11 March 2005
Back to the Future for the Insiders
Following the success of the critically acclaimed New Zealand drama series The Insiders Guide to Happiness, which
screened last year, NZ On Air has just announced funding for a new series – The Insiders Guide to Love, to be produced
once again by The Gibson Group.
“We were delighted with the response to The Insiders Guide to Happiness, because it was a new and edgy series full of
twists and turns – and people loved it,” said NZ On Air Chief Executive Jo Tyndall, “and we’re equally excited about
this new series.
“The same core group of writers has been working on Insiders Guide to Love, and it looks like it will be just as quirky
as its predecessor, if not more so. The concept itself is the first ‘twist’, in that it doesn’t follow on from Happiness
– it’s actually the prequel to it.”
The Insiders Guide to Love tells the story of seven seemingly disparate and previously unconnected people affected by a
bizarre incident that connects them to each other, and forces them to look at the role love plays in their lives.
“I’m not going to give away any details,” said Ms Tyndall, “but I will say that the scripts we have seen are remarkable.
You can never see what’s just around the corner. The story takes you in directions that are at once unpredictable and
familiar. It really is cutting-edge television.”
Fans of The Insiders Guide to Happiness will recognise a couple of faces from that series, but will be meeting most of
the characters in The Insiders Guide to Love for the first time.
“The producers have assembled a very talented cast that will bring this new group of characters to life. The link to the
Happiness series is provided by Will Hall, who plays James, but because this series is a prequel, James is just arriving
in Wellington, fresh from his home and family in Wanganui,” Ms Tyndall explained.
“Viewers who followed him in The Insiders Guide to Happiness will see a different James trying to make his way in the
big city for the first time. From that point on we’ll just have to hold on and enjoy the ride. We are certainly looking
forward to it,” she said.
The Insiders Guide to Love will screen on TV2 later this year.
ENDS