Spy: Kiwi TV show One Lane Bridge goes global

Six-part series One Lane Bridge combines the suspense of a series like Broadchurch with the Kiwi lens of a tight-knit Queenstown community. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand crime series One Lane Bridge is the latest in a string of Kiwi shows to go global.

Just months after the show hit Kiwi screens, Sundance Now has acquired rights in the US and Canada, while Acorn TV has taken the rights in the UK and Latin America.

The dark supernatural drama, which is set in Queenstown and stars Dominic Ona-Ariki, Sara Wiseman and Joel Tobeck, is to premiere weekly on Sundance Now next month.

Sara Wiseman, star of TVNZ's One Lane Bridge. Photo / Supplied

"With a stellar ensemble of top New Zealand talent, a picturesque setting and a gripping supernatural twist, One Lane Bridge is sure to become a new favourite for Sundance Now subscribers." Shannon Cooper, the VP of programming for Sundance Now, told Variety.

Overseas viewers can't seem to get enough of the South Island scenery - The Luminaries has now been sold to more than16 territories since its NZ & UK broadcasts.

Australia is loving our productions too, a second season of The Gulf, starring Kate Elliott and Ido Drent, has been sold to the Nine Network in Australia. Runaway Millionaires, the telefeature based on the true story of Kara Hurring and Leo Gao, has been picked up by the Seven Network in Australia.

An industry expert told Spy the international sales of Kiwi content would be a boon to the industry here.

"It generates revenue which our production companies can use to put into the creation of more local programming which means more New Zealand content and jobs for our cast and crews."

South Pacific Pictures has led much of the charge in exporting TV success - its latest thriller mini series, The Sounds, starring Matt Whelan, which premieres in NZ next month, is set to launch on Acorn TV and CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) and Neon.

This follows the mega global success of SPP's whodunnit series, The Brokenwood Mysteries, starring Fern Sutherland and Neill Rea, which is estimated to have injected tens of millions of dollars to the industry. It has had spectacular success screening in 17 territories worldwide with audiences of 3 million per episode in some countries. The show is currently filming a seventh season.