Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: TVNZ

  1. Screentime New Zealand Solves Murder Mystery Drama with ZDF, Acorn TV and TVNZ

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    Media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay, today announces a new international co-production set in Queenstown, New Zealand – A Remarkable Place to Die. The 4 x 90’ murder mystery was created by Screentime New Zealand and is co-produced with Real Film Berlin in association with Banijay Rights.  It will air across Germany, the US, and New Zealand with commissioning broadcasters ZDF, Acorn TV, and TVNZ and will be distributed globally by Banijay Rights. The title will be showcased at Banijay @ BAFTA today (The London TV Screenings).

    Smart and savvy detective Anais Mallory (Chelsie Preston-Crayford) returns to her hometown, Queenstown, to be met with a series of startlingly different and intriguing homicides amidst the backdrop of past ghosts. Among them are her ex-fiancé Luke (Charles Jazz Terrier), now married to her ex-best friend (Indiana Evans), her brittle, volatile but loving mother (Rebecca Gibney), and a handsome pathologist, alongside a mixed, wildly eclectic, and ever-changing population of tourists and locals that makes challenging investigations even more of a test. However, it’s the secrets surrounding her father and sister’s deaths that truly draw her back, and, as she sets about unravelling these most personal of mysteries, she will set in motion an even more desperate cover up – one that will ultimately threaten the only family she has left…

    Philly de Lacey, CEO of Screentime New Zealand says: “Queenstown’s stunning landscape paired with its tapestry of unconventional characters, provide the perfect backdrop for this gripping murder mystery. Viewers will be drawn into the world of Detective Anais Mallory as she uncovers intriguing secrets, and we’ve elevated the show for international audiences by collaborating with Real Film Berlin and Banijay Rights.”

    Simon Cox, EVP Content & Acquisitions, Banijay Rights, said: “With the global appetite for broad audience and crime drama growing, we see potential for this series, which will charm audiences with vibrant characters and mysterious crimes, all underpinned by a gripping detective, a breathtakingly scenic setting and whole host of intrigue and suspense.”

    Nevak Rogers, Director of Content, at TVNZ, said: “TVNZ is thrilled to showcase yet another epic murder mystery shot on the ground here in Aotearoa, with such a star-studded cast against the spectacular backdrop of the gorgeous South Island.”

    A Remarkable Place to Die builds on Screentime New Zealand’s international scripted expertise. The series was created by Philly de Lacey with writer John Banas. Directors are Peter Burger, Josh Frizzell, Caroline Bell-Booth, and Charlie Haskell. Philly de Lacey, Henning Kamm, and Sibylle Stellbrink serve as Executive Producers.

    Recent international series from Screentime New Zealand include The Gulf, a co-production between Screentime New Zealand, Lippy Pictures and Letterbox Filmproduktion for TV3 and ZDF,and Straight Forward, a co-production between Screentime New Zealand, Yellow Bird Mastiff, and TVNZ and Viaplay.

    Real Film Berlin is well-known for its quality, artistic productions which consistently deliver impressive ratings. The company stands as a trusted partner for exceptional talent, broadcasters, and streamers. Its notable works include the cinema adaptation of the ARD cult series Berlin, Berlin, and the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox, which garnered global acclaim, with nominations for eight Emmys and two Golden Globes, among other accolades.

  2. Banijay’s Location, Location, Location Lands First Season in New Zealand

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    Screentime New Zealand today announces it will adapt the property format Location, Location, Location in association with AA Insurance. Originally created by Banijay UK’s IWC, the widely popular long-running series has been commissioned by TVNZ and will air in New Zealand for the first time, marking the seventh version of the property powerhouse.

    Captivating audiences with its unique blend of real estate expertise and heartfelt storytelling is an international success. The UK leads the charge maintaining high ratings across its 28 seasons for Channel 4, Denmark follows with 14 seasons for TV2, and just last year, Australia enjoyed a successful reboot for Network 10.

    Philly de Lacey, CEO of Screentime New Zealand comments: “The launch of this iconic format in New Zealand will ignite conversations around the property market as house-hunters seek out their perfect home, whether upsizing, downsizing, or first-time buying. Partnering with AA Insurance brings together a premium sponsor with this classically warm format and is testament to its universal appeal.”

    Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay says: “With its proven returnability and longevity, Location, Location, Location is an enduring success with audiences and broadcasters worldwide. This tried and tested format is still relevant in today’s ever-changing market, expertly blending entertainment with property insights.”

    With the casting announcement underway, AA Insurance Location, Location, Location is looking for eager house-hunters in search of the perfect property. The addition of this title is complementary to Screentime New Zealand’s impressive catalogue, which boasts award-winning drama, documentary, and factual entertainment series. Among its hits are MasterChef New Zealand, Eat Well For Less, and Police Ten 7, as well as hit travelling drama, The Gulf.

  3. Banijay Rights Sends Rogue Heroes to China and the Middle East

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    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, today announces further landmark sales of Rogue Heroes, following the gripping World War Two drama’s renewal by the BBC last night.

     In deals negotiated across the Banijay Rights global sales team, the first season of Rogue Heroes has been picked up by Wing Sight Culture & Media Co for streaming in China and STARZPLAY in the Middle East.

    Meanwhile, TVNZ in New Zealand, Paramount+ in Germany, and DIRECTV in Latin America have all acquired the series.

    These new agreements follow previous sales of the drama to premium network EPIX (soon to be known as MGM+) for the US, HBO Max in Europe, Prime Video in Canada, SBS in Australia and Canal+ in France.

    Produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar for the BBC – and entitled SAS Rogue Heroes in the UK market – the series is a dramatized account of how the world’s greatest Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two.

    Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights, said: “These latest global deals cap off an exceptional couple of months for Rogue Heroes, with a recent BBC renewal a fantastic way to end the year. We’re excited to extend the reach of Steven Knight’s and Kudos’ epic drama to several new territories, including China and the Middle East for the very first time.”

     Martin Haines, Joint MD, Kudos, said: “The series has been a huge global hit, with audiences captivated by the incredible world that Steven Knight has brought to life for our Rogue Heroes. We’re thrilled that even more people will now get the chance to watch.”  

     Based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book, Rogue Heroes centres on David Stirling, an eccentric young officer, who is hospitalized after a training exercise gone wrong. Convinced that traditional commando units don’t work, Stirling creates a radical plan that flies in the face of all accepted rules of modern warfare. He fights for permission to recruit the toughest, boldest, and brightest soldiers for a small undercover unit that will create mayhem behind enemy lines. More rebels than soldiers, Stirling’s team is every bit as complicated, flawed, and reckless as it is brave and heroic.

    Rogue Heroes was developed for television and written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Taboo, A Christmas Carol) and is directed by Tom Shankland (The Serpent, The Missing), with Stephen Smallwood (The Serpent, Patrick Melrose) as producer. Knight also executive produces the series alongside Karen Wilson, Martin Haines and Emma Kingsman-Lloyd for Kudos, and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC.

    Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Vigil) plays David Stirling, with Jack O’Connell (Skins, The North Water) as Paddy Mayne, Alfie Allen (Jojo Rabbit, Game of Thrones) as Jock Lewes, Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk, The King) as SAS Founding member Mike Sadler, and Sofia Boutella (Modern Love, Atomic Blonde) as Eve Mansour. Dominic West (The Wire, Appropriate Adult) plays Lieutenant Colonel Wrangel Clarke.

    Commissioned by the BBC, SAS Rogue Heroes premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK in October 2022. Filming on season two will take place in 2023. Banijay Rights is also global distributor for This Town, a major upcoming six-part BBC drama from Steven Knight and Kudos which tells the story of a family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music.

  4. Banijay Rights Lands First Screw Deals

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    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, today announces the first sales of gripping new prison drama Screw.

    Following the six-part drama’s premiere on Channel 4 in the UK on 6th January, Screw has been acquired by SVOD service BritBox in Australia and public broadcaster TVNZ in New Zealand. Both BritBox and TNVZ will launch the series later this year.

     

    Produced by STV Studios for Channel 4 and from BAFTA-nominated writer Rob Williams (The Victim, Killing Eve), Screw (6 x 60’) is a prison drama like no other, told through the embattled, inspiring officers who work at Long Marsh men’s prison.

    In charge of C-Wing is Leigh Henry (Nina Sosanya), a career officer who’d do anything for her prisoners – but she has a secret that if discovered, could cost her the job – and even her liberty. With the arrival of fiery new recruit Rose Gill (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), part of the Governor’s mission to replace long-time staff with fresh meat, Leigh must risk everything in her fight to hold onto the job that defines her.

     

    Kell Hoddinott, VP Sales, Australia and New Zealand, Banijay Rights, said: “Screw is one of those rare dramas that perfectly blends the tough reality of life behind bars with dark humour in abundance. With an exceptional cast and a stellar storyline from Rob Williams, we are thrilled to secure this series in Australia and New Zealand and take it to a wider audience.”

     

    Screw was commissioned by Caroline Hollick, Channel 4 Head of Drama, and overseen by Gemma Boswell, Channel 4 Commissioning Editor. Rob Williams is Creator, Lead Writer and Executive Producer, with Karla Crome and Roanne Bardsley completing the writing team. Sarah Brown is Executive Producer for STV Studios (The Victim, Elizabeth is Missing), Brian Kaczynski is Producer (The Cry, Peaky Blinders) while Tom Vaughan (Dr Foster) and Jordan Hogg (Ackley Bridge) are directing. 

     

    Banijay Rights handles international distribution for the series.

  5. Banijay Rights sells Beauty and the Geek Australia to TVNZ

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    Banijay Rights today announces that the seventh season of Beauty and the Geek Australia has been acquired by TVNZ in New Zealand.

     

    Produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Channel 9, Beauty and the Geek Australia sees 10 modern beauties and 10 unconventional geeks work together through a series of real-life challenges in the search to find a romantic spark or a lifelong friendship. Surprising connections are made as two very different worlds collide and strong partnerships bloom in the most unlikely and sometimes hilarious circumstances.

     

    Hosted by actress, singer and model Sophie Monk and rebooted by Channel 9 for 2021, the winning couples from each night’s challenge score one-on-one date time which could help them seed a connection and solidify a relationship. The couples who are not so successful, however, may end up in the bottom two, forced to duel it out in a challenge which will result in the losing couple going home. At the end of the series one couple will be declared the winner and take home a $100,000 prize.

     

    The series will premiere on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand later this year.

     

    Lyle Bettson-Barker, SVP Australia & New Zealand, Banijay Rights, said: “As with all our key primetime Australian series, New Zealand is one of our most important markets where consumers really resonate – so it’s great to partner up with TVNZ to see this series bring warmth and laughter to our New Zealand friends as well.

     

    “With the expertise of Endemol Shine Australia at the helm, I couldn’t be more excited to see this reboot take shape on our screens locally and internationally.”

     

    Banijay Rights is the exclusive distributor of Beauty and the Geek Australia across all platforms and has the rights to produce and license local versions of the show around the world. Banijay produces two other successful reboots of Beauty and the Geek for Italia 1 in Italy and ProSieben in Germany, with the latter generating outstanding results for ProSieben’s primetime average share among key demos: Adults 14-49 (+40%) and Adults 14 – 29 (+81%) from the show’s launch last year.

     

  6. Banijay Rights strikes multiple global sales for RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service

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    Banijay Rights today announces the sale of gripping new drama RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service to a raft of broadcasters worldwide.

     

    Ahead of the eight-hour drama’s much-anticipated premiere on Channel 7 and 7plus in Australia on Wednesday, 11th August, RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service has been acquired by Channel 4 for More 4 in the UK, PBS in the US, TV4 in Sweden, SBS in Belgium, Talpa in the Netherlands and TVNZ in New Zealand.

     

    Produced by Endemol Shine Banks for the Seven Network, RFDS portrays the modern-day heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, capturing the beauty and brutality of Australia’s vast centre where doctors and nurses, pilots and support staff negotiate the unique challenges of emergency rescue across some of the most inhospitable places in the country.

     

    The drama, co-created by Imogen Banks, Mark Fennessy and Ian Meadows, stars TV Week Logie Award-winning actor Stephen Peacocke (Home and Away, Wanted), TV Week Logie Award-winning star Rob Collins (Mystery Road S2, Total Control, Glitch) and acclaimed actors Emma Hamilton (Mr Selfridge, The Tudors), Justine Clarke (Tangle, Hungry Ghosts, The Time Of Our Lives) and Ash Ricardo (Offspring, Bite Club).

    RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service received major production investment from Seven Network in association with Screen Australia and was financed with support from Screen NSW through the Made in NSW Fund and the Regional Filming Fund. Banijay Rights is the exclusive distributor of RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service across all platforms.

     

    Claire Jago, EVP Sales and Acquisitions EMEA, Banijay Rights, said: “Based on extraordinary real-life stories, RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service is a powerful drama series that not only perfectly chronicles the ‘edge-of-your-seat’ emergencies our heroes attend, but also the sense of community that brings these lives together. We’re extremely pleased with the widespread interest for this show, which we are sure will delight viewers worldwide.”

     

    RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service is produced by Imogen Banks and Sara Richardson for Endemol Shine Banks while Executive Producers are Mark and Carl Fennessy for Endemol Shine Australia and Julie McGauran for Seven.

  7. Screentime New Zealand Teams Up with Emergency Services for TVNZ

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    Screentime New Zealand, part of Banijay Group, today confirms TVNZ1 has commissioned a new 10×60’ documentary series, First Responders.

     

    The first production in New Zealand dedicated to capturing all three major emergency rescue services in one series – helicopters, ambulances, boats – First Responders will portray the stories of those in need across the country; from the transport of critically injured patients, to the winching of a cow from the sea. With unprecedented access, each episode will combine rescue footage with 111 call audio and interviews to create an intimate relationship between the audience and First Responders.

     

    Philly de Lacey, Executive Producer and CEO of Screentime New Zealand comments: “With state-of-the-art rigging, a highly experienced team, and never-before-seen access, we are confident this series will put audiences right at the heart of the nation’s first response teams. After 18 years working on Police Ten 7, the crew are well-versed in capturing the real-life high adrenaline drama that comes with the territory and we look forward to sharing this world with the rest of the country.”

     

    Cate Slater, Director of Content at TVNZ comments: “The work these three emergency teams do 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year is invaluable. We’re excited to bring viewers a unique insight into this life-saving work. They’ll get to see first-hand the immense dedication these highly skilled professionals bring to their jobs. We’re full of admiration for our first responders and we know our audience will feel the same.

     

    First Responders was commissioned by TVNZ and will be produced by Screentime New Zealand and executive produced by Philly de Lacey and Tina McLaren. The series will be distributed by Banijay Rights.

  8. TVNZ Picks Up Eat Well for Less from Screentime New Zealand

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    TVNZ today confirms the commission of Eat Well for Less from Screentime New Zealand, a Banijay Group company. The new series, based on the original UK format, will air on TVNZ and TVNZ Ondemand later this year.

     

    Eat Well for Less sees experts tour the country to show families how to spend less and eat better. In each episode, the resident specialists show a new family how to shop, cook and ultimately, eat for less. With the help of a nutritionist, they analyse the groceries the family buys and set a target for how much they could save. The hosts also suggest alternative weekly meals and new recipes for the family to try, and work on distancing them from the big, and often expensive, household brands.

     

    Devised and produced by RDF Productions (a Banijay Group company) in the UK, Eat Well for Less has enjoyed six seasons on BBC One with a seventh series on its way. The number one factual programme in its slot, its success has also led to hit local versions across France, Spain, Denmark, Australia and Poland. In every series, families discover how to save significant amounts of money on food and reduce their waste, without scrimping on quality or nutrition. By using simple tips, tricks, swaps and easy recipes, they can slash a weekly food budget.

     

    Philly de Lacey, Executive Producer comments: “Eat Well for Less has been a firm favourite in the UK schedules for a number of years and has proven itself in a number of other territories internationally. A strong primetime format, with broad appeal, we are sure, with TVNZ, we have found the perfect home for it in New Zealand.”

     

    Eat Well for Less New Zealand will be executive produced by Screentime’s Philly de Lacey and Tina McLaren. It was commissioned by TVNZ’s Tony Manson. All rights for the Eat Well for Less brand are held by Banijay Rights.

     

  9. Screentime New Zealand Partners with TVNZ on Brand New Wife Swap Roll-Out

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    Screentime New Zealand, a Banijay Group company, today announces it is producing a new local version of Wife Swap for TVNZ in New Zealand. The new series will air on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ Ondemand later this year.

     

    The latest version in New Zealand acts as the 28th local remake. Like the award-winning versions that have gone before, Wife Swap New Zealand will commence with the wives arriving at their new homes and meeting their temporary families. Aided only by an instruction manual left by their predecessor, the wife must spend the first week living according to the often difficult and bizarre rules of the house. How do people live like this? In the second week expect some big changes as she runs the household as she sees fit. Expect drama, tears and…understanding, as cameras follow the journey to often common ground.

     

    Having been on air across the globe for 15 continuous years of broadcast, the brand has proved a worldwide success getting straight to the heart of how we live and love. To date, the show has proved a hit across the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia and France. And further productions are already underway with Banijay Group’s Screentime Australia, Banijay Productions Germany and Zodiak Netherlands and Banijay Studios North America. That is not to mention the recent orders across Brazil, Bulgaria, and France.

     

    Philly de Lacey, Executive Producer, Screentime New Zealand: “Wife Swap has long played a significant role in the Banijay Group portfolio and I could not be happier to be putting our own spin on it for audiences in New Zealand. With a social experiment and drama at its core, there is no doubt it will resonate with and attract viewers.”

     

    Cate Slater, TVNZ Director of Content: “Wife Swap is an iconic format with a global following. The series has a unique fish-out-of-water quality that strongly resonates with viewers. We’re excited to see this show reimagined for 2019 on TVNZ and to celebrate the diversity of New Zealand families.”

     

    Wife Swap New Zealand will be executive produced by Screentime’s Tina McLaren and Philly de Lacey, and Dominic Smith will serve as producer. It was commissioned by TVNZ’s Tony Manson. All rights for the Wife Swap brand are held by Banijay Rights.