A brand new Kiwi gaming reality show called Ready Gamer Mum premiered on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ on Thursday 14 May, and it might be the most quietly clever local format we’ve seen in a while. Ten of New Zealand’s best young gamers have been paired up with their mums to compete for a $50,000 cash prize, but here’s the twist that makes it work: the gamers are not allowed to touch the controller. They can only coach. Mum has to actually play.

Hosted by Mai Morning Crew’s Tegan Yorwarth, the series runs for eight weeks, with new episodes dropping every Thursday at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and streaming free on TVNZ+. Episode one threw the teams straight into Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, which is a brutal opener if your mum has never held a DualSense in her life.

What Ready Gamer Mum Actually Is

The format flips the usual parent-child dynamic on its head. The kids, who in many cases have spent years being told to put the controller down, are now the teachers, and the mums have to absorb everything from movement basics to combo timing under pressure. Each episode features a different game, and the mums have to learn enough to compete in a Final Round where their gamer kid is benched and can only watch from the sidelines.

In between training sessions, the teams step away from the consoles to take on what the show calls Side Quests, real-world physical challenges loosely themed around the episode’s featured game. Comedians Brynley Stent and Tony Lyall handle the commentary on those, which earn winning teams time advantages heading back into the gaming round.

Who Made It and Why It’s A Big Deal For Local Content

Ready Gamer Mum is an original New Zealand format developed by South Pacific Pictures from an idea by Tom Hutchison. SPP is the same studio behind Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune and The Brokenwood Mysteries, so this is not some scrappy one-off, it’s a major local production house betting on gaming as a primetime reality concept. The show is represented internationally by All3 Media, which means it’s been built from the start with potential overseas format sales in mind.

Funding came through a partnership with Omnicom Media and a roster of programme partners including McDonald’s as major partner, plus Spark Game Arena, Noel Leeming, rova and Berocca. Omnicom Media’s managing director of content Angela Spain described it as a collaboration to create content “produced by Kiwi for Kiwi,” and SPP’s managing director Andrew Szusterman said the deal has “transformed the pathway to funding shows” by letting clients invest directly in local programming rather than relying purely on traditional ad spots.

It’s an interesting signal for NZ screen production. Local linear TV has been under serious pressure for years, and a show like this getting an 8-episode order with a $50k prize pool, brand integration deals, and an international distribution partner suggests TVNZ is still willing to back a genuinely new local format rather than just commissioning another renovation or cooking show.

The Games Featured On The Show

This is where Ready Gamer Mum earns its place on a gaming site rather than just a TV one. The featured titles confirmed so far are Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, Gran Turismo 7 and Astro Bot. All three are PlayStation-friendly picks, which lines up with PlayStation NZ being involved in the surrounding marketing push, but the bigger point is that the show isn’t shying away from games with real skill ceilings.

Tony Hawk in particular is famously punishing for newcomers, and watching someone learn to ollie, grind and chain combos from absolute zero is genuinely funny television.

Astro Bot, last year’s GOTY winner, is a smart pick for accessibility, while Gran Turismo 7 sits in the middle, easy enough to drive badly, hard enough to drive well.

We don’t have the full episode-by-episode game list yet, but given the 8-week run, expect a few more announcements as the series progresses.

Meet The Ten Teams

The cast is drawn from across Aotearoa, with backgrounds ranging from competitive Counter-Strike to dairy farming. Nine teams were cast directly, and the tenth was selected through a McDonald’s wildcard search that ran in late 2025.

The tenth team rounds out the line-up alongside the nine listed above, and the show frames the McDonald’s wildcard entry as the one bringing the least gaming experience into the arena.

How To Watch Ready Gamer Mum

New episodes air every Thursday at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2, and the full series is available to stream for free on TVNZ+ in New Zealand. Episode one is already up on TVNZ+ if you missed the premiere, and the series will continue weekly through the eight-week run. TVNZ+ does require a free account, and the platform is geo-restricted to New Zealand, so anyone trying to watch from overseas will hit the usual region lock.

Where The Show Sits In The Wider NZ Gaming Scene

Gaming on Kiwi linear TV has historically been pretty thin on the ground. We’ve had esports broadcasts in fits and starts, and gaming content embedded inside variety shows, but a primetime local format built entirely around video games is rare. Ready Gamer Mum doesn’t pretend to be an esports show, it’s clearly a feel-good family reality format first, but the fact that it treats games like Tony Hawk and Gran Turismo as the actual content rather than background noise is a meaningful shift.

If the ratings hold across the eight-week run, there’s a real argument for SPP and TVNZ pushing harder into gaming-adjacent local content, whether that’s a second season, a younger spin-off, or something in the competitive space. The international format rights sitting with All3 Media also leaves the door open for the show to travel, which would be a genuinely good outcome for a homegrown idea.

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The mega video gaming franchise Halo has finally been adapted to motion picture, thanks to Paramount+.

Keeping true to its legend and lore, Master Chief, Cortana, Spartan and more all feature in a SciFi battle against The Covenant.

Bringing fierce action, drama and political twisty-ness the series could easily be a standalone as much as it does honour the games.

Thanks to our mates at Paramount+ and TVNZ STG was exclusively invited to a Q&A session with the actors of Halo – the Series.

In the second part of our four part interview series we have a virtual chat with actor Natascha McElhone who plays the character Dr. Halsey.

Natascha McElhone

Q: Your character is quite mysterious and I’m still trying to figure out is she good or bad. Did you have fun playing this character and what was your approach to this character?

Natascha: Yes, I did and I’m glad when that you can come down on one side or another. I’m hoping that it’s possible to hold both of these forces within one person in a way that I suppose, you know, I’m trying to think of our metric for, say, intelligence or something.

It’s not uni-dimensional, and neither is morality. So maybe there’s space for her to be a character who is interested in creating a world where she saves humanity from self destruction or annihilation by the Covenant. But in order to do that has to sacrifice some, you know, lives in the short term in order to save many more in the long term, I suppose. But it was great fun to play and complicated.

Q: How did you create the chemistry and dynamic with Jen Taylor as Cortana as she’s portraying an intelligent, artificial intelligence?

Natascha: Well, I guess you see the whole process of the creation and invention of her. So I, to be honest, most of my research and most of the reading I did in preparation for the show was around how to create or how would we create sort of Cortana like, artificial intelligence.

I found all of that really fascinating.

And this idea that I’ve sort of been banging on about, that morality always lags behind the technology. She doesn’t really think like people, because in her mind she belongs to only one way of thinking, which won’t help us progress out of the extinction of our species, which when we start the show, it looks like the Covenant is going to annihilate us and the Spartans need help.

Q: You were introduced to the game because of your husband and son’s which primarily had an effect on you. Is that correct? And if yes, how did that help you build on your character?

Natascha: Well, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t say that my first introduction to Halo was a joyous creative experience.

It was more of an obstacle to the running of the household. My husband spent quite a long time playing with my little boy on his lap, which I wasn’t sure really counted as childcare but he insisted it did.

To be fair, it doesn’t seem to have done my son any harm. It was a lovely kind of symmetry, if you like, coming into it then as a sort of newbie, I was ignorant in the mechanics of how to play it.

So I did boot camp and I also hung out with a friend who had played three years worth of Halo and who had lived in this portal for many of his student years. He explained the obsession to me, which was really cool.

I had to pivot all of my preconceived ideas about gamers.

Also, my brother is a gamer and a journalist.

He also schooled me a little. But we know, in terms of the actors playing these roles that were well established in the games, we had to find our own way into the characters and a viability that you wouldn’t necessarily get from an animated figure, like we’re not made from silicon.

Q: Has the idea of playing a scientist changed a bit considering all the fights that have erupted around science within the real world recently, has any of those kinds of issues had any impact on the way that you approach the role, the way that you see the role or whether it’s just a question of sticking to the character that you’re given and working within the world that’s been created for?

Natascha: I think there was a lot of discussion and collaboration on the themes that we would press in person and the ones that you know, they would hold back on because they weren’t relevant or pertinent to the Halo universe.

So we do drill into this stuff a little more, I think throughout the series, and certainly in Season Two as well.

Dr. Halsey is first and foremost a scientist, but she’s also a dreamer. An inventor and innovator. And she’s experimental in her approach to life. She’s risk averse. She’s all of these things that we maybe don’t see. An awful lot of today people are quite compliant, we have group-think, she is very much outside of this.

Human beings have used their resources to destroy one another thus far or to destroy, you know, another living species and that’s not going to continue we need to collaborate we need to find a way of not being at war all the time, reducing that risk and so she’s interested in creating forms of consciousness and intelligence that can be more predictive. You know, be more helpful in warfare I suppose. But ultimately, I think she’s really interested in getting out of war and ending that kind of existence.

Q: Halo is a quite big production. How tricky was it to shoot this during the whole COVID restriction?

Natascha: Yes, that was an out of body experience for sure. We did shut down for a year.

Then we came back and there were so many protocols for wearing masks while you’re acting and then taking them off. I mean, yeah, it was crazy as it was for everyone in every walk of life. So I feel really, really blessed that I had a job to go back to in the middle of the pandemic and that we’d already established ourselves and were already were up and running. Also in a sense that it has given us a chance to regroup and think about the parts of the story that were and weren’t working, I suppose.

Q: You spoke a bit about playing the game. And doing the research of the world, etc. But obviously then you go into the set and you see the kind of version of the world that’s been created, and in which you’re going to work. What was your reaction to going from the one to the other and how do you feel about the way that the production team had visualized the universe of Halo?

Natascha: I guess the biggest differences is when you’re playing the game, you know, you’re Masterchief so there are just so many differences because obviously, you’re an audience now, in terms of the TV show, you’re not in the head of any of the characters.

So even though it is the Halo universe and we have to tap into that, we saw the timeline is the one that we’re in and there’s a ton of stuff that’s borrowed and inspired by the game but there’s also a pivoting, new iteration of translation onto the screen.

So I wasn’t surprised that it felt different and also, you’re acting on a project that’s set in the future. There was so much in this particular world where there are so many different Universes and you’re dealing with all kinds of different planets and species and aliens and you know, Covenants,

You’re creating all of those things. Also a lot of it is CGI, so it’s not really there. So you’re having to act with a little red dot on a green screen or you’re sort of suspended outside of any reality, to be honest, and it is incumbent upon you to create the wonder that you’re meant to be seeing around you.

There are so many points of disconnect, I suppose, that’s the nature of acting and the these kind of productions.

Halo the Series is streaming now on Paramount+ internationally and on Duke on TVNZ.

The post Halo the Series – Interview w. Natascha McElhone appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The mega video gaming franchise Halo has finally been adapted to motion picture, thanks to Paramount+.

Keeping true to to it’s legend and lore, Master Chief, Cortana, Spartan and more all feature in a SciFi battle against The Covenant.

Bringing fierce action, drama and political twisty-ness the series could easily be a standalone as much as it does honour the games.

Thanks to our mates at Paramount+ and TVNZ STG was exclusively invited to a Q&A session with the actors of Halo – the Series.

In our four part interview series we kick off a chat with actor Bokeem Woodbine.

Bokeem Woodbine

Q: Are you a fan of SciFi as a genre in terms of being a fan of the books and movies, is it a genre that you like to work in?

Bokeem: I’ve been a fan of science fiction, and a deep admirer of science fiction. Probably from the age two or three years old. It’s always fascinated me. It’s always been incredibly entertaining just as a fan. And I’ve always wanted to be in a science fiction project, and I never thought it would happen.

I just thought it was beyond my reach.

So it’s incredibly gratifying to be involved with the science fiction project. Because even as I participate in a, you know, a show, that is technically a science fiction show. I’m still watching it almost from, you know, outer body perspective and enjoying the spectacle as well. I like science fiction that much.

Q: How challenging was it to carry out your scenes and your movements? Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Bokeem: The costume was cumbersome, to say the least, but I had to achieve in that level of discomfort.

Cumbersome was something I had to work towards. Initially, it was almost impossible for me personally, to move efficiently with the armor of the costume, so I wore a weight vest for several weeks, probably just shy of a month.

I wore a weight vest every day for three to five hours. Just going about my normal routine.

We had really nice accommodations. We had a we had a kind of like a short stay facility or building if you will, we called it the ‘Halo house’.

And I would just walk around my apartment, which is fantastic. And, you know, I’d hang out with some of the other Spartans and actors portraying Spartans and what have you and I would have my weight vest on.

I’d wear it to set when I had to do rehearsals and stuff like that. So it never got easy, but it got possible.

Q: Can you talk about creating the character chemistry and working with Pablo?

Bokeem: Pablo is a great guy. I haven’t known him long but he’s already like, you know, a close friend of mine. And he’s easy to get along with. We have a few things in common as far as our work ethic.

I think we’re both definitely invested in our performances.

And so having that in common, can help create a good bond. And he’s also a lot of fun to hang out with. And I’ve been told I’m fun to hang out with as well.

So we had a really good time. Just, you know, enjoying the city of Budapest and blowing off steam and relaxing and, you know, talking about how we plan to put our best foot forward and give the show our best efforts.

He’s a good dude. I’m a decent cat. And we got along swell, I guess maybe that translated on screen.

Q: How did you approach the personality and the psychology of your character?

Bokeem: You know, in the spirit of transparency, I played Soren as if it were me when I was 17, and I had a certain worldview, and a certain way of approaching life, a certain kind of perspective.

And so the whole time that I was working on that episode and subsequent episodes, whenever I would try to figure out a direction or how to access the truth of the moment, I would just try to imagine how would I feel in this moment, if I were the way I was at that time in my life?

Q: Had you played Halo (the video game) before you were approached to be in the Series?

Bokeem: My experience with Halo, as far as the game is concerned, revolved around watching other people play it.

When I was younger, I, you know, used to hang out with a lot of Halo heads. And I never really got into it. I would just kind of like hang out and watch them play and I guess I was the comic relief because they took it quite seriously.

I will just comment on the game. So I have that kind of proximity to familiarity. But beyond that, I never really played it. And how do I feel it about it? Was I nervous?

I didn’t really have any nerves about it, which is which is odd. I normally get nervous about stuff but you know, as far as approaching a role, but for this one for some reason, I didn’t I didn’t have any nerves.

Q: Doing acting with a green screen background, what was it like?

Bokeem: You know, I’ve done it before a few times. So I had a little experience., but it’s never easy.

Because the natural inclination is to kind of go big. When you’re imagining something like if they say, you know, there’s a dinosaur right there. You know, a lot of times you would imagine that you’re supposed to accept that like that because there’s nothing really practical to reference.

But, the challenge is to really try to imagine what it is you’re seeing. And if you can maybe substitute it for something else, you know, in other words, if they say, okay, you know, there’s a scary monster there, but there is no scary monster maybe you can imagine your mother in law.

But, you know, substitutions can be helpful.

Halo the Series is streaming now on Paramount+ internationally and on Duke on TVNZ.

The post Halo the Series – Interview w. Bokeem Woodbine appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

On the eve of its New Zealand premiere, it has been announced that THE PANTHERS TV series will have its international premiere as an Official Selection at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the first New Zealand-made TV series to do so.

THE PANTHERS is one of only four shows in the world to be accepted into the festival as part of the TIFF Primetime Programme, where critically acclaimed shows such as Black Mirror and Transparent have premiered in previous years.

Inspired by true events, THE PANTHERS follows Will ‘Ilolahia (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), who along with a group of young street gangsters and university students, form The Polynesian Panthers in the 1970s, to fight a broken system and become the history-making revolutionaries that their community so desperately need them to be.

“At a time when the international standard of TV from around the globe is so high, being part of such a small selection at an a-list festival such as TIFF is a huge honour.” said co-creator, writer and executive producer Halaifonua Finau.

“We have been blown away by the excitement for the series in New Zealand and can’t wait for everyone here at home to experience it come Sunday the 15th August,” fellow  co-creator, writer and executive producer Tom Hern added.

Along with Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Will, the series features newcomer Lealani Siaosi as Melani Anae, and international stars Beulah Koale (Hawaii Five-O, Thank You For Your Service) and Frankie Adams (Mortal Engines, The Expanse)  – both of whom returned home to NZ to shoot the series; as well veteran actor Roy Billing (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Underbelly), as Robert ‘Piggy’ Muldoon.

THE PANTHERS was created and executive produced by Halaifonua Finau and Tom Hern of Tavake, in association with Four Knights Film. The series is co-produced by Crystal Vaega and co-executive producers are James Napier Robertson, Will ‘Ilolahia and Kini Roy Earley. Co Producers are Jaunnie ‘Ilolahia, Luciane Buchanan and Timēna Apa.

THE PANTHERS will make its International Premiere in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. Commissioned by TVNZ, it was made with the support of NZ On Air and Endeavor Content will represent worldwide rights for the film.

The post THE PANTHERS TV SERIES HEADS TO TORONTO appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

More than 2.5 million bricks are making their way to Aotearoa for LEGO MASTERS NZ, the international television sensation.

Applications for the programme are now open, as we search for the country’s most innovative LEGO builders for this one-of-a-kind competition.

Colourful and playful, the LEGO MASTERS format has been a hit all around the globe. Teams of two will be put through their paces in a series of challenges designed to put their LEGO building skills and imaginations to the test. With design, creativity, construction techniques, as well as storytelling prowess all under the watchful eye of Brickmaster and series’ judge, Robin Sather.

Canadian born Robin Sather was the first ever LEGO Certified Professional (LCP) – a program he helped create, of which there are only 21 professionals in the world. Robin’s passion for the LEGO brick started when he was a young boy, and it’s never stopped having built incredible designs such as an Egyptian sphinx, a giant globe, and detailed castles during his career.

Sather will be on-hand to watch over the teams as they complete their builds each week, as he hopes to find New Zealand’s best brick builders: “I know that there are a lot of amazing LEGO fans in New Zealand, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to showcase your amazing Kiwi LEGO builders! We’re going have a lot of fun together!”

The series will deliver entertainment, humour, and some drama, with the contestants showcasing their passion for building. TVNZ’s Director of Content, Cate Slater said: “The LEGO MASTERS franchise has been incredibly popular globally and we’re thrilled to bring audiences our very own local version, with Brickmaster, Robin, at the helm as judge.

“LEGO has been an integral part of Kiwis’ homes for generations, inspiring creativity and family fun. That ethos fits perfectly with TVNZ 2 and we’re looking forward to seeing the amazing talent and LEGO creations to be built brick-by-brick here in Aotearoa in 2022.”

Screentime New Zealand, producers of Eat Well for Less NZ and Popstars, will be partnering with TVNZ to create this new series. Philly de Lacey, CEO Screentime New Zealand said: “We’re so excited for LEGO MASTERS fans in NZ to finally have the opportunity to compete in this incredible series – we can’t wait to see what amazing designs Kiwis will bring to the LEGO table.”

Applications are open now for everyone 16 years and over at tvnz.co.nz/LEGOMASTERS (Terms and Conditions apply).

LEGO MASTERS NZ will play on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand in 2022.

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One of the most highly anticipated programmes of the year, Friends: The Reunion is coming to TVNZ.

Mega fans of the iconic series won’t have long to wait either, with the special airing on TVNZ 2 this Thursday (27th May 2021 at 7pm) and streaming at the same time on TVNZ OnDemand.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer will return to the hit comedy’s original soundstage, for an unscripted celebration of the show. Featuring a superstar guestlist and even a redo of the trivia game, you know, the one that led to Chandler and Joey taking over Monica and Rachel’s apartment! – this is a not-to-be-missed moment of television history.

Shortland Street will air at 8.30pm on Thursday evening to accommodate the US scheduling of Friends: The Reunion. Shortland Street’s OnDemand episode will still be available from 7pm for those wanting to stick to their usual viewing routine.

The Friends’ party doesn’t stop there though – TVNZ 2 will carry the top 25 Friends episodes (as picked by Rolling Stone) from Saturday 28 May to Sunday 29 May 2021.

TVNZ’s Director of Content, Cate Slater says “TVNZ 2 has been the home of Friends since the beginning. It’s been part of our schedule for 25 years now and so it feels fitting that we can bring this amazing special to New Zealand fans on free-to-air and OnDemand.”

Friends: The Reunion will air day and date with the US at 7pm, 27 May 2021 on TVNZ 2. It will also be available on TVNZ OnDemand.

The complete series of Friends is available to stream online at TVNZ OnDemand.

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Twenty-two years on from the genre-breaking series that launched a global phenomenon from right here in New Zealand, Popstars is back on Kiwi screens and TVNZ can now reveal the aspiring artists who have earned their spot in the Top 12 and a coveted place in the Popstars house.

They’ve impressed Popstars panelists Kimbra, Nathan King, and Vince Harder with their vocals and lyrics to this point, but now the hard work really starts for these incredible young artists as they have a unique opportunity to work on their music, beats, and performance with some of the best musicians and producers in the industry.

The Top 12 artists hoping to be left holding the winner’s mic are:

Amber Carly Williams, 19, Christchurch

Avya Grace Trotter, 20, Mangawhai

Christabel Williams, 20, Auckland

Dexter Go, 17, Wellington

Jireh Komene, 21, Christchurch

John-Paul Foliaki, 23, Auckland

Keira Jonkers, 18, Christchurch

Le ART (Anastasia 19, Rosetta 20, and Tiresa 19), Wellington

Ilisapeti Filimoehala, 18, Auckland

Te Ara Pukeroa, 17, Rotorua

Skye Hine, 16, Tauranga

TJ Zimba, 21, Dunedin

Each week these artists will compete in a series of challenges that test their song-writing, producing and performance skills, pushing their voices to the limit.

They’ll live, rehearse and perform together and our cameras will be there to capture the highs and lows of their individual and collective journeys. The final four artists will release their single and perform to crowds of fans and music industry executives.

Who will win the $100,000 prize and live out their music dream?

Don’t miss next week when the Top 12 participate in a ‘New Bliss’ challenge, to interpret the number one hit from 1999, Tonight, in the presence of original TrueBliss band members Joe Cotton, Erika Takacs, Megan Alatini and Keri Harper.

Popstars screens Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm, TVNZ 2 and on TVNZ OnDemand.

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TVNZ has been bringing viewers some compelling local productions in the past few years (The Dead Lands, Educators, Sextortion, Wellington Paranormal and Black Hands just to name a few).

I’m pleased to say that they are continuing this winning streak with Vegas, produced by Greenstone Television (in collaboration with 10,000 Company and the Steambox Film Collective) and filmed entirely in Rotorua.

The Vegas of the title is fictional town Wairoto (suggesting that like Rotorua it’s colloquial moniker is ‘Rotovegas’), which proclaims that it’s “the town where things get steamy”. But this picture-perfect geothermal town has a particularly seedy underbelly.

The Te Toki gang is devastated by the loss of its leader, Waka Phillips (Wayne Hapi). On his deathbed, Waka doesn’t hand his mantle over to his son Matia (Xavier Horan), instead favouring Kingi Duncan (Eds Eramiha), a young man he took under his wing. Waka helps Kingi get clean from methamphetamine, which is ironic as Te Toki sells meth as one of its money-making operations.

With the death of his beloved mentor/surrogate father the now clean Kingi is determined to sell the last of the methamphetamine supply and get out of the business. The sale is set to happen at The Dark Horse, a local pub run by Toni Poulan (Cian Elyse White).

At the same time Kingi’s younger brother Pio (Evander Brown), is adept at growing marijuana and finds himself indebted to the Assassins, a rival gang. His desperation leads him to attempt to rob The Dark Horse at the same time the sale is set to go down. These two actions put Toni in the crosshairs both literally and figuratively as she’s suspected of orchestrating the robbery.

While that’s a magnificent set-up for an action/drama series, how does it stack up? After watching the first two episodes I can tell you that Vegas is a brilliant example of the talent and creativity we have in Aotearoa.

Firstly, the writing is exceptional.

Inspired by Inside the Black Horse, Vegas is driven by complex and well fleshed-out characters that are compelling to watch. You are given so much rich detail about each character through a thoroughly engaging plot and excellent dialogue.

Weaving the narratives together are three exceptional wāhine: Rawhinia (Rena Owen), the mother of Pio and Kingi who wants absolutely nothing to do with the criminal lifestyle, the aforementioned Toni who is having to put in countless hours running the bar and at the expense of her relationships with her children, and Hinapouri Phillips (Katie Wolfe), the widow of Waka who is disapproving of Kingi as leader of Te Toki. Not only are these wāhine important for the story, the performances of the actresses who embody them are phenomenal.

And while this is a fast-paced series with car chases, shoot-outs and explosions (yes, really!), it doesn’t try to replicate anything we’ve seen overseas.

This is a story that resonates because of the strength of the characters as well as a commitment to the use of te reo, the portrayal of various aspects of tikanga (the graveside haka in episode 1 is a particularly stirring moment) and a uniquely New Zealand voice.

It’s an excellent series because of the dedication to these aspects, backed up by a strong narrative and exemplary performances. The power struggles underpinning the story are reminiscent of Shakespearean narratives, which is fitting as Kingi tells the story of having a sexual relationship with a high school student teacher who introduced him to Macbeth. Vegas also provides us with the best use of Shakespeare in a modern production, with the meme-worthy line: “screw your courage to the sticking place, muthafucker!”

The costuming also deserves a great deal of praise, particularly for Hinapouri’s look which consists of items like bowler hats paired with sharp tailoring, pounamu earrings and green lipstick. This aforementioned look brings to mind painter C.F. Goldie’s “A Good Joke” painting of Te Aho-te-Rangi Wharepu of Ngati Mahuta.

Vegas is a gritty, engaging show with some genuinely heart-pounding action set pieces, an excellent storyline and a truly homegrown vibe.

The post VEGAS (TVNZ – 2021) REVIEW appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

This autumn, TVNZ 2 is showcasing premium drama, with local action-thriller series Vegas premiering with a cast of incredibly talented wāhine and tāne.

A drug deal gone wrong on a blood-stained night sets off a chain of events for dangerous factions and a business owner.

Eds Eramiha (The Legend of Baron To’a) plays protagonist Kingi, the newly appointed leader for Te Toki. His desire is to lead his people away from meth into a new life.

On his character Eds says: “Kingi’s a protector but he is also very sensitive. He knows what’s right and he goes for it, he believes in himself 100% and is not afraid to take a risk. He’s passionate about upholding the mana of his whānau with integrity”.

Cousins’ actress Cian Elyse White plays innocent bystander Toni Poulan. White’s character is the local tavern owner and mother caught in the crossfire when competing crews decide to use her bar for a million-dollar methamphetamine deal. In a twist of fate, a robbery is committed the same night, taking cash and the drugs.

This series sees White reunite with her 800 Words castmates, Miriama Smith and Alex Tarrant.  

Viewers will also recognise Katie Wolfe, Xavier Horan, Rena Owen, Dean O’Gorman and Te Kohe Tuhaka, who had a starring role in The Dead Lands, TVNZ’s co-pro with AMC’s Shudder last year.

An action-packed thriller which balances dark subject matter against moments of genuine comedy, Vegas shows that there is always hope, no matter the situation, and it is never too late to shift course. This is a story of love and brotherhood, against all odds, inspiring hope, and redemption.

On the final product, producer Harriet Crampton, who alongside Michael Bennett is a series co-creator, says: “Like all good stories, at the heart of Vegas is a quest. Told through the lens of a gripping action series, the mission of our hero Kingi, if he succeeds in picking up the wero, is to revolutionise his gang into becoming the whānau he longs for.”

Filmed entirely in Rotorua, New Zealand the series is produced by Greenstone Television, in collaboration with 10,000 Company and the Steambox Film Collective, with the support of NZ On Air and Te Reo Tātaki.

The post Eds Eramiha & Cian Elyse White in TVNZ 2’s Vegas appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Soulful Sol3 Mio crooner Moses Mackay is taking the lead in TVNZ 2’s brand-new season of The Bachelor New Zealand.

As one part of musical trio Sol3 Mio, Moses Mackay is used to life on the road.

With Covid-19 preventing travel for overseas concerts, the baritone singer is swapping his mic for a rose and taking up the role as the bachelor.

The 30-year-old is hoping to find someone special from this experience. Having spent most of his life selflessly putting others first, he’s seizing this opportunity to put himself out there.

“Being a musician, being an artist, you’re always travelling around the world, you’re always living a very peculiar life – not your typical. I’ve been in a serious relationship and coming out of it, for a long time, I didn’t think I was ready to step into the realm of dating and being vulnerable. “And then this happened to come up, while I’m home and c’est la vie. Life’s about journeys, life’s about experiences, and this is just another one!” This isn’t the first-time viewers will have seen Moses on TVNZ 2.

Moses took part in the popular reality series Celebrity Treasure Island in 2019, where he competed for his chosen charity The Dream Chaser Foundation, which raises awareness about the bone marrow registry. Mackay can also be heard on-air weekdays alongside his Sol3 Mio cousins Pene and Amitai, as part of Flava radio’s breakfast line-up.

The Bachelor will showcase stunning New Zealand landscapes, as our suave suitor and a cast of wonderful women travel around the nation, tackling adrenaline-filled dates and dreamy one-on-ones, where Mackay will have the perfect opportunity to find love.

Stay tuned to see which ladies will make Moses’ heart sing on The Bachelor New Zealand, premiering Tuesday 2nd March 2021, 7:30pm on TVNZ 2.

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The post NZ has a new Bachelor appeared first on Shane the Gamer.