TV Review: The Kiwis were made to fly high in television sky

Oceana Olsen left not a dry eye in the house on New Zealand's Got Talent.

So has New Zealand got talent apart from buffed rugby players, tanned sailors, the odd golf player or opera singer?

Absolutely ... it's different, but quite a line-up.

TVNZ rolled out New Zealand's Got Talent 2013 last Sunday night from Dunedin.

There was the usual strange assortment of chaps convinced they have boundless talent, including singers who couldn't catch a note in a million years, a flag twirler who fluttered to and fro in a demented shuffle and dancers who needed a few more years' practice.

But it was exciting to see real talent on stage, which had the three judges variously blotting tears from their eyes and picking their jaws up off the table and mouthing silent, aghast OMGs to each other.

The thing about our real Kiwi talent is they're a bit like our little brown bird: humble, usually wracked with nerves and modesty.

Unlike their Aussie and American counterparts who ooze with confidence, are as brash as all get-out and can flick off any harsh criticism.

The New Zealand judges Rachel Hunter (ever the good cop), Jason Kerrigan and American choreographer Cris Judd with (dancing in the wings) host Tamati Coffey were a grand line-up in that they didn't take over the show, rattle off smart quips or get their faces on the box for extra exposure.

This show was about the contestants and tomorrow night's show is looking promising.

One small competitor who would have been a heart-stopping candidate for a rare medical story on a current affairs news show was glorious.

We first saw Oceana Olsen, 10, with mum in her wheelchair backstage.

The Christchurch girl has a rare bone disease which means she is very, very small, her bones haven't developed as usual and walking is tough.

But she slid out of the chair, walked slowly to the mike centre stage and launched into Christina Aguilera's Beautiful with a voice that soared with melody and passion.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house when this wee girl grinned and said, "I know that you don't have to be tall to be beautiful".

Also backstage with mum on standby was James Lee, originally from South Korea and dapper in a blazer, shirt and tie, shiny combed hair and braces on his top teeth.

As James walks on, we're told he's a heavy metal aficionado and will sing Iron Maiden's Run To the Hills .

The audience and judges all sat up and stared but when this boy opened his mouth and out came an astounding voice with a huge octave range, maybe not the best in language pronunciation, he had me choking on my ginger snap.

Continuing in this genre was Samoan Siuelo Vitale, a man with a huge, rich voice, singing Tom Jones' Delilah, Gore gal Jenny Mitchell with a gorgeous rendition of the Dixie Chicks' Godspeed and 10-year-old Ethan Scharneck who reincarnated Michael Jackson and danced as if possessed by the master's spirit.

WOW factor ... it's a 10 plus. Some of our little birds are definitely born to perform.