Head writer on New Zealand’s most beloved TV soap signs off; from TikTok to Cannes – the Gore show taking the world by storm; the RNZ show that interviewed 21 men and four women; TVNZ gets a new Europe correspondent.
The head writer of New Zealand’s
Media Insider: Shortland Street head writer Jessica Joy Wood joins Casualty; the gender gap at RNZ’s 30 with Guyon Espiner; TVNZ’s new Europe correspondent Kate Nicol-Williams and Gore’s nOOb makes it to Cannes
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Kiwi writer Jessica Joy Wood joins British drama Casualty, RNZ fronts on show's gender gap and Kiwi teen series hits Cannes.
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Like Shortland Street, the series is set in a fictional hospital and tells the stories of patients and staff in southwest England.
“I’m so excited to work on a production like Casualty. I’ve loved the show, been watching so much of it,“ Wood said.
“I’m just super excited for a new challenge.”
Wood and her family arrived in Britain on Monday and she is due to meet the Cardiff-based team today.
South Pacific Pictures chief executive Kelly Martin said while they were sad to lose Wood, who also previously acted on the show, the team were delighted she was headhunted to work on the British drama.
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“We wish her the best for this exciting opportunity. Her new adventure provides yet another example of Shortland Street‘s vital importance as a training ground for Kiwi talent sought all over the world,” Martin said.
Despite being thrilled about her new role, Wood said leaving her Shortland Street family had been tough.
“It was honestly such an amazing time of growth and learning and building friendships.
“Acting was super fun, but I played a character that was the sister of a core character, so I was in and out over the course of six years. In that time I started being a regular writer for the show.”
To any fans worried about Wood’s departure, she said the show is in safe hands and she will still watch from afar.
“I’ve worked so closely with that team and they all love the show as much as I do and are so dedicated to it.”
#Notallmen – but mostly men
Interesting and influential.
That’s the bar that RNZ sets for interviewees on 30 with Guyon Espiner, an in-depth interview show.
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Espiner brings his extensive broadcasting experience – including as a former political editor on TVNZ and Morning Report co-host – to question his subjects in an uncut, unedited 30-minute clip.
So far, it appears the programme considers men as more “interesting and influential”, as just four of the 25 guests profiled to date have been women.
This week, Media Insider was alerted to the fact that none of the five people on this season so far are women.
A spokesperson for RNZ said the broadcaster took its responsibility under the RNZ Charter to reflect diversity seriously.
“We look at our entire output rather than one show to assess this.
“At the start of every season, 30 with Guyon Espiner starts with a long, diverse list of potential guests. However, with scheduling conflicts, availability and guests declining to appear the actual interviewees can end up not being as diverse as we would prefer.”
The spokesperson said it was something RNZ monitors and the show does have some female guests scheduled to be interviewed in later episodes.
In my view, it’s difficult to see how such a wide gender gap has occurred in a format like this.
Unlike reporters who work in breaking news environments responding to the events of the day, Espiner’s show is one with the luxury of time where the team can be more selective in who appears on it.
I understand the difficulties of interviewees pulling out, or desired guests being unavailable, but long-form style shows should be able to adapt and make necessary changes to ensure better gender representation.
Polkinghorne in paperback
If the wall-to-wall coverage of his murder trial, followed by a three-part television documentary wasn’t enough, now the case of Philip Polkinghorne – accused and later acquitted of killing his wife Pauline Hanna in their Remuera home – is being immortalised in a book.
Writer and journalist Steve Braunias, who covered every day of the eight-week murder trial for the NZ Herald, has authored the tome.
Polkinghorne ($37.99) will be released on July 15 with publisher Allen & Unwin today unveiling the book’s cover and teasing “an extraordinary encounter that will leave readers stunned”.
The company won’t say if that encounter is with Polkinghorne himself – or if he has participated in any interviews for the book.
If you can’t wait for the book, read Braunias’ epic account of the trial’s conclusion from last September.
TVNZ’s new Europe correspondent
After two and a half years, TVNZ‘s Europe correspondent Mei Heron is returning to Aotearoa to rejoin the local reporting team.
Heron is being replaced on the continent by TVNZ Wellington journalist Kate Nicol-Williams.
The state broadcaster’s interim chief for news and content Brent McAnulty said the 1News Europe correspondent role was a highly sought-after secondment in the newsroom.
“Some of our most experienced and skilled journalists have filled the role and we’re really excited to have Kate joining their ranks and taking over from Mei officially in the middle of the year. She’s going to do an incredible job.”
McAnulty said 1News had been fortunate with the timing of the appointment, given the busy news agenda in Europe.
“1News viewers have benefited from both the incoming and outgoing Europe correspondents being in situ this past week. Kate covered the Pope’s funeral and conclave news out of the Vatican, while Mei was able to head to Gallipoli to report on Anzac commemorations and the Prime Minister’s visit.”
He told Media Insider bringing Kiwis’ perspectives on global events was important, which is why the outlet continued to send correspondents to London, New York, Sydney and the Pacific.
TikTok to Cannes
It may have been set in Gore, but the team behind Kiwi TV series n00b were right at home among the glitz and glam in Cannes this week.
The show, which follows a 2005 Southland heart-throb who is outed after his gay fan fiction writing is discovered, is the first New Zealand series to become a finalist in the short-form section of the Cannes International Series Festival.
Speaking to Media Insider from Cannes, Victoria Boult, the show’s 27-year-old creator, said it was an “incredible honour” representing Aotearoa at Canneseries.
“The short-form category highlighted largely young, fresh, voiced work from around the world – and I felt really lucky to have our show screen alongside them.”
Attending the festival, she said, was a “pretty surreal” experience and her show was selected as runner-up in the youth-judged Student Award category.
“We got to walk on the pink carpet [not red!], talk to international press, attend talks with leading international screenwriters, watch amazing new television shows – the list goes on.
“But I think my favourite part was getting to meet other writers, directors, producers and creatives. This can be such an isolating and competitive industry at times, and I feel like I walked away from this experience with a whole new friend group of artists from around the world.”
Great Southern TV founder and chief creative officer Philip Smith said Boult independently wrote n00b and entered it into a TikTok competition.
“It won, so we picked it up and developed it as a TV series, supporting Victoria who was working for us. Warner Brothers in New Zealand picked it up and we shot it in New Zealand and it’s already screened on New Zealand television on Three and it’s on ThreeNow. It had radical components, it’s fair to say that it was really brave.
“Then it got picked up by Netflix.”
On the show reaching Cannes, Smith told Media Insider: “It puts it on the world stage.
“It’s the only show in Australasia selected. So everything in New Zealand and Australia that was entered, this was the only show that made it. So it’s a significant success for New Zealand - and has been strongly and boldly supported by NZ On Air every step of the way.”
One good text
This week’s One Good Text comes from Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan, who is on air again following the birth of her second child, a girl named Mackay.
From the Darkhorse’s mouth
The co-founder of global brand and experiential agency Darkhorse has resigned.
Liam Taylor, who helped set up Darkhorse in 2012, is set to join Special PR as business development director in its Auckland office.
Managing director Kelly Grindle said Special PR had experienced rapid growth in its infancy.
“As we shift into this next phase, we want to do so responsibly. This means investing strategically in our senior leadership for the benefit of our team and clients.
“We couldn’t think of anyone more suited for the role than Liam. His depth of experience and creative brilliance will help further cement Special PR’s work as a global benchmark for the industry.”
He gets his feet under the desk at Special PR on May 12.
Rescue chopper swoops in on ads
The sound of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter will disrupt TV advertisements for top brands – including Toyota, Lotto NZ, Spark, Chorus, Z Energy and Turners.
The advertisers are uniting in support of Chopper Appeal Month, which runs throughout May.
During the month, the sound of helicopter blades will overlay the brands’ usual television ads.
The initiative will also be present in cinemas, train stations and on social media.
Last year the national network of rescue helicopters flew 9289 potentially lifesaving missions.
Westpac NZ chief marketing officer Sarah Williams hopes the campaign will inspire more Kiwis to donate.
“By having so many brands working in unison, we are hoping to reach even more Kiwis, bringing the idea ‘there’s no greater sound when you need it’ to life through every means possible. The sound of the chopper will be loud and proud.”
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.
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