Monday May 11, 2015
Find Me a Māori Bride Starts Next Week on Māori Television
Māori Television’s ground-breaking new comedy Find Me a Māori Bride premieres on Friday, May 22 with a star-studded cast of Kiwi actors.
Cohen Holloway (Boy) and Matariki Whatarau (Go Girls) star in the eight-part mock reality series that centres around two
metrosexual Māori men who are out of touch with their cultural heritage.
First cousins Tama Bradley (Holloway) and George Alpert (Whatarau) are given a crash course in Māori culture after their
late grandmother issues them with an ultimatum: To find a Māori bride within six months or lose out on inheriting the
family farm… worth a whopping $47 million.
Lawyer John Mikaere, (Te Kohe Tuhaka, (The Dead Lands, Shortland Street), explains that if they fail, the farm will be
sold and the proceeds donated to the Act Party. To complicate the situation, their journeys are to be documented by a
Māori film crew.
Cocky property developer Tama wastes no time in pursuing the challenge, convinced that his social standing as Auckland
realty-royalty would see him wrapping things up quick smart.
Accountant George on the other hand is still reeling from his wife Debbie (Siobhan Marshall) (Outrageous Fortune) having
run off with her Samoan Pilates teacher. But his sister Crystal (Amanda Billing) (Shortland Street) eggs him on and
George joins Tama on the Māori dating scene.
A succession of dates with quirky wahine follows, and a bitter rivalry develops as the competitive streaks in both men
kick in… especially when they find themselves chasing the same girl.
Producers Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton from Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions (Auckland Daze) say making the
series was a joy, a challenge and an education.
“Our first foray into creating original content for Māori Television has allowed us to go on a similar journey into
Māoritanga 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 Māori.”
Find Me a Māori Bride is narrated by Jennifer Ward-Lealand and premieres at 8.00pm on Friday May 22.
ENDS