Great Southern Television
Encyclopedia
Great Southern Television is a New Zealand film and television production company with offices in Auckland
and Queenstown
. The company produces film, drama, factual, comedy, light entertainment
, reality and documentary. It was launched on June 1, 2002, and is owned by Philip Smith
, Sir David Levene and Rachel Gardner. Smith and Gardner are both former journalists on the London Financial Times and are the GSTV management executives. Sir David Levene is a former retail magnate.
It has made Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the Apprentice in New Zealand and works closely with Mark Burnett Productions in the USA.
Shows in production in 2011 include Shearing Gang for Prime; Danger Beach for Prime; Make the Politician work for TV One; Rescue One for TV2. A second series of the Apprentice is in development.
In August 2010 the company received 12 nominations in the Qantas Film and Television Awards. In August 2009 Great Southern received 22 nominations. In the categories of Best Film; Best Comedy and Best Light Entertainment, Great Southern had two of the three nominations in each category. The company won six Qantas Awards on the night.
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42059&Category=
Smith and Gardner were named NZ Television Producers of the Year by the NZ Screen Industry Association, Spada, in 2008.
Great Southern has made 15 different factual series in the past eight years. It won the Qantas Award for best Factual Series at the Qantas Awards in 2009 with Rescue 1 which is now in its third season.
The factual series, The Lion Man
, has sold globally to 120 countries via distributors All3Media, London. It is the largest selling TV show in NZ history. Factual series, Remarkable Vets, has been broadcast on the National Geographic Channel
and Million Dollar Catch has been sold to 13 countries.
The company has created and produced eight different comedy series in the past six years. Its show, Eating Media Lunch
, won the best comedy award in 2008 after eight seasons on air.
Its light entertainment and reality team has made Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the Apprentice, Singing Bee and is developing the Contender.
In 2008, two movies were released under the Great Southern Films title, Apron Strings and Show of Hands. Apron Strings was selected for the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Show of Hands was selected for the Montreal Film Festival. The company has three films currently in funded development with the NZ Film Commission.
GSTV has had two dramas funded by NZ on Air: a 13 part series for TVNZ called The Cult
; and an 8 part drama series for C4 called Bogan Family Films. The Cult went into production May 2009 and screened on TVNZ's TV2. It is represented globally by Portman Film.
The company has close distribution relations with All3Media London; DRG London via Zeal and Portman Film; Beyond Distribution; Verve Australia; and format deals with Mark Burnett Productions; DRG; Sony and Nordisk Film.
GSTV broadcasters include TVNZ
, TV3
, Prime New Zealand, Channel 7 Australia, Channel 9 Australia; ABC Australia, Discovery Channel
, National Geographic Channel and BSkyB (UK).
Drama
Film
Factual
Light Entertainment / Reality
Documentary
New Media
Sport
Commercial Non Broadcast
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
. The company produces film, drama, factual, comedy, light entertainment
Light entertainment
Light entertainment is a term used to describe a broad range of usually televisual performances. These include comedies, variety shows, quiz/game shows, sketch shows and people/surprise shows.-Light entertainment in Britain:...
, reality and documentary. It was launched on June 1, 2002, and is owned by Philip Smith
Philip Smith
Philip or Phil Smith may refer to:*Philip Smith , soccer player*Philip Smith , American trumpeter*Philip Smith , Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross*Philip Smith, television writer and producer...
, Sir David Levene and Rachel Gardner. Smith and Gardner are both former journalists on the London Financial Times and are the GSTV management executives. Sir David Levene is a former retail magnate.
It has made Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the Apprentice in New Zealand and works closely with Mark Burnett Productions in the USA.
Shows in production in 2011 include Shearing Gang for Prime; Danger Beach for Prime; Make the Politician work for TV One; Rescue One for TV2. A second series of the Apprentice is in development.
In August 2010 the company received 12 nominations in the Qantas Film and Television Awards. In August 2009 Great Southern received 22 nominations. In the categories of Best Film; Best Comedy and Best Light Entertainment, Great Southern had two of the three nominations in each category. The company won six Qantas Awards on the night.
http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=42059&Category=
Smith and Gardner were named NZ Television Producers of the Year by the NZ Screen Industry Association, Spada, in 2008.
Great Southern has made 15 different factual series in the past eight years. It won the Qantas Award for best Factual Series at the Qantas Awards in 2009 with Rescue 1 which is now in its third season.
The factual series, The Lion Man
The Lion Man
The Lion Man was a New Zealand television documentary series about a New Zealand big cat park called Zion Wildlife Gardens. The series was named after the Lion Man, Craig Busch, the park's founder, and followed him and his staff as they managed the park and its collection of approximately 30 lions...
, has sold globally to 120 countries via distributors All3Media, London. It is the largest selling TV show in NZ history. Factual series, Remarkable Vets, has been broadcast on the National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
and Million Dollar Catch has been sold to 13 countries.
The company has created and produced eight different comedy series in the past six years. Its show, Eating Media Lunch
Eating Media Lunch
Eating Media Lunch was a satirical New Zealand news show hosted by Jeremy Wells. It aired on TV 2 and online on from 2003 to 2008. The show was frequently controversial during its run.- Notable episodes :...
, won the best comedy award in 2008 after eight seasons on air.
Its light entertainment and reality team has made Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the Apprentice, Singing Bee and is developing the Contender.
In 2008, two movies were released under the Great Southern Films title, Apron Strings and Show of Hands. Apron Strings was selected for the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Show of Hands was selected for the Montreal Film Festival. The company has three films currently in funded development with the NZ Film Commission.
GSTV has had two dramas funded by NZ on Air: a 13 part series for TVNZ called The Cult
The Cult (TV series)
The Cult is a New Zealand serial drama television series in which a group of people try to rescue their loved ones from a mysterious cult called Two Gardens....
; and an 8 part drama series for C4 called Bogan Family Films. The Cult went into production May 2009 and screened on TVNZ's TV2. It is represented globally by Portman Film.
The company has close distribution relations with All3Media London; DRG London via Zeal and Portman Film; Beyond Distribution; Verve Australia; and format deals with Mark Burnett Productions; DRG; Sony and Nordisk Film.
GSTV broadcasters include TVNZ
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
, TV3
TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
, Prime New Zealand, Channel 7 Australia, Channel 9 Australia; ABC Australia, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, National Geographic Channel and BSkyB (UK).
Shows Produced
Comedy- Eating Media Lunch - Series One 2003.
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Two 2004
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Three 2005
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Four 2005
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Five 2006.
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Six 2007.
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Seven 2008
- Eating Media Lunch - Series Eight 2009 EML Page *Eating Media LunchEating Media LunchEating Media Lunch was a satirical New Zealand news show hosted by Jeremy Wells. It aired on TV 2 and online on from 2003 to 2008. The show was frequently controversial during its run.- Notable episodes :...
- The Unauthorised History of New Zealand - Series 1 - 2006 The Unauthorised History of New Zealand
- The Unauthorised History of New Zealand - Series 2 - 2007
- The Unauthorised History of New Zealand - Series 3 - 2008
- The Unauthorised History of New Zealand - Series 4 - 2009
- Back of the Y x 2 series Back of the Y
- Millen Baird Project x 1 Series link title
- 1000 Apologies
- Feedback x 7 episodes TV2 2010
- Rhys Darby Pilot - MRC Studios USA
- 70's Heat TV3 with Rhys Darby 2010
Drama
- The Pretender - Series One 2007x 2 series watch!
- The Pretender x 2 series - 2008
- The Cult 13 x 1 Hour 2009
- Bogan Brothers 8 x 1/2 Hour 2009
Film
- Show of Hands (Anthony McCarten) release - Sept 2008
- Apron Strings (Sima Urale) released August 2008
- Patchwork Bear (Scott Reynolds)
- Death of a Superhero (Anthony McCarten)
Factual
- Rescue 1 - Series 1 2009 x 10 eps
- Rescue 1 - Series 2 2010 x 12 eps
- Rescue 1 - Series 3 2011 x 12 eps
- Million Dollar Catch x 10 Episodes
- The Claim Game 2011 8 x 1/2 Hour
- Danger Beach 8 x 1/2 Hour - Series One
- Danger Beach 10 x 1/2 Prime 2011 - Series Two
- The Lion Man x 3 series
- The Lion Man Specials
- Remarkable Vets x 2 series
- Real Escapes x 1 series
- Truth Files x 1 series
- Taking Off x 1 series
- Village People x 1 series
- Birdland x 1 series TVNZ
- Shearing Gang 2011 Prime
- Make the Politician Work TVNZ 2011
- 42 Below - Cocktail World Cup - TV2
Light Entertainment / Reality
- The Apprentice - Series One
- The Apprentice Series Two - in development
- The Contender - Series One - Fox
- Singing Bee - Series One
- Singing Bee - Series Two
- No Opportunity Wasted - with Phil Keoghan
- 2Tube
- Who Wants to be a Millionaire - Series One
Documentary
- Kiwi Spirit x 42 minutes
- Hairraising x 42 minutes
- Cocktail World Cup x 23 minutes
New Media
- Simon Gault for Fonterra (webisodes) 2010
Sport
- Compaq 50k
- Golf Tour of New Zealand
Commercial Non Broadcast
- AJ Hackett - advertorial
- Kawerau Jet - TVC
- AFFCO - advertorial
- NZ Hothouse - advertorial