NZ On Air Shells Out Big Time for Big-Gun WWI Drama
August 15, 2013 
2 Comments
NZ On Air has committed more than $12 million to two new HD drama series for TVNZ.
Today’s announcement follows Monday’s news that the agency would pump another $2.43 million into TV One’s HD comedy, Agent Anna, along with $770,000 for another 26 episodes of TV3’s 7Days and nearly $1.2 million for 26 new half-hours of its Friday night stablemate, Jono and Ben at Ten.
The drama funding follows speculation that the “golden age” of NZ drama may be fading and ratings so poor for the latest series of Go Girls and The Almighty Johnsons that neither is likely to be renewed — even though the latter has become “the first wholly New Zealand originated and produced drama series to be broadcast in the United States”.
The new dramas are When We Go to War ($6.621 million) and Step-Dave ($5.92 million).
The former is a six-hour series that will chronicle life on both the battlefront and home front.
Robin Scholes (Mr Pip) is producing the Rachel Lang-Gavin Strawhan script for Jump and Film Television; Peter Burger (Harry, Billy) will direct.
NZOA says When We Go to War will “form a significant part” of the agency’s contribution to the centennial commemorations of World War I.
South Pacific Pictures’ Step-Dave concerns a 24-year-old slacker whose life is turned upside down when he meets the girl of his dreams – and her three kids.
Writer Kate McDermott’s credits include The Blue Rose, Go Girls and Nothing Trivial.
Meanwhile, NZOA has released this list of the highest-rating agency-funded programmes for the week ending August 14:
| # | Title | Timeslot | Channel | Average Audience age 5+ |
| 1 | Hyundai Country Calendar | 7.00pm Saturday | TVONE* | 608,404 |
| 2 | Coasters | 7.30pm Saturday | TVONE* | 464,659 |
| 3 | Descent from Disaster | 9.30pm Tuesday | TVONE* | 346,810 |
| 4 | First Crossings | 8.30pm Tuesday | TVONE* | 312,706 |
| 5 | 3rd Degree Presents The Vote | 8.30pm Wednesday | TV3* | 205,096 |
| 6 | Best Bits | 9.00pm Friday | TVONE* | 170,932 |
| 7 | The Almighty Johnsons | 8.30pm Thursday | TV3* | 153,992 |
| 8 | Super City II | 10.00pm Friday | TV3* | 122,793 |
| 9 | The Animal Files | 8.30pm Thursday | PRIME | 118,087 |
| 10 | Auckland Daze (R) | 10.05pm Thursday | TVONE* | 113,517 |
| 11 | The Erin Simpson Show | 4.30pm Weekdays | TV2 | 104,495 |
| 12 | First Crossings (R) | 4.00pm Saturday | TVONE* | 97,796 |
| 13 | Outrageous Fortune (R) | 10.30pm Saturday | TV3* | 88,000 |
| 14 | Neighbourhood | 9.30pm Sunday | TVONE* | 84,502 |
| 15 | What Now | 7.00pm Sunday | TV2 | 81,149 |
| 16 | Girl vs Boy | 6.00pm Sunday | TV2 | 65,363 |
| 17 | Tagata Pasifika | 11.05pm Thursday | TVONE* | 45,841 |
| 18 | Totes Maori | 10.00am Saturday | TV2 | 44,844 |
| 19 | Attitude (R) | 12.05am Wednesday | TVONE* | 38,934 |
| 20 | Sticky TV Omnibus | 9.55am Sunday | FOUR | 34,715 |
*includes plus one channel
Figures do not include delayed (timeshifted) viewing
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August 16, 2013 at 8:58 am
Why is the taxpayer paying for so much of these listed programs? I thought that’s what advertising was for.
Agreed! NZ on Air shouldn’t be funding commercial TV drivel! The money saved should go towards a commercial-free National Radio with pictures, in HD of course!