Weekend Rewind: A history of Kiwi TV promos

Mikey Havoc and Jeremy Wells starring in the 'I Got 2 Babe' promo.

NZ On Screen's Zara Potts looks back over the past few decades at some of our television promotions that have tried to nail down just who we are as a nation.

There's been quite a bit of talk around this week about what it really means to be a Kiwi. Not the flightless bird – we all know about that – but what values characterise us as New Zealanders.

It's hard to nail down the exact qualities that define us, as every person from Kaitaia to Bluff will inevitably have a different perspective on what is – or isn't – quintessentially kiwi.

But there are some clues, and oddly enough, they can be found in how our national television channels promote themselves. The station IDs (as they're known) have changed dramatically over the years, and where rugby was once almost always the defining characteristic, there are now other sports and recreation activities that can (almost) equal the national game.

Anyone who was alive and had a television in the 1970s will remember that television wasn't always a 24-hour business. In fact, the channels – and first there was only one, then two, of them then – didn't begin programming until the middle of the day. Viewers who switched on to see the latest episode of The Young and the Restless had to sit through a promotional opener that was designed to reflect society at the time.

In this 1976 offering from Television One – it seems we were pretty keen on farming and shearing and A&P shows. Set to a rousing version of Sibelius's 'Karelia Suite' (eh?) the promo also highlights that many Kiwi kids were given haircuts at home – uneven fringes and bowl cuts abound.

Watch the 1976 transmission opening here:

By 1981, we'd ditched the overblown orchestral number in favour of a snappy tune that everyone could sing. "It's our New Zealand, we're so proud to be here, we bring the best, the very best, to youuuuuuu" – Altogether now!

Sing along to the jingle here:

In 1982, it was time for TV2 to shine – or in the words of this promo: "2 can make your longest night, twice as short, twice as bright." The clip is much more jazzy in tone and the country itself is starting to look a bit more cosmopolitan with our big cities featuring more prominently that had been the case in the 70s.

Watch the TV2 transmission opening here:

Fast forward to 1991 and viewers were glued to the screens – not for the latest mini-series, but all because of a promo that featured a shaggy dog, dozens of humans, and a smorgasbord of Kiwi scenery.

The six-part promo followed a lovable sydney silky poodle cross travelling the country by car, train and paw. En route, roughly 50 Kiwis make blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances; including sporting figures, local townspeople, and TV personalities.

Watch TV One's Wonderful World promo here:

But by the turn of the century, it was clear that the times were a-changing. Promotional broadcasts were less about the scenery and more about the celebrities. In this TV2 clip – a roll call of celebs turn up including the late Kevin Smith, Mikey Havoc and Jeremy Wells and a singer from pop group True Bliss.

Watch I Got 2 Babe here:

Back when times were simpler – there were other kinds of promotional films. This one was made in 1980 and was designed to encourage international travellers to 'Come on to New Zealand'. But what would travellers find when they got here? Well, lots of sheep, some skinny dipping, a bit of weaving and best of all – "a safe country, where you can walk without being molested". Very reassuring.

Watch Come on to New Zealand here:

It was a big deal when New Zealand got its third television channel. Younger readers probably can't imagine the excitement that earlier generations felt when they were delivered another channel that wasn't from the stable of the state broadcaster. Of course, when any new channel begins, it has to showcase what it's going to offer – and in this opening broadcast from TV3, we get a sense of where we were as a country in 1989. It's fair to say we all looked pretty happy back then.

Watch the first transmission of TV3 here: