Turn up the Māori TV – New Season 2017

Turn up the Māori TV – New Season 2017

Māori Television’s new season is set to turn heads with a big cast of local, colourful and vibrant personalities lining up to hit screens this March. Showmanship and fanfare take centre stage throughout the new schedule with shows and characters that aren’t afraid to command the limelight and strut their stuff.

Turning it on for audiences, Māori Television delivers a fresh and exciting line up of entertainment, amplifying truly local stories from a NZ perspective. Brand new show Queens of Panguru tells a sequined story of three vibrant Auckland Queens who take a journey back to their hometown to uncover how their iwi really feel about their city slicking lives. A fresh new comedy brings Pitch Perfect drama and fun to kapa haka - The Ring Inz featuring Hori Ahipene and Katie Wolfe follows a cast of characterful underdogs as they prepare for the national kapa haka champs with all the right (and wrong) moves. Game of Bros, an audience favourite, offers a new selection of oiled abs, pumped biceps, new challenges and cheeky personalities to embark upon the quest to become the ultimate Bro.

Turning up the heat midweek, Aotearoa’s favourite songs are performed by The Modern Māori Quartet in My Party Song and unearthing raw vocal talent throughout the country, Sidewalk Karaoke is back for its second season and further completes the new Wednesday Night Homegrown and Thursday Night Comedy line ups.

Bringing Aotearoa’s kai to your living room, Monday 20th March heralds the start of the brand new 7.30pm weeknight strip of food shows featuring new programs from celebrated chef Rex Morgan with Kitchen Kura, ex MKR NZ favourites Monique & Henry deliver Tradition on a Plate and the return of Cam’s Kai who takes his show on the road around NZ and on to Rarotonga this season.

The Māori Television current affairs schedule turns up the coverage with time changes to daily news properties Te Kāea and Kawe Kōrero, who move to the new times of 6.30pm and 7pm respectively. Award-winning current affairs series Native Affairs continues to unearth the news from a native perspective on Tuesdays at 8pm.

With more new movies Friday through to Sunday and a new season of internationally acclaimed and award-winning documentaries ahead, this is just the beginning of Māori Television’s content release for 2017.

Game of Bros New Season

“You will be challenged mentally, physically… and sexually”

Following the runaway success of Game of Bros season one for audiences across Aotearoa, Māori Television is bringing you another exciting new season of this successful format with famous comedians ‘Pani and Pani’ at the helm, joined this season by new Games Master, Wairangi Koopu. Together they search Aotearoa for the ultimate Polynesian warrior.

Game of Bros takes the challenges to new heights this season, featuring tikanga and reo of a raft of different indigenous cultures in the follow up series to the world’s first inter-Island challenge of cultural skills and heritage knowledge.

Capitalizing on the huge 2016 success with Māori and Pasifika audiences, Game of Bros season two will celebrate the cultural backgrounds of many of the Pacific communities of Aotearoa, showcasing the similarities and differences of our whanaunga across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa.

Subverting gender and genre formats, Game of Bros puts Pacific women in the commanding role, with a series about men who must win their favour by performing challenges taken and twisted from a host of familiar reality TV formats.

Shot on location in Tāmaki Makaurau the ten selected bros travelled from near and far to compete in this unique series.

Season two contestants:

Ammon, American Samoan, 29 - Lives in American Samoa and runs his own personal training business and is dedicated to fitness and health within his community.

Carlos, Māori / Samoan, 25 - A professional fighter.

Jason, Māori, 49- Owns Crossfit Newmarket, he takes his work very seriously.

Jesse, Fijian, 31 - A member of Prestige Dance Crew.

Joash, Samoan, 29 - Former Black Grace Dancer. Currently runs his own business Alpha Omega Fitness.

Josh, Māori / Tongan, 25 - Currently lives in Tauranga and works as a machine operator. He is single.

Oscar, Māori,21 - A NZ Muscle Salesman and a D7 trainer.

Phoenix, Samoan / Niuean / Tongan, 19 - Communication Consultant and is also a member of Prestige Dance Crew.

Rakena, Māori, 30 - A personal trainer.

Rorani, Cook Islander, 32 - A down to earth scaffolder who is always worrying about others!

Premieres: Wednesday 23 March, 8.30pm Number of Episodes: 7 Production House: Tikilounge Productions

Queens of Panguru New Series

Three city slicker Māori go back to their small-town Marae

What happens when you lure three queens out of their city playground and inject them in the middle of Hokianga for 7 days? Drama, mischief, meltdowns - and that’s just the car trip up there.

Queens of Panguru is a reality series that follows the (mis)adventures of Ramon, Maihi and Jay who swap their glamourous heels for dirty gumboots in the most camp Māori Television series yet. Surviving the bush and each other has never been more dramatic.

The Queens of Panguru must adapt to their new Hokianga environment and participate in all the norms of day to day life in Panguru with pig hunting, foraging for kai moana and teaching at a local school all in a day’s work. Some will rise to occasion and some will dramatically fall, but in the end they are all whānau joined by aroha with a side helping of good humoured bitchiness.

The Queens of Panguru is one of Māori Televisions most anticipated series for 2017, combining comedy with heartfelt moments of acceptance, adult rite of passage themes and a tractor-load of drama to boot.

The Queens played by themselves:

Maihi is the mother hen of the group, he rules the Marae and is the one who can dig the hāngī pit and twirl the poi at the same time. That said, there is no grindr in Panguru so things could get interesting!

Jay is a texting twink who’s always on his phone, constantly looking for wifi and certainly won’t go near a pig. He is surprisingly touched by his country experience.

And last but never least, Ramon – the master manipulator – the jealous cousin – she should really be in Maihi’s place on the Marae but she doesn’t have the reo. Oh well at least she has style!

Premieres: Wednesday 22 March, 9.30pm Number of Episodes: 5 Production House: Pātangaroa Entertainment Ltd

The Ring Inz New Series

A hard out, grab all the laughs Māori style comedy

The Ring Inz promises to deliver a fresh, new vibrant style of comedy drama to Aotearoa’s screens. It has bold characters, a collision of relationships and personal interactions all centred on this motley crews overwhelming passion for kapa haka.

Do not think for a minute this show is only for kapa haka nuts - it’s Pitch Perfect meets Modern Family set on a Marae. It features a bunch of weird and wonderful characters that we all recognise, in an explosive mixture of ambitions, jealousy, massive failure, redemption and triumph, delivered in a way which is universally understood by both English and Te Reo speaking audiences alike.

Teepz (Hori Ahipene) is a discontented and unfulfilled kapa haka leader, has an elevated opinion of himself and finds new enthusiasm for life when his team, Te Aroha, scrape into the last national qualifying positions at the Tāmaki regionals. He’s determined to lead his group to victory at Te Matamano, the national champs, but first he must get the buggers into shape.

Based on many a real life Marae matriarch, Nanny Fanny (Katie Wolfe) is always jumping in to assist (mostly unwanted) the women’s team. She’s constantly trying to reignite the romance she and Mokemoke (William Davis), had more than fifty years ago but sadly he’s about as keen as a eunuch in a Harem.

Whāea Mavis (also played by Hori Ahipene), is the heartbeat of the wharekai and despite only ever being seen in the kitchen, supports, critiques, loves and feeds the rōpū. She’s holding on to a big fat secret which would have devastating consequences should it ever get out.

Koakoa (Roimata Fox) has all the potential of a front row kapa haka star, if only she could quit the partying and the late nights.

Celebrating the individual quirks that make us who we are and the achievements that can be gained when we all band together, The Ring Inz promises to be a comedy that will transport you to a delightful world of collaboration, conflict and an enduring sense of whanaungatanga.

Premieres: Thursday 23 March, 9pm Number of Episodes: 7 Production House: Enter The Dragon

Sidewalk Karaoke New Season

Finding the X Factor on the Streets of Aotearoa

Back for Season two after a hugely successful debut, Sidewalk Karaoke is the entertainment game show that literally hits the streets. With no contrived auditions, no echoing steps up to the stage and no panel of ratings-hungry judges, Sidewalk Karaoke host Te Hāmua Nikora throws down the gauntlet and challenges every day kiwis to put their talent on the line in order to win cold hard cash.

With whānau entertainment at its heart, Sidewalk Karaoke gives everyone the chance to walk away a winner. In the first round the contestants are eligible to win $100 - if the Sidewalk App scores you high enough, the cash is yours. Second round its double or nothing, and if contestants make it to the round 3 finale, there’s $1000 up for grabs just for belting out your favourite tune – as long as you can get a member of the crowd to join you for a duet.

Venturing outside of Auckland this season to discover what talent lies beyond the Bombay Hills, Sidewalk will be uncovering raw talent across some of the major metro hot spots of the North Island this year.

Premieres: Thursday 23 March, 8.30pm Number of Episodes: 26 Production House: Pango Productions

My Party Song New Series

We bring the party to your living room

Your favourite Māori song birds, The Modern Māori Quartet host this weekly tribute to New Zealand’s most beloved musical anthems in My Party Song.

The Modern Māori Quartet bring the concept of a Māori Ratpack into the present with a contemporary twist, weaving acting and musical talent together and fuse hearty and humorous Māori storytelling with the western tradition of showband entertainment.

Containing musical interpretations of irresistible songs that are beloved by Māori the world over, My Party Song pays musical homage to the songs we love to sing when we kick back, put on a kai, whip out a guitar and relax with a bunch of friends and whānau. Every era is celebrated along the My Party Song journey with all styles covered - everything from the classics through to modern day RnB.

The Modern Māori Quartet will introduce each episode, and with the help of some musical friends, the history of each track will be unveiled along with bespoke performances of their favourite party songs.

Viewers can expect to see guest appearances from Ria Hall, Temuera Morrison, Troy Kingi, Jan Hellreigel and a host of others throughout this 26 minute, 10 episode series.

Premieres: Thursday 23 March, 9.30pm Number of Episodes: 10 Production House: Blue Bach Productions LTD

Haka Life New Series

They made waves in 2015, now Ngā Tūmanako are back to claim the title

Māori Television brings you unprecedented behind the scenes access to haka rōpū, Ngā Tūmanako as they prepare for Aotearoa’s pinnacle kapa haka competition, Te Matatini 2017.

Haka Life follows the personal journeys of various members of Ngā Tūmanako as they train their butts off to make the cut in the Te Matatini 2017 performing squad.

The series follows new parents, talented musicians, practiced leaders, kapa haka couples and returners to the group who all hang their hopes on making the final cut and walking away with the national title.

The audience will follow them in and outside of the practice environment as they try to find a balance between their personal lives and their love of haka. Will they make the team? Or will the realities of life come crashing down on their dreams of becoming haka famous? Commitment and sacrifice are expected – elation, dejection and everything in between are all just part of the journey. This is an experience that is shared by the thousands of NZ’ers who choose to live the Haka Life.

Premieres: Wednesday 22 March, 9pm Number of Episodes: 7 Production House: Mako Media

New Kai Strip New

7.30pm Week Nights

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Kiwis love kai. From sourcing ingredients, to testing the best recipes and showing aroha through the sharing of food with whānau and friends, there is no doubt we as a nation can appreciate a good feed. Māori Television showcases some of NZ’s newest and most celebrated foodies each day at 7.30pm, sharing tips, tricks and recipes that celebrate Aotearoa’s bounty from our home, land and sea.

Cam’s Kai - Monday (New Season)

An entertaining cooking show hosted by Cameron Petley. Each week he will be in different locations around New Zealand and the Cook Islands with a range of guests, sharing secret family recipes, favourite markets and tips and tricks to select and showcase the freshest local produce.

Key talent: Cameron Petley

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Kai Ora – Tuesday

Colourful, local flavoursome food is on the menu with Maori Queen of cuisine, Anne Thorpe. She sources the best from land and sea to create beautiful dishes for her celebrity dinner guests.

Key Talent: Anne Thorpe

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Kitchen Kura – Wednesday (New Series)

Rex Morgan is one of New Zealand's top chefs and the co-owner of one of Wellington’s leading dining establishments, the Boulcott Street Bistro. He steps in to guide viewers on what it takes to make a dish for a special occasion just that little bit different, but still easy to produce at home.

Key talent: Rex Morgan

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Tradition on a Plate - Thursday (New Series)

While Monique and Henry were originally audience favorites on My Kitchen Rules, this series shows their unique and vast cooking style focusing on Māori cuisine with a modern twist. They talk us through each step to a delicious and affordable home-cooked meal, providing background on ingredients and techniques while infusing each dish with their signature warmth and passion for great food.

Key talent: Monique Heke and Henry Heke (married)

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Pete and Pio’s Kai Safari - Monday 8.00

This twelve-part series will take our duo to some of New Zealand’s most remote and spectacular corners of the country. From camping outdoors with family and friends to visiting out of the way kiwiana baches, Pete & Pio will fish, hunt, gather (and more importantly cook) to showcase Aotearoa’s unique pātaka kai (food cupboard). Pete & Pio will be there to share stories, sing a song and highlight the history and passion from our local communities.

Key talent: Peter Peeti and Pio Terei

New Documentaries, New Sunday Cinema

Māori Television is renewing its commitment to bringing world class content to your living room with the continuation of the Tuesday Feature Documentaries and Sunday Cinema slots for 2017.

Telling global stories which resonate with NZ viewers, the Tuesday Feature Documentaries slot will play at 8:30pm each Tuesday, promising an evening of critically acclaimed, thought provoking and often award winning stories that challenge the status quo.

Sunday Cinema will also continue to play in the 8:30pm slot each Sunday. Rigorously sourced from international film festivals and local producers alike, these films are hand selected, high-end, and independent and/or arthouse films with Māori Television often securing first play of these intriguing titles for free to air television in New Zealand.

These two prime time slots are a point of difference for Māori Television, giving viewers the opportunity to enjoy top-quality, alternative content that is not ordinarily found on other free to air networks.

See the line-up of these premieres below, and please enquire for any image/opportunity requests.

Tuesday Feature Documentaries

March 21st

Salt of the Earth (2014)

The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting deprived societies in hidden corners of the world. Nominated for Best Feature Documentary at the 2015 Academy Awards. Directed by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado.

March 28th

Citizenfour (2014)

Award winning documentary based on a documentarian and a reporter who travel to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden surrounding the NSA spying scandal. Best Feature Documentary winner at the 2015 Academy Awards.

Coming Soon: That Sugar Film, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, The Look of Silence, Pulp: Life Death & Supermarkets

Sunday Cinema

March 19th

Billy

Billy is the personal story of New Zealand’s most loved entertainer and household name in comedy, Billy T James, played by Tainui Tukiwaho. Written by Briar Grace Smith and Dave Armstrong.

March 26th

Rust and Bone – De rouille et d’os (2012)

Put in charge of his young son, Alain leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Alain's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident. Stars Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. Marion Cotillard - Winner of the 2013 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture.

Coming Soon: Tracks, 99 Homes, The Queen, Zero Dark Thirty,

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