The battle for Kiwi audiences heats up as local content looms large once again with TVNZ announcing its 2022 line-up via virtual Showcase event today.
Today’s Showcase follows Discovery’s announcement last week detailing bold plans for local audiences and advertisers in 2022.
During the Showcase TVNZ reinforced it dominance in terms of viewership figures, announcing a host of new series, returning favourites, more must-watch sporting moments and a new content partnership.
“Two million New Zealanders tune in to TVNZ each day, and we’re investing more to provide the content viewers want to watch in the ways they want to watch it. Today’s announcement demonstrates TVNZ’s ongoing commitment to local content and enhancing our digital services to grow audience reach and inspire the conversations of Aotearoa in the year ahead,” says Chief Executive, Kevin Kenrick.
Landmark local
TVNZ’s local line-up will span all genres and be available on-air and On Demand. Drama lovers will get their fix with new co-production Under the Vines, starring Rebecca Gibney, and film Whina, starring Rena Owen bringing the inspiring story of Dame Whina Cooper to screen. Supernatural anthology series Beyond the Veil will be presented by Jayden Daniels, and the mystery and intrigue continues in all new seasons of One Lane Bridge and The Brokenwood Mysteries. Shortland Street reaches yet another milestone with its 30th Anniversary next year. The loveable Billy-John is back for a third season of Kura , and gritty rangatahi drama Ahikāroa also returns for a fifth season.
“New Zealanders love seeing their stories on screen – from homegrown drama to the best in whānau-friendly blockbuster reality. We’re excited to share more original and diverse content in 2022, and we’re grateful to our production partners and funding bodies NZ on Air, Te Māngai Pāho and the New Zealand Film Commission for helping us tell Aotearoa’s stories,” says Director of Content, Cate Slater.
The Sione’s Wedding crew are bringing back their signature humour with DuckRockers, a prequel series to the iconic film, and semi-autobiographical series Kid Sister tells the story of a young Kiwi Jewish woman in her prime. Have You Been Paying Attention?, Give Us a Clue, Patriot Brains and Wellington Paranormal will all be back in 2022.
In the reality space, there’s LEGO® MASTERS NZ, with comedian Dai Henwood today announced as the show’s host. More romance-reality abounds in Down For Love and The Ex-Best Thing. Aotearoa’s best chefs will attempt to recreate Kiwis’ favourite treats in new series Snackmasters NZ, and NZ’s celebs will duke it out for a good cause on a new season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The country’s best backyard BBQ masters will go toe-to-toe in the new series Cooks on Fire, and Stan & The Walkers are back with more whānau laughs and heart-warming moments. Brand-new format 60 Seconds showcases the diverse range of talent we have within Aotearoa, with one minute or less for contestants to impress. Plus, there will be a new RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, featuring an array of trans-Tasman queens.
Documentary New Zealand reflects the stories of Aotearoa in a special eight-episode season, and Grand Designs New Zealand takes us behind the scenes of some of the country’s most impressive new builds. First Responders puts viewers into the heart of our emergency services, going behind the scenes of our rescue helicopters, boats and ambulances. Our Big Blue Backyard returns, taking viewers under the sea and into a world of stunning creatures right here in NZ. Homegrown favourites Eat Well for Less NZ, Origins, and Moving Houses all return for new seasons in 2022.
Partnerships
“Partnerships allow us to complement our local slate with the best content from around the world, together with key sporting moments,” says Slater.
“Like our local slate, TVNZ’s international line-up is full of variety. The breadth and depth of our content portfolio ensures we deliver something for all viewers – however they choose to watch with us.”
A significant deal with ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group brings the juggernaut studio’s premiere and library content to TVNZ.
Included in this deal are Ghosts, starring Kiwi actress Rose McIver, hit daytime show The Drew Barrymore Show, the latest from the CSI franchise, CSI: Vegas, the newest in the NCIS stable, NCIS: Hawai’i, and more new series including FBI: International, Good Sam, and Guilty Party. Well-known hits such as Everybody Hates Chris, Charmed, and SEAL Team are also set to land on TVNZ. The partnership, along with the agreement with NBCUniversal (announced earlier in the year) will ensure a multi-year supply of premium US drama, comedy and movies to TVNZ.
“This is a key moment for ViacomCBS as our investment in world class content reaches a new level and we could not be more pleased to be sharing these fantastic shows with our long-term partners at TVNZ. The expansion of our longstanding relationship will allow TVNZ to bring more of our quality content, including premium Paramount+ Originals and key new franchise series,” says Lisa Kramer, President, International Television Licensing, ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.
ViacomCBS titles will roll out on TVNZ channels and platforms from December.
As well as the best of the US, TVNZ will continue to bring viewers premium British content.
Focus On Demand
TVNZ sees its future success being driven by its digital offering, and hopes to replicate its dominance in TV audiences in its digital services.
“TVNZ OnDemand is New Zealand’s leading local streaming service, and it has grown significantly in the past few years to now reach one million viewers a week. We’re also focused on driving the digital reach of 1 NEWS to match our OnDemand success, through upgrading news content workflow tools, content management systems, and digital publishing systems. This enhanced capability will enable a step change in TVNZ’s digital news relevance and scale in 2022,” says Kenrick.
“TVNZ’s future is undoubtedly digital, and we are investing significantly in the design and development of a future state-of-the-art IP platform that will have the capacity and capability to enhance our digital services and ultimately replace our current broadcast services.”
