Homegrown hits and international dramas define TVNZ’s 2024 line up

New Zealanders turning to TVNZ for entertainment and information will have a wide selection to choose from in 2024, with ‘Aotearoatanga’ or ‘New Zealandness’ at the forefront of the planned content.

TVNZ’s Acting Director of Content, Nevak Rogers, says: “Our distinct Kiwi voice is what sets Te Reo Tātaki apart. I’m excited by the diversity of our upcoming local content slate – the lens of Aotearoatanga ensures we’re reflecting our community and sharing their stories.

“Extensive content deals will continue to bring audiences the best of international programming to complement our homegrown hits. Much of this content is behind a paywall in the majority of territories, and we’re thrilled to be able to deliver it to Kiwi audiences for free.”

Interim Chief Executive, Brent McAnulty, says a record number of Kiwis have tuned in to TVNZ | Te Reo Tātaki to be entertained and informed in 2023 and the 2024 Showcase reflects a commitment to reach all New Zealanders however they choose to engage with the platform.

“Over the past 12 months, TVNZ’s channels reached 4.3 million New Zealanders in total. TVNZ+ has grown even further, now reaching over 1.25 million Kiwis each week. Whether it was tuning in to 1News’ election coverage, streaming Te Matatini, or catching the BLACKCAPS in action, we’ve broadened our reach and connection with Kiwi audiences.”

The property genre will be well and truly covered in 2024 with a new series called New Zealand’s Best Homes with Phil Spencer, alongside new series My Dream Green Home and the return of Grand Designs NZ, Country House Hunters New Zealand and Moving Houses round out the offering.

New series The Hospital lifts the curtain on what it’s like to be a junior doctor in Middlemore Hospital, and the Casketeer’s Tipenes’ take a journey through grief around the globe in Casketeers: Life & Death Around The World. Celebrity Treasure Island returns for a sixth series, and the most recent CTI winner, comedian James Mustapic, embarks on a journey to find love for his mum in James Must-A-Pic His Mum A New Man.

Colin and Manu are back to test home cooks around New Zealand in a new season of My Kitchen Rules NZ, while New Zealand’s best home bakers return in a new season of The Great Kiwi Bake Off. Sonia Gray will help Kiwis uncover the truth behind their whānau’s history in My Family Mystery and young New Zealanders with intellectual disabilities will get a real-life temporary experience of flatting in Four Go Flatting. Relentless takes an exhilarating journey following six fighters vying for a spot on one of the world’s most esteemed MMA teams at City Kickboxing Gym.

Emotive and enlightening documentaries will captivate audiences in 2024. Written by one of the survivors, The Lost Boys of Dilworth explores the issue of abuse at one of Auckland’s wealthiest schools from a deeply personal viewpoint.

Documentary New Zealand returns with six bold new titles, including Mana Kura, following a grass-roots initiative pioneered by whānau in Papakura, providing wraparound community support for youth offenders and The 501s: Inside, examines Australia’s deportation of New Zealanders through a decade-long lens. Other documentaries featured are Hyper, The Filters, Predict My Future and Trans And Pregnant.

Sir David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III will delight viewers once again when it airs in 2024, while MasterChef: Dessert Masters sees Australia’s greatest pastry chefs, chocolate connoisseurs and baking experts, many who have set mind-bending challenges on MasterChef, compete for the $ 100,000 prize and to be named the first-ever Dessert Master.

Adventure abounds with star hosts Bill Bailey, George Clarke, Joanna Lumley and Morgan Freeman taking viewers around the globe, sharing action packed tales in their respective new series.

And of course, TVNZ is the home for Love Island again in 2024, including the hotly anticipated upcoming ‘All Stars’ season.

Testify, a bold new Kiwi drama (starring Craig Hall and Vinnie Bennett) examining a family at the head of a mega-church and the lies that will tear them apart has now been scheduled for 2024. Fresh dramedy The Boy, The Queen and Everything In Between follows Jacob, a recently released prison inmate trying to make amends with his estranged father – who happens to be the most famous drag queen in the country. Successful local drama series The Gone returns for a second season, as do Under The Vines, The Brokenwood Mysteries and My Life is Murder.

Notable new international drama series landing in 2024 include The Day of The Jackal, a remake of the film of the same name starring Eddie Redmayne, as well as Jed Mercurio’s (Line of Duty) new series Breathtaking, based on Rachel Clarke’s unflinching memoir centred on the early days of the Covid pandemic.

A ‘love story for the ages’, Alice & Jack stars Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson, and the screen adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s page-turning novel Apples Never Fall, with Sam Neill and Annette Bening set to lead the thrilling series. Classic series Matlock is given new life with Kathy Bates in the titular role, and The Good Fight spinoff series Elsbeth, following unconventional attorney Elsbeth Tascioni will also land on TVNZ in 2024.

Winning series’ The Tourist, The Responder, HALO, Rogue Heroes, Dr. Death, Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: New Worlds all return for new seasons.

The hilarious team behind Wellington Paranormal bring a distinctly Kiwi comedy in brand-new series, Warren’s Vortex, and more laughs come in the form of returning international series Poker Face, Bel Air, Bupkis, Hacks, Taskmaster UK, Taskmaster Australia, Pitch Perfect: Bumper In Berlin and Ghosts.

TVNZ’s News and Current affairs programming continues to be the backbone of its content line-up. 1News remains Aotearoa’s most-watched show, and our teams across Breakfast, Te Karere+, Seven Sharp, Q+A, Fair Go, Sunday, Marae+ and Tagata Pasifika, alongside the 1news.co.nz team, will deliver the stories that matter most to New Zealanders. Perennial favourites Hyundai Country Calendar, Shortland Street, Dog Squad, Renters and Motorway Patrol all return in 2024.

Underpinning the wide-ranging content line-up is TVNZ’s vision to be the number one streamer of trusted news and entertainment in Aotearoa.

McAnulty says TVNZ is heading into 2024 with a “strong strategic direction”. “It’s now time to accelerate our transition from a traditional broadcaster to a digital-first media organisation. This will involve building a stronger digital backbone for our business, taking us from being a broadcast company with a digital tacked on, to a digital first organisation.

“Developing a world-class digital platform is one of the most important investments we can make to play our role in safeguarding quality local content in Aotearoa for years to come. We believe a digital first Te Reo Tātaki will ensure we can continue to amplify and celebrate local voices, different perspectives and share the stories that matter.”

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