Putting her spin on popular TV show

ACTION: Kevin Hill (left), sound recordist, camera operator Barrington West and Liz Turner (winemaker Barbara Turner's mother) shooting for Country Calendar at Limegully Wines, Hinakura Rd, Longbush.

A Martinborough woman will direct several episodes of New Zealand's longest-running television show, Country Calendar, which has had 50 consecutive years on air.

Celia Jaspers, who has been farming with husband Alastair for the past three years, will be stepping back into television, in which she has 24 years experience, and juggling it with farm life.

She will begin scouting new stories next week and shooting in the next few months for Country Calendar's 50th series.

Mrs Jaspers said her two "quite different worlds" were colliding and she was excited to be taking on television projects again.

"I wasn't sure it was possible living here farming with a young family, but we'll take each show as it comes to make sure it fits in with the farm and family life."

Mrs Jaspers and her husband, who was born and bred in Wairarapa, have a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old and live and work on their Martinborough farm, doing intensive cropping and sheep and beef fattening.

To warm into her role as director, Mrs Jaspers shot and edited an episode for Country Calender's 49th series, which will go to air at 7pm on Saturday, September 26, on TV ONE.

The episode is based in Martinborough and Longbush on winemakers at Limegully Wines, James Walker and Barbara Turner, and features the Martinborough township in a few sequences.

"They are incredibly busy and hard-working, developing their lifestyle plot while making a living from it, and sustainably," said Mrs Jaspers.

Because the pair, who have grapevines and olive trees, were involved with many activities on their land, they were a good pick for the show, Mrs Jaspers believed.

"Country Calendar has evolved a lot over the 49 years it's been on air, with a huge range of stories in that time.

"And in the last few years the stories have focused more on aspirational lifestyles of interesting people doing interesting things in the country - so James and Barbara certainly fit that bill."

Mrs Jaspers said the Martinborough and Longbush-based episode would be a great opportunity to showcase some beautiful Wairarapa scenes to the rest of New Zealand.

Shooting in her home town was a little bit weird, said Mrs Jaspers, but it had its perks as well.

"It was great filming near home as I knew the likely weather conditions, where things were, scenic spots, and of course where to recommend the crew dine as they spent several nights staying in Martinborough township."

Mrs Jaspers is one of about 10 directors who will each direct several of the season's 40 episodes.

She said Country Calendar was the only show that would have drawn her back into film and television production at this stage in her life.

"Country Calendar deserves respect. The farmers and landowners deserve respect for what they're doing, allowing us to come onto their properties and letting us get in the way while they're trying to work.

"And the stories need respect, as this really is a slice of our cultural history at this time in this place."

Mrs Jaspers said being a farmer would be a bonus and would help her to understand some content, however it was not part of the job description.

"Producing and directing story is what we do, regardless of our own lifestyles.

"But it certainly helps to relate to the farmers and understand the logistics of any given situation that we come across."

Mrs Jaspers has worked in various roles including as producer, director, editor, writer and camera operator.

She has been involved in a vast number of shows- from wildlife documentaries to children's programmes to music videos, that have screened on channels including TVONE, TV2, Prime and Animal Planet.