’s department store.

The lid is lifted on the world of country music divas in the new series Nashville, starring Connie Britton as legendary country music superstar Rayna Jaymes, whose fading career forces her to team up with rising teen star Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere).

Sir David Attenborough continues his extraordinary exploration of the globe, narrating the spectacular new series, Africa.

Golden Globe winner Kevin Bacon stars in TV One’s terrifying new thriller The Following (“The most suspenseful…the most action-packed…the best new show of the season” – Huffington Post).

Coming to TV2, the hard-hitting new action series Arrow reinvents the DC Comics superhero for a new generation.

Desire is a dangerous game at the ominous address of 666 Park Avenue, TV2’s chilling new drama.

Mistresses is the provocative and salacious new series about the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on their own paths to self-discovery and braving the turbulent journey together.

And a bizarre twist of fate pulls a man into a race against time to save his missing wife and the human race in the ticking time bomb, Zero Hour.

In 2013 local content will continue to raise the bar on both TV One and TV2.

New to TV One, comedy/drama Agent Anna stars Robyn Malcolm as embattled solo mum Anna Kingston, down on her luck and turning to the world of real estate to reverse her fortunes.

MasterChef New Zealand will tempt taste buds and serve up another sizzling series of New Zealand’s favourite local cooking show.

And for pure entertainment, New Zealand’s Got Talent will once again be on the search on the country’s best performers and top talent.

Amongst the familiar, other new local shows will debut on TV One.

Showtime is a warts-and-all look at the world of NZ suburban theatre groups; Meet The Frockers, an observational documentary series which combines the humour and hysterics of a bride’s search for the perfect wedding dress; for the first time on television, Women In Blue follows the lives of seven female police officers working on the streets of New Zealand; from the makers of South and Intrepid Journeys comes Beyond the Bombays, a series with heart which celebrates the beauty of the New Zealand landscape and the characters who dwell in it.

On TV2, Mitre Ten Dream Home will be in Christchurch, rebuilding the hopes and dreams of local families. With a fresh, new format and the unique emotions and physical challenges presented in this post-earthquake city, viewers can look forward to a show where ordinary New Zealanders deliver extraordinary results.

The much-loved Go Girls will return for a fifth series, with a whole new gang of characters pursuing their destinies.

And the line-up wouldn’t be complete without all-new episodes of Shortland Street, now in its 21st year and still the number one show in the 7pm weeknight timeslot.

2013 also sees the return of popular primetime series Revenge, Once Upon a Time, My Kitchen Rules and Grey’s Anatomy.

On TV One, viewers will welcome the return of Call the Midwife, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Person of Interest and Miranda.

Head of TV One and TV2 Jeff Latch says the strong local programme line-up, the new and returning news and current affairs programming, and the extensive showcase of outstanding international content means that TVNZ will continue to deliver the nation’s most watched content.

“The 2013 new season offers a stronger and more exciting range of programmes than ever before.

“The mix of leading international dramas, all the big comedies, the return of much-loved reality and entertainment shows, and the best of local programmes gives us confidence that in 2013, TV One and TV2 will continue to be the channels of choice for our key demographics,” he says.

This side of Christmas TVNZ will launch a video on demand app for Samsung Smart TVs, and from February next year will expand online content to gaming consoles, iPods, iPads, iPhones and other mobile devices.

“TVNZ Ondemand will be ushering in some major changes to how Kiwis access an expanded range of all the shows they love to watch, when they want to see them, ” says Latch.