Nothing Trivial About TVNZ’s Lively New Dramas

TVNZ has snapped up the monster smash, The Walking Dead.

The zombie sensation that premiered to record ratings on the AMC cable network last week is among a slew of new dramas that TV2 should air next year in HD.

The Hallowe’en premiere was universally acclaimed: “dark gem of a show about a zombie apocalypse gleams with hellfire incandescence” (Miami Herald); “what makes The Walking Dead so much more than a horror show is that it plays with theatrical grandeur, on a canvas that feels real, looks cinematic and has an orchestral score to match” (Wall Street Journal); “writer and director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) seamlessly stitches together grand American traditions including the western, the separated-family drama and, of course, the post-apocalypse tale, creating the first zombie epic, with sprawling storylines, archetypal characters and imagery to rival Gone With the Wind” (Los Angeles Times).

It will be joined by: No Ordinary Family, in which a family headed by The Shield’s Michael Chiklis and Dexter’s Julie Benz goes from ordinary to extraordinary after a plane crash; Stephen King’s supernatural newcomer, Haven; the Jerry Bruckheimer action drama, Chase; and Off the Map, which features a turn by Kiwi Martin Henderson.

Over on sister channel TV One, watch for an upsurge in primetime drama, including a newcomer from the creators of Go Girls called Nothing Trivial.

Also lined up are: the HBO drama, Enlightened, which is still in pre-production and will boast appearances by Laura Dern, Diane Ladd and Luke Wilson; the Criminal Minds spin-off, Suspect Behaviour, starring Forest Whitaker; Harry’s Law, about a law firm of misfits (complete with Kathy Bates); and Body Of Proof, starring Desperate Housewife Dana Delany as a medical examiner.

From across the Tasman will come Offspring, Winners and Losers and Tangle while among the BBC attractions will be the Matt LeBlanc comedy, Episodes.

For more coverage of TVNZ new-season strategies, see my report for Onfilm.