South Pacific Pictures

Summary

South Pacific Pictures is a New Zealand television production company. The company produces drama series, mini-series, telemovies and feature films for the domestic market and international market. SPP's largest property is Shortland Street the half-hour soap opera for TVNZ 2. In 2006, the company released Sione's Wedding and in 2002, the Oscar-nominated feature film Whale Rider. In 1998 the company produced the feature film, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, the sequel to Once Were Warriors.

South Pacific Pictures
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTelevision production
Founded1988; 36 years ago (1988)
FounderJohn Barnett
Headquarters,
New Zealand
Key people
  • Kelly Martin (CEO)
  • John Barnett (CEO, 1998–2015)
Parent
SubsidiariesSLR Productions (2003–present)
Kura Productions
Satellite Media
Websitesouthpacificpictures.com

In May 2000, the company moved from Browns Bay (Auckland) to a new purpose-built studio complex in Henderson, West Auckland.

SPP is in a joint venture with Australian company SLR Productions to produce animated shows aimed at international markets and also has a 50% interest in Satellite Media and has also created a joint venture known as Kura Productions with Quinton Hita to produce programming for the Māori Television Service.

South Pacific Pictures was founded by CEO John Barnett.[1]

Film edit

Title Year Notes
The Girl from Mars 1991 Canadian–New Zealand–American co–production
The End of the Golden Weather
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? 1999
Jubilee 2000
Whale Rider 2002 New Zealand–German co-production
Sione's Wedding 2006
We're Here to Help 2007
The Secret of Moonacre 2008 French–British–Hungarian–American co-production
My Wedding and Other Secrets 2011
Sione's 2: Unfinished Business 2012
White Lies 2013
This Town[2] 2020

Television edit

Current productions edit

Key
Denotes television programs that have not yet aired.
Title Genre First air date No. of
series
Network Co-production company Notes
Shortland Street Soap opera 25 May 1992 (1992-05-25) 30 TVNZ 2 Grundy Television (1992–2006)
Fremantle Australia (2006–present)
The Brokenwood Mysteries Crime drama 28 September 2014 (2014-09-28) 8 Prime (2014–19)
TVNZ 1 (2021–)
Educators[3] Sitcom 8 May 2019 (2019-05-08) 2 TVNZ+ Web series
Mean Mums[4] Sitcom 16 July 2019 (2019-07-16) 2 Three
Head High[5] Drama 28 June 2020 (2020-06-28) 2 Three
Last at 11[6] Mockumentary 21 February 2021 (2021-02-21) 1 TVNZ 1
Travel Guides New Zealand[7] Travel 18 February 2021 (2021-02-18) 1 TVNZ 2
Snack Masters[8] Cooking competition 20 April 2022 (2022-04-20) 1
Sort Your Life Out NZ[9] Reality 22 June 2022 (2022-06-22) 1 Three
Duckrockers[10] Comedy 2 November 2022 (2022-11-02) 1 TVNZ 2
Far North[11] Drama White Balance Pictures

1980s edit

Title Genre First air date Last air date No. of
series
Network Co-production company Notes
Space Knights Children's 15 July 1989 (1989-07-15) 16 December 1989 (1989-12-16) 1 Channel 2 Seven Network
Vid-Com

1990s edit

Title Genre First air date Last air date No. of
series
Network Co-production company Notes
Gold Drama 1990 1990 1 TVNZ Atlantis Films
Raider of the South Seas Children's 10 February 1990 (1990-02-10) 30 March 1990 (1990-03-30) 1 Atlantis Films Production services only
Betty's Bunch Children's 18 February 1990 (1990-02-18) 13 May 1990 (1990-05-13) 1 Channel 2
All for One Children's 20 May 1990 (1990-05-20) 8 July 1990 (1990-07-08) 1 TVNZ Atlantis Films
African Journey Children's 15 July 1990 (1990-07-15) 18 August 1990 (1990-08-18) 1 Channel 2 Atlantis Films
Star Runner Children's 7 April 1991 (1991-04-07) 26 May 1991 (1991-05-26) 1 TVNZ Atlantis Films
The Boy from Andromeda Children's 2 June 1991 (1991-06-02) 7 July 1991 (1991-07-07) 1 Channel 2 Atlantis Films
The Ray Bradbury Theater Anthology 3 January 1992 (1992-01-03) 30 October 1992 (1992-10-30) 2 USA Network Alliance Atlantis
Bradshaw MacLeod & Associates (season 5)
Wilcox Productions
Western International Communications
Seasons 5 and 6
The Other Side of Paradise Drama 22 February 1992 (1992-02-22) 14 March 1992 (1992-03-14) 1 ITV Central Independent Television
Grundy Television
Miniseries
Production services only
Growing Rich Fantasy 28 February 1992 (1992-02-28) 3 April 1992 (1992-04-03) 1 ITV Anglia Production services only
Marlin Bay Drama 27 August 1992 (1992-08-27) 16 November 1994 (1994-11-16) 3 TV One
Kurt Vonnegut's Monkey House Anthology 21 December 1992 (1992-12-21) 4 April 1993 (1993-04-04) 1 Showtime Altantis Films
Crescent Entertainment
B.C Film
Season 2
White Fang Adventure 1993 1994 1 M6 Neverland Studios
Falcon Productions
Alliance Atlantis
Production services only
Deepwater Haven Drama 10 July 1993 (1993-07-10) 15 January 1994 (1994-01-15) 1 Channel 2 F Productions
Beyond International
Soldier Soldier Drama 7 September 1993 (1993-09-07) 30 November 1993 (1993-11-30) 1 ITV Central Independent Television Production services only (season 3)
Mrs. Piggle–Wiggle Children's 30 May 1994 (1994-05-30) 1994 1 Showtime Think Entertainment
Universal Family Entertainment
Production services only
Fallout Drama 24 July 1994 (1994-07-24) 31 July 1994 (1994-07-31) 1 TV One Miniseries
Plainclothes Drama 15 March 1995 (1995-03-15) 6 September 1995 (1995-09-06) 2 TV One
Riding High Children's 31 December 1995 (1995-12-31) 27 July 1996 (1996-07-27) 1 TV2 Production services only
City Life Drama 15 July 1996 (1996-07-15) 19 February 1998 (1998-02-19) 1 TV2
House of Sticks Drama 9 November 1997 (1997-11-09) TV One Montana Sunday Theatre stand-alone pilot
Market Forces Sitcom 31 March 1998 (1998-03-31) 17 July 1999 (1999-07-17) 2
McPhail & Gadsby Satire 11 June 1998 (1998-06-11) 23 July 1998 (1998-07-23) 1
Double Booking Comedy 4 July 1998 (1998-07-04) Comedy Playhouse stand-alone pilot
Tales of the South Seas Drama 1998 1998 1 Network Ten CLT-UFA
Gaumont Télévision
Village Roadshow Pictures
Jackson's Wharf[12] Drama 22 June 1999 (1999-06-22) 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) 2 TV2

2000s edit

Title Genre First air date Last air date No. of
series
Network Co-production company Notes
Mercy Peak Drama 25 July 2001 (2001-07-25) 19 March 2004 (2004-03-19) 3 TV One
Being Eve Teen drama 25 August 2001 (2001-08-25) 12 July 2002 (2002-07-12) 2 TV3
Mataku Anthology 3 October 2002 (2002-10-03) 19 December 2002 (2002-12-19) 2 A third series was produced by 4 Winds Films
New Zealand Idol Reality competition 1 February 2004 (2004-02-01) 29 October 2006 (2006-10-29) 3 TV2 Grundy Television
Kidnapped Adventure 27 February 2005 (2005-02-27) 13 March 2005 (2005-03-13) 1 BBC One Miniseries
Outrageous Fortune Comedy-drama 12 July 2005 (2005-07-12) 9 November 2010 (2010-11-09) 6 TV3
Interrogation Crime drama 31 August 2005 (2005-08-31) 23 November 2005 (2005-11-23) 1 Prime TV
Maddigan's Quest Fantasy 26 January 2006 (2006-01-26) 16 February 2006 (2006-02-16) 1 BBC One
Nine Network
TV3
Burberry Productions
How Clean Is Your House? Reality 15 February 2006 (2006-02-15) July 2007 (2007-07) 2 TV One
Wa$ted! Reality 20 February 2007 (2007-02-20) 8 April 2008 (2008-04-08) 2 TV3 Fumes TV
HotSpell Game show 24 August 2007 (2007-08-24) 2 September 2007 (2007-09-02) 1 SBS Heiress Films
Captain Cook – Obsession and Discovery Documentary 28 October 2007 (2007-10-28) 18 November 2007 (2007-11-18) 1 ABC Television
Prime
Film Australia
Cook Films
Ferns Productions
History Television
December Films
New Zealand's Got Talent Talent show 8 September 2008 (2008-09-08) 28 October 2008 (2008-10-28) 1 Prime Imagination Television took over production after series 1
Go Girls Comedy-drama 19 February 2009 (2009-02-19) 16 July 2013 (2013-07-16) 5 TV2
Diplomatic Immunity Sitcom 10 March 2009 (2009-03-10) 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) 1 TV One

2010s–20s edit

Title Genre First air date Last air date No. of
seasons
Network Co-production company Notes
Scoundrels Comedy-drama 20 June 2010 (2010-06-20) 15 August 2010 (2010-08-15) 1 ABC Old Friends Productions
Long Run Productions
ABC Studios
Rivers with Craig Potton Documentary 12 September 2010 (2010-09-12) 17 October 2010 (2010-10-17) 1 Prime
The Almighty Johnsons Fantasy 7 February 2011 (2011-02-07) 26 September 2013 (2013-09-26) 3 TV3
Nothing Trivial Comedy-drama 20 July 2011 (2011-07-20) 4 December 2013 (2013-12-04) 3 TV One
Wild Coasts with Craig Potton Documentary 7 August 2011 (2011-08-07) 4 September 2011 (2011-09-04) 1 Prime
Golden Sitcom 17 June 2012 (2012-06-17) 22 July 2012 (2012-07-22) 1 TV3
High Country Rescue Documentary 26 November 2012 (2012-11-26) 14 January 2013 (2013-01-14) 1 TV One
The Blue Rose Crime drama 4 February 2013 (2013-02-04) 29 April 2013 (2013-04-29) 1 TV3
Step Dave Comedy-drama 11 February 2014 (2014-02-11) 24 November 2015 (2015-11-24) 2 TV2
Tatau Drama 12 April 2015 (2015-04-12) 17 May 2015 (2015-05-17) 1 BBC Three Touchpaper
Westside Comedy-drama 31 May 2015 (2015-05-31) 16 November 2020 (2020-11-16) 6 Three
Word Up Game show 11 June 2015 (2015-06-11) 3 September 2015 (2015-09-03) 1 TV One
800 Words Comedy-drama 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 2 October 2018 (2018-10-02) 3 Seven Network Seven Productions
Forensics NZ Documentary 24 April 2016 (2016-04-24) 3 June 2018 (2018-06-03) 2 Prime
The Bad Seed Crime drama 14 April 2019 (2019-04-14) 18 April 2019 (2019-04-18) 1 TVNZ 1 Jump Film & TV
The Sounds Mystery 3 September 2020 (2020-09-03) 12 October 2020 (2020-10-12) 1 Acorn TV Shaftesbury Films
Acorn Media Enterprises

Television films edit

Title Genre Air date Network Co-production company Notes
The Rogue Stallion Adventure 1990 (1990) Grundy Television
Clarence Comedy 24 November 1990 (1990-11-24) The Family Channel Atlantis Films
NorthStar Entertainment Group
Old Scores Comedy 25 September 1991 (1991-09-25) TVNZ HTV Cymru Wales
The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior Drama 1992 ABC Capital Cities/ABC Video Enterprises
Bonny Dore Productions
Ten Four Productions
Production services only
The Sound and the Silence Drama 18 April 1992 (1992-04-18) Screen Star Entertainment
Atlantis Films
Kelcom International
Production services only
Adrift Thriller 13 April 1993 (1993-04-13) CBS Atlantis Films, Blue André Productions
W.I.C.
CTV Television Network
Consultant
Lawless Crime drama 26 June 1999 (1999-06-26) TV2
Fearless Drama 1999 Telescene
Lawless: Dead Evidence[13] Crime drama 7 September 2000 (2000-09-07) TV2
Lawless: Beyond Justice[14] Crime drama 22 February 2001 (2001-02-22)
Ihaka: Blunt Instrument[15] Drama 22 February 2002 (2002-02-22) TV3 Columbia TriStar Productions
Columbia TriStar Television
Screentime
The Man Who Lost His Head[16] Drama 26 August 2007 (2007-08-26) TV One Greenlit Rights
Stolen[17] Drama 28 July 2010 (2010-07-28) TV3
Spies and Lies[18] Drama 14 November 2010 (2010-11-14) TV One
Nothing Trivial[19] Comedy-drama 3 August 2014 (2014-08-03)
In Dark Places[20] Drama 22 July 2018 (2018-07-22) TVNZ 1 10,000 Company

Film & television library from Subsidiaries edit

SLR Productions

Live Action

References edit

  1. ^ Drinnan, John (29 September 2017). "NZ Media Profile: South Pacific Pictures' new CEO Kelly Martin". Mediaweek. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Trailer Released For Film "This Town" Starring Robyn Malcolm, Rima Te Wiata And David White". Scoop. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  3. ^ Croot, James (6 May 2019). "The Educators: Unscripted Kiwi comedy focuses on the staffroom". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  4. ^ Nealon, Sarah (4 July 2019). "Mean Mums, supportive parents and playing it for laughs". TV Guide. Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  5. ^ Harvey, Kerry (18 June 2020). "New home grown rugby drama Head High tests loyalties". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  6. ^ Nealon, Sarah (18 February 2021). "Choppy seas for America's Cup mockumentary Last at 11". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  7. ^ Downes, Siobhan (10 February 2021). "Travel Guides NZ to reveal what Kiwis really think of domestic holidays". Stuff. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  8. ^ Harvey, Kerry (7 April 2022). "Cracking the snack code with Snack Masters NZ". Stuff. Stuff. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  9. ^ Hawkes, Colleen (22 June 2022). "Sort Your Life Out NZ: Family was 'at wit's end' in cluttered home". Stuff. Stuff. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  10. ^ Simich, Ricardo (24 April 2022). "Sione's Wedding reboot: New young cast revealed". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  11. ^ Frater, Patrick (17 June 2022). "Temuera Morrison, Robyn Malcolm Star in 'Far North' New Zealand Series for Sundance Now (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Jacksons Wharf: has the tide gone out?". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. 30 June 2000. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  13. ^ Cleave, Louisa (30 August 2000). "Kevin Smith – Fighting the good fight". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  14. ^ Grant, Frances (22 February 2001). "TV: Hot but entirely predictable action from maverick PIs". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  15. ^ Black, Eleanor (20 February 2002). "Cop drama light relief for Tem". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  16. ^ "TV Review: The Man Who Lost His Head". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Parents of kidnapped baby Kahu angry over TV drama". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  18. ^ "TV Pick of the week: Spies and Lies". TimeOut. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  19. ^ "The big question answered for Nothing Trivial fans and strange-but-true-drama". NZ On Air. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  20. ^ Jones, Bridget (22 July 2018). "In Dark Places: The real cost of Teina Pora's story". Stuff. Retrieved 7 October 2021.

External links edit

  • South Pacific Pictures Website

36°51′22″S 174°38′19″E / 36.85612°S 174.63870°E / -36.85612; 174.63870