Latest news with #TVNZ2
Scoop
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Chaos, Comedy And Competition: Meet The Cast Of Taskmaster NZ Season 6
Bree Tomasel – Pax Assadi – Jackie van Beek – Jack Ansett – Alice Snedden: Five fresh faces are stepping up to the plate – or, more accurately, into the chaos – as Taskmaster NZ returns for its sixth season this August on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. This year's fearless cast includes ZM Drive Host Bree Tomasel, bringing her signature wit and wild energy to the mix; acclaimed comedian, actor and writer Pax Assadi; the sharply funny Jackie van Beek; rising comedy force Jack Ansett; and the razor-sharp writer, comedian and TV powerhouse Alice Snedden. Across 10 brand-new episodes, this eclectic crew will surrender their dignity and sanity to the mighty Taskmaster, Jeremy Wells, and his ever-loyal assistant Paul Williams – all in the name of victory, glory, and points that may or may not make sense. Expect the unexpected, as tasks range from the seemingly simple to the absurdly complex – whether improving the National Anthem, breaking up with an egg on a rollercoaster, or finding a cake and eating it too. Points will be won, pride will be lost, and hilarity is guaranteed. But who will take home the coveted Taskmaster trophy? Taskmaster NZ will premiere on Monday 18 August, 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ and continue on Tuesday for a double dose of chaos each week. Notes: TVNZ+ is the home of Taskmaster with Taskmaster NZ, Taskmaster, Taskmaster Australia, Junior Taskmaster, Taskmaster: Champion of Champions, Taskmasterclass, and New Year Treat, all available to stream. Taskmaster NZ is co-produced by Kevin & Co and Avalon with support from NZ On Air. BAFTA and Rose d'Or winning and International Emmy nominated format, hosted by critically-acclaimed comic Greg Davies as The Taskmaster, was created by British comedian Alex Horne, who also stars as the Taskmaster's Assistant, and originally produced by Avalon (Breeders, Starstruck, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Everything's Gonna Be Okay, Catastrophe).
1News
2 days ago
- Sport
- 1News
TVNZ to show netball's ANZ Premiership in 2026
Netball fans across the country can look forward to a thrilling return to the court in 2026 with the domestic ANZ Premiership competition to be shown exclusively on TVNZ platforms. Beginning in April, the 2026 season will feature 30 round robin matches played over 12 weeks by six domestic teams, followed by two finals matches. Games will air on weekends, including new rule innovations such as the captain's timeout and two-point shot continuing. In an announcement today, Netball New Zealand and TVNZ revealed the new partnership would bring the domestic netball season to screens nationwide via TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. Building on the match-of-the-week offering this year, the expanded broadcast would offer TVNZ's expert commentary, in-depth analysis, and exclusive courtside access a key feature of the expanded partnership. ADVERTISEMENT Beginning in April, the 2026 season will feature 30 round robin matches played over 12 weeks. (Source: 1News) TVNZ chief executive Jodi O'Donnell told 1News the deal marked a major step for live and free sport with hopes for a long-term partnership. "It's been really great that TVNZ has been able to work with Netball New Zealand over the last two years with having a match of the week, and I think that's been really good to showcase the power of free-to-air." Asked whether TVNZ had paid for the rights to the netball, O'Donnell said that information was "commercially sensitive" but emphasised the strong audience response. "We've had over half a million New Zealanders watching our netball games already this year so I think, from an audience perspective, I say New Zealand audiences are in for a treat." Netball NZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie welcomed the return of netball to free-to-air television, describing it as a "fantastic outcome" for fans. "Following a season where we've seen, strong broadcast numbers, fantastic match attendances and unprecedented global viewership, it's exciting to now have the opportunity for even more New Zealanders to enjoy the game on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. ADVERTISEMENT "Netball is played and loved by hundreds of thousands across Aotearoa, and this move will help bring the sport closer to communities nationwide." TVNZ head of sports, events and partnerships Melodie Robinson said netball was one of the country's most popular codes and the broadcaster was "excited" to have the rights to the national domestic competition. "Our netballers are at the top of their game, they're powerful wāhine toa, and we're thrilled to be connecting tamariki with the heroes who inspire them, bringing the excitement straight into their homes each weekend."
Scoop
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
ANZ Premiership Returns in 2026 to TVNZ
Get ready for a thrilling return to the court – with the ANZ Premiership competition airing exclusively on TVNZ in 2026. Netball New Zealand and TVNZ have today announced a partnership that will see the domestic season shown across TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ next year. The 2026 season will showcase the best of New Zealand's domestic netball teams, with elite athletes, epic clashes, and high-stakes match ups broadcast to audiences nationwide. The comprehensive coverage will build on TVNZ's match-of-the-week offering, this year. TVNZ's expert commentary, in-depth analysis, and exclusive courtside access will continue to be a key feature of the expanded partnership. TVNZ is committed to delivering high-quality local sport to New Zealanders and showcasing women's sport across the motu. TVNZ's Head of Sports, Events and Partnerships, Melodie Robinson, said: 'Netball is one of New Zealand's most popular codes and we're excited to have the national domestic competition with TVNZ. Our Netballers are at the top of their game, they're powerful wāhine toa, and we're thrilled to be connecting tamariki with the heroes who inspire them, bringing the excitement straight into their homes each weekend.' Netball New Zealand Chief Executive Jennie Wyllie has welcomed the return of netball to free-to-air television, calling it a fantastic outcome for fans of a sport that continues to thrive across the country. 'Following a season where we've seen, strong broadcast numbers, fantastic match attendances and unprecedented global viewership, it's exciting to now have the opportunity for even more New Zealanders to enjoy the game on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. Netball is played and loved by hundreds of thousands across Aotearoa, and this move will help bring the sport closer to communities nationwide.' With the popular rule innovations introduced this year, including the captain's timeout and the game changing two-point shot set to remain, viewers can look forward to even more thrilling netball action across Saturdays and Sundays when the competition returns in April. The 2026 ANZ Premiership will follow the two-round format, played between the six domestic teams across the motu before the Finals Series. There will be 30 round robin matches and two finals over a 12-week period.
The Spinoff
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘A big, brave thing': Janine Morrell-Gunn on What Now's huge pivot
The children's television veteran shares her life in television. A year-and-a-half ago, beloved local children's series What Now made the hugest swing of it's television tenure. After four decades as a live studio show, the series pivoted to be digital-first. YouTube became the primary platform for the show, with short videos being uploaded regularly and a pre-recorded episode packaging it all together still airing every Sunday morning on TVNZ2. 'We did a big thing and a brave thing,' says Janine Morrell-Gunn, executive producer of What Now and director of Whitebait Media. 'After 42 years on television, it's been tantamount to moving the Titanic.' Aside from moving to a smaller studio, there's also been a refresh of the hosting dynamic. What Now is now helmed by a 'crew' mostly in their early 20s, who take turns hosting the studio show and competing in a range of challenges together. 'It has really changed the whole culture of the show, which I think is much closer to reflecting young people and how they live their lives,' says Morrell-Gunn. She admits that the new era of What Now initially spent time trying to 'out-beast Mr Beast' with the likes of dramatic helicopter stunts, but have now settled into simpler shortform quiz formats and lo-fi crew set-ups. And having worked on everything from Spot On to The Son of a Gunn Show, Morrell-Gunn remains passionate about celebrating local kids. 'Kids seeing themselves on screen, hearing their voices and having their own humour and sensibilities showcased is so important,' she says. 'We need to keep seeing kids from all cultures accepting, playing, and enjoying each other.' And, before you ask, there's still plenty of room for gunge – the new era of What Now also comes with a fully mobile gunge tank, which is still traversing the motu gunging kids to this day. 'Whatever gunge means, it's joyful,' says Morrell-Gunn. Speaking of joyful, we asked Morrell-Gunn to take us through some of her most treasured television memories, including what Michael Jackson had to do with Jason and Thingee's Big Adventure. My earliest TV memory is… Watching The High Chaparral, which is a Western from way back in the day. That's how old I am – the show aired in the late 60s. The reason I remember it is because I was terrified behind this chair watching it. The show I would rush home from school to watch is… We didn't watch TV very much after school as kids, but I do remember Romper Room which was a preschool show. They'd do a song where kids would run around the studio with these little wooden horses between their legs. I knew a girl Eden who got on the show and she took her horse and started hitting the lights in the studio. I don't know why they didn't edit in those days. A TV moment that haunts me is… We made Jason and Thingee's Big Adventure on the weekends while we were working on other things during the week, and we had so much fun. But my haunting memory was that we included various video clips from the Son of a Gunn Show throughout, and one of them was montage with a young group of dancers who were dancing to 'Beat It'. When it was about to come out we got a message saying 'have you cleared the Michael Jackson song?' We hadn't, so we re-recorded a soundalike using session musicians. I thought we had sorted it out, except that the original version with Michael Jackson was somehow put out on the VHS. I've lost a lot of sleep about that because I could see the headlines – 'Michael Jackson sues Christchurch woman' – but we lived to tell the tale. My earliest TV crush was… Definitely David Soul from Starsky and Hutch. He went into singing and I bought his 45 from the local record shop for 99 cents. No one who reads this will remember any of this. My TV guilty pleasure is… I did have a big Schitt's Creek moment. So many people had said to watch it and I couldn't get through the first couple of episodes, and then suddenly those 80 episodes just went like that [Morrell-Gunn snaps her fingers]. I could not get enough of it – I'd just keep tapping on the table and say 'go again, Jason'. I remember feeling very much out of control. My favourite TV character of all time is… Well, my husband. I've enjoyed him on everything that he's ever done. I just think he has this beautiful, real and really relatable way about him. So he is my pick. My favourite TV show I've ever been involved in is… That's a hard one for me, because they're all your babies. 2kaha was a show we made on Saturday mornings and I loved the Māori sensibility, it had a really great energy about it. Bumble was also something special. I just love the kindness of that show, there was real joy in that and innocence to it. You never know what impact your shows ever have, but I remember getting this mail from a mum thanking me because she could put her child in front of Bumble and finally have a shower. And then there's Brain Busters – making the te reo Māori version of Brain Busters just melted my heart. The TV project I wish I could be involved in is… I'd love to have worked on Adolescence. I think it's just stunning what they achieved. From the execution of that idea through the script, to the groundbreaking style of storytelling, to the messaging and the timeliness and the need for it in society… it was just a fabulous piece of content. My controversial TV opinion is… This isn't controversial, but I've always been a champion for children's content. I think that we always get the thin end of the wedge, and that young people deserve the same range and diversity of local content across all genres. Children's television often feels last in a long, long line. A show out there I won't watch, no matter how many people say I should… I don't watch any real-life murder crime series. The family love them and I'll take a look if I'm wandering through the room, but only because I'm fascinated by the technique – how slow it takes, how much is recapped, how they interview. But it's never going to have a happy ending. The last thing I watched on television was… We just waited for that last episode of Mob Land, and loved that. Also just finished My Friends and Neighbours. And then Nine Perfect Strangers, based on the Lianne Moriarty book with Nicole Kidman. We love the dramas.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Freeview Satellite TV Brings Hd Viewing To More New Zealanders
Freeview is pleased to announce that high definition (HD) viewing is now available on its free satellite TV service, delivering a much-anticipated upgrade for viewers across Aotearoa. With HD already available on its terrestrial service (accessed via UHF aerials) and its Streaming TV app, Freeview has now extended high-resolution viewing to Kiwis who tune in with a satellite dish. This upgrade follows the successful migration to a new satellite, bringing two major improvements: Freeview's satellite TV service was upgraded to DVB-S2, a newer and more efficient transmission standard. The move unlocked more satellite capacity, overcoming earlier bandwidth limitations that had restricted HD delivery over satellite. These technical advances have paved the way for HD on satellite, strengthening Freeview's commitment to providing free, high-quality television for all Kiwis. Leon Mead, Freeview GM, says the collaboration between Freeview and broadcasters is key in making HD over satellite a reality. Broadcasters must update how their channels are transmitted to enable HD. TVNZ has led the charge, becoming the first broadcaster to roll out HD channels over Freeview's satellite service. 'We are delighted with TVNZ's decision to upgrade their satellite channels to HD, making access to great local content better than ever for the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who watch free satellite TV.' says Mead. As of yesterday, viewers can enjoy the following channels in HD: TVNZ 2 nationwide DUKE nationwide TVNZ 1 HD in Northland & Auckland, enhanced picture quality elsewhere with MPEG4. Warner Bros. Discovery is also planning to move some channels to HD – more details will be shared at a later date. Viewers can expect more HD channels on Freeview's satellite TV service, which remains completely subscription-free, staying true to its promise of making live TV accessible to every New Zealander.
