By LOUISA CLEAVE
Niche Kiwi television is gaining international attention with the export of two shows from opposite ends of the cultural spectrum.
The company that makes the gay series Queer Nation for TVNZ has sold a series targeted at gay men to a Canadian cable channel.
And the creators of Back
of the Y Masterpiece, a low-brow entertainment series, are understood to be close to signing a deal which will put the series on MTV in the United Kingdom.
Back of the Y has been described as so puerile, so disgusting and so stupid that it is good.
Creators Matt Health and Chris Stapp are not talking yet but a deal may be announced next week.
John Givins of Livingstone Productions says G-Factor will cover issues of concern to gay men, from body-awareness to HIV, with personal profiles of New Zealand and international gay men.
The sale of The G-Factor to Canadian gay and lesbian cable television channel Pridevision was supported by Industry New Zealand and has been applauded by New Zealand On Air.
"It's good to see that recent changes to our policies to encourage producers to sell their programmes have had such a significant and early result," said NZ On Air chief executive Jo Tyndall.
Meanwhile, TV3's teen drama Being Eve continues to earn international recognition, as a semifinalist at the International Emmy Awards.
Being Eve is up against a BBC production, Stig of the Dump, in the Children and Young People category.
One show will be chosen in October to compete against the winning programmes from the other eligible regions - Latin America, Europe, and Asia/Africa.
