The cast of Find Me a Maori Bride, Amanda Billing (left), Siobhan Marshall, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Matariki Whatarau and Cohen Holloway. Photo / Supplied
The cast of Find Me a Maori Bride, Amanda Billing (left), Siobhan Marshall, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Matariki Whatarau and Cohen Holloway. Photo / Supplied
A new mock-reality comedy series is set to premiere, with husband and wife team Scotty and Stacey Morrison as its language and culture advisers.
The Te Arawa couple have been working on Find Me a Maori Bride, which will screen on Maori Television from Friday. The eight-part series centres aroundtwo metrosexual Maori men who are out of touch with their cultural heritage.
First cousins Tama Bradley (Cohen Holloway) and George Alpert (Matariki Whatarau) get a crash course in Maori culture after their late grandmother issues them with an ultimatum: find a Maori bride in six months or lose out on inheriting the $47 million family farm.
The cast includes John Mikaere (The Dead Lands, Shortland Street), Siobhan Marshall (Outrageous Fortune) and Amanda Billing (Shortland Street).
Mr Morrison said he and his wife were involved in the creative and writing process to help produce a comedy which "pushed boundaries but also came from a place of understanding".
He likened it to Billy T James' comedy where it was entertaining but also respectful.
"It comes from a Maori base and Maori place. We wanted it to be authentic, like you know some people name their kids and it's more like a sentence? It comes from a place of knowing," Mr Morrison said.
"I haven't watched it yet in its entirety but we have seen a lot of rushes [raw footage]. We're looking at the language quality and the delivery of Maori language.
"There are a couple of characters who go through what we all stumble through when learning the language and sometimes it sounds a bit off but the fact is it's supposed to be like that as the characters are not fluent as such.
"It is very, funny, very engaging and there are some cameos pop up here and there. It's a good entertaining ground-breaking show - a Maori comedy coming from Maori," Mr Morrison said.
Producers Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton from Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions (Auckland Daze) said making the series was a joy, a challenge and an education.
"Our first foray into creating original content for Maori Television has allowed us to go on a similar journey into Maoritanga as our two lead characters.
"We hope the show not only entertains but also opens our minds to the avenues in which to further our understanding of te reo Maori."
-Find Me a Maori Bride premieres on Friday at 8pm on Maori Television.
