Lion Man 3 filming but TVNZ plays coy

A third TV series starring Northland's Lion Man is being made and has almost 100 countries keen to screen it - but whether New Zealanders get to see it is another matter.
The future of The Lion Man show had been in question after star Craig Busch, of Whangarei's Zion Wildlife Gardens, last week pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting former partner Karen Greybrook in January 2005.
He had found her semi-naked on a bed with Whangarei couple Des and Hermes White.
Busch, 42, was convicted and ordered to pay her $8000. Nine other charges against him were dropped.
Queenstown-based production company Great Southern Television has made two series of the popular TV show.
Both have been ratings winners for TV2, which aired the shows in a primetime slot.
After Busch's sentencing last week TVNZ said it had not commissioned a third Lion Man series and had yet to decide whether to do so.
But Great Southern Television director Phil Smith said yesterday a third series had already been shot and was in post-production.
Interest from overseas, where it had been sold to 94 countries, meant the series no longer needed funding from New Zealand networks to continue.
"Lion Man is probably the biggest-selling New Zealand TV series in history and is being seen in some of the biggest markets it the world. They love the series and Craig," Mr Smith said.
"There are effectively only 193 countries in the world, so to sell it to 94 individual countries is a phenomenal result."
He said the third series would definitely be completed, but whether it would go to air in New Zealand had yet to be determined. The company had not spoken to TVNZ, or any other New Zealand network, about screening it.
"I hope that the Lion Man will be broadcast in New Zealand again, but I don't want to pre-empt or pressure TVNZ. But the third series will go ahead with or without a New Zealand component," Mr Smith said.
He said having the series put on hold for two-and-a-half years while the court process was under way may have cost Mr Busch millions in lost earnings and productivity.
However, now the court case was over The Lion Man would "go from strength to strength".
Mr Smith said Great Southern Television gave Busch moral support during his court case, but did not help financially with his defence. The cost - which included hiring one of the country's top lawyers - has been put at more than $100,000.
Since the sentencing, the public had spoken out in support of Mr Busch, he said.
"He's had more than 3000 emails and messages of support," he said.
"For Craig to have kept everything together and keep Zion Wildlife Gardens going all this time, with this hanging over him, is quite amazing."
Mr Smith said the series was putting Whangarei on the map around the world.
It had an audience of more than 200 million people from countries including the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Australia.