New format reality show Ready Gamer Mum has landed on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.
It first screened on May 14 at 7.30pm.
The show pits the best young gamers of their generation against each other in a winner takes all competition. The catch? The only person who can touch the controller is their mum.
The mums must level up
Hosted by Mai Morning Crew radio personality Tegan Yorwarth, Ready Gamer Mum is centred around familial relationships. The competition flips the parent-child dynamic on its head, as the children become the teachers, and the mums must level up.
But it’s not all about the controller, the teams must step away from the consoles to compete in Side Quests commentated by comedians Brynley Stent and Tony Lyall. These real-life challenges are inspired by each episode’s game and give players the chance to earn game-changing time advantages.
Compete to win cash
On the first episode, the teams are faced with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, as the gamer kids must train their mums how to kick, flip and ollie their way to the top of the table.
Ten Kiwi gamers and their mums have been selected from across Aotearoa to compete to win a cash prize of up to $50,000.
- Pam (55) and Ben Barnes (27) – a stepmother and stepson team from Christchurch. Pam has been in Ben’s life since he was two years old.
- Sam McCubbin (55) and Oliver Klap (21) – originally from Somerset, England, Sam moved to Christchurch where Ollie was born.
- Breeze (43) and Ayla Cherry (19) – from Canterbury, Breeze met her husband and Ayla’s dad in a Counter-Strike team.
- Rebekah (56) and Bevan Harford (36) – from Wellington, Rebekah is a mum of six and grandmother of five. Her son Bevan is a dad of two.
- TinTin Goodwin (36) and Justis Gotty (21) – the youngest Mum on the show, TinTin is a vibrant mum of three from Stratford. Her son Justis is the “king gamer” in the family.
- Naylor Siaki (65) and Leaton Taualapini (26) – from Whangarei, Naylor grew up in Niue and moved to NZ when she was 16 years old. Her son Leaton learned to play games before he could read.
- Lisa Graham (52) and Mathew Ruland (24) – Lisa is a devoted mother of five and lives with son Mathew in Wellington. She has a reputation for unplugging the internet to get the kids off their games.
- Sandra (73) and Zarni Saw (36) – originally from Myanmar, Sandra is a retired interpreter and mother of two. Son Zarni has been a gamer since age five.
- Janelle Wilson (50) and Liam Craw (24) – having recently survived cancer Janelle has embraced clean living. Son Liam is passionate about sports and studied in America.
- McDonald’s wildcard team Rachel (59) and Romy (18) – the McDonald’s wildcard team are here to shake up the game! Rachel and Romy live on a dairy farm in Whitianga, where Romy and his four siblings are homeschooled.
Ready Gamer Mum is an original format developed by SPP from an idea by Tom Hutchison and is represented internationally by All3 Media.
The show was made with the support of major partner McDonald’s and programme partners, Noel Leeming, Spark Game Arena, rova and Berocca.
Local content matters
Commenting on the show format, Angela Spain, Omnicom Media content’s managing director says, “Ready Gamer Mum delivers feel good family entertainment and through our partnership with South Pacific Pictures, TVNZ and the commitment from our clients. It’s a great example of collaboration to create local content, produced by Kiwi for Kiwi. The team have created thoughtful show integration for the brands involved, while maintaining a highly entertaining format. We’re looking forward to audience feedback.”
TVNZ GM of growth & partnerships Rebekah Gierlinska adds: “Local content matters because it reflects our stories, our people and the moments that bring New Zealanders together. Ready Gamer Mum is a great example of how new ways of working together can produce authentic, innovative content that truly connects with Kiwi audiences.”
SPP managing director Andrew Szusterman says the collaboration with Omnicom Media, their clients and TVNZ has seen a transformation of the pathway to funding shows.
“The opportunity for those clients to leverage their association with additional content specifically made for their platforms, shows that investing in local programming gives you brand exposure that you can’t get from traditional advertising.”
