Stirring chronicle of our worst rail disaster in which 151 lives were lost, and the extraordinary events that played out during New Zealand's cricket match in South Africa, where bowler Bob Blair learns of his fiancee's death.
The life story of legendary comedian Billy T James
Revealing portrait of the early years of New Zealand's most celebrated writer Katharine Mansfield, movingly played by Kate Elliot.
The story of the 1981 Springbok tour, which saw violent clashes between protestors and police
Tells the story of party-girl-turned-mum-of-two Carole Taylor and her time in witness protection in the mid 80s
On the 7th of May 2009 Senior Constables Len Snee, Grant Diver and Bruce Miller arrived at 41 Chaucer Rd in Napier to serve a search warrant on Jan Molenaar for the growing of cannabis. It was a day like any other and this was just a routine warrant, something they had done countless times. What was meant to be an ordinary procedure turned into three of New Zealand's darkest days and ended with one police officer dead, two officers critically injured and a member of the public fighting for his life.
It's 1892 and Kate Sheppard tells the story of the suffrage campaign - a pursuit that will continue until September 1893.
This documentary tells the story of New Zealand sport’s ‘golden hour’, when on 2 September 1960 in Rome, two Arthur Lydiard-coached runners won Olympic gold: 21-year-old Peter Snell in the 800 metres, then Murray Halberg in the 5000 metres. The underdog tale mixes archive footage with recreations and candid interviews (Halberg talks about his battle with disability and doubt). The NZ Herald's Russell Baillie praised the result as “riveting” and “our Chariots of Fire”. It screened on TV prior to the 2012 London Olympics and was nominated for an International Emmy Award in 2013.
When the All Blacks beat France to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, it eased New Zealand's angst of more than 20 years without a title. It also created an unlikely hero in Stephen 'Beaver' Donald. A run of injuries led to a call-up for the fourth choice first five (he was whitebaiting when contacted). When Aaron Cruden was injured, Beaver came off the reserves bench and kicked a decisive penalty. Danny Mulheron's Moa award-nominated TV movie relives the reject-to-redemption fairytale. David de Lautour (Westside) plays Donald. This excerpt includes the kick itself.
In 1979, a jet carrying 257 passengers on a sightseeing tour over Antarctica went missing. Eleven police officers were called to duty and undertook an extraordinary operation as they came face to face with one of the world’s worst disasters. This is their story.
The Dance Exponents – Why Does Love? tells the story of the rise and fall and rise of one of New Zealand’s most loved and iconic bands, The Exponents. Made with the support of NZ On Air.
Based on the true story of Chris Crean, who took a stand against gang violence in his community, only to become a target himself.
The explosive true story of a cold-hearted murderer brought to justice by her sister-in-law; a tenacious battler who knew the real reason behind her brother's death.
In 1983 a farm hack named Kiwi became a racing legend when he ran from last to first over the final 300 metres at Flemington to win The Melbourne Cup. This is the extraordinary story of not only a remarkable horse, but of the family who raced him.
In 1997, Osama bin Laden declared war on the USA and Pulitzer Prize winning Kiwi journalist and CNN correspondent Peter Arnett embarked on a mission to locate and interview him. Travelling to Afghanistan where he was blindfolded and driven to a secret location in the mountains by armed militia, Arnett engaged in a battle of words with bin Laden, lifting the lid on the Al-Qaeda founder’s chilling plans for the West. Following the dramatic events leading up to the interview, and the horrifying moment bin-Laden’s threats were realised in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, A War Story takes a fascinating and frightening journey into the heart of darkness.
When Petrol Station owner Leo Kao and his girlfriend Kara Hurring discovered millions of dollars deposited into their bank account in error in 2009, the pair did what most of us would only dream of doing: they ran. The captivating true story of an ordinary New Zealand couple who fled the country for a new new life in China with ten million dollars of stolen money, Runaway Millionaires reveals the truth behind the international manhunt that gripped the nation.
Taking place in the fraught political climate of the 1980s, By The Balls takes us straight into the heart of some of New Zealand rugby’s darkest days. Still reeling from the aftermath of the Springbok tour and a brutal face-off against the French rugby team, by 1987 it seemed as though all was lost for our country’s most beloved sport. Through the eyes of New Zealand’s legendary rugby players on the playing field of the 1987 World Cup, By The Balls is the compelling story of how the All Blacks would struggle to overcome the odds and return to glory.
In November 1947 forty-one people died in a massive blaze that gutted the huge Ballantynes Department Store complex in the heart of Christchurch’s business district. This is the tragic story of New Zealand’s worst fire disaster. Funded by NZ On Air.
