News

Channel Premiere: April 1865
The History Channel – Thursday 5 April, 9.30pm

Based on Jay Winik’s bestseller “April 1865: The Month That Saved America”, the 2-hour documentary special offers a new look at the Civil War’s final days that will forever change the way we see the war’s end and the nation’s new beginning. These 30 most pivotal days in the life of the U.S. witnessed the frenzied fall of Richmond, Lee’s harrowing retreat, Appomattox, and Lincoln’s assassination 5 days later. It’s not only the tale of the war’s denouement, but the story of the rebirth of the US.

NZ Premiere: Fight Night
Documentary Channel – Wednesday 4 April, 9.00pm

Four Cage Fighters. One Trainer. Two Months. One Fight Night.
A full tilt ride with four no-rules fighters in Cape Town, South Africa, as they prepare themselves mentally and physically for one night of no-holds-barred cage fighting. The fighter’s lives are depicted through a highly charged montage of interviews, training, social life and fighting footage. We explore their motivation, their feelings and their thoughts on why they would participate in this violent full contact sport. Who are they? Why do they do it? Who watches them? Who trains them? And will they survive in the cage…? We follow the lives of Arik (a fine arts graduate), Mark (a good looking but violent young man who recently broke up with his girlfriend and has “some rage to take out in the cage”), Wian (an ex-Springbok wrestler Afrikaner who wants to fight no-rules on the international stage) and Neil (a business science student who is “fighting for his friends and his trainer more than for himself”). After a brief introduction to all the fighters, we probe a little deeper, revealing Aric’s motivation to start fighting after being on the receiving end of a beating by racist fascists, Mark’s over protective mother who wishes he “was into tennis”, Wian’s disillusionment with the quota system in the New South Africa and Neil’s battle with a potentially life threatening (in this case because fighting with a cold is asking for trouble) bout of the flu. This documentary strips away the glamour of the fighting scene and looks a little deeper into who participates in this savage, but growing, activity. Who exactly are these modern day gladiators, and why are so many people fascinated by them?

Unearthed: Search For New Natural History Filmmakers
Animal Planet – Wednesdays from 4 April, 10.30pm

Animal Planet puts six aspiring filmmakers through a crash course in wildlife filmmaking in the heart of South America. The budding directors and animal enthusiasts carry out their challenges at the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa, competing to ultimately have their film chosen. Australian Lyndal Davies is one of the industry experts guiding the contestants through their tasks in this unique four-part reality series.

NZ Documentary Showcase: Forgotten Silver
Documentary Channel – Tuesday 3 April, 9pm

Originally presented to an unsuspecting New Zealand public as the real deal, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s masterful mocumentary initially proved so convincing that unsuspecting viewers bought it hook, line, and sinker. A remarkably detailed look at the life of early filmmaker Colin McKenzie (Thomas Robins), the film traces the life of the young innovator as he makes incredible advances in the realm of cinema years before they are generally though to have occurred. From McKenzie’s creation of the first “talkie” in 1908 (the first true sound feature is generally considered to be 1927′s The Jazz Singer) to his creation of the first color film three short years later (which is generally considered to be 1922′s The Toll of the Sea), the discovery of the remarkable advances made by him would forever change the face of film history. With Jackson himself providing commentary on the importance of the recent “discovery” of McKenzie’s lost epic Salome — which was preserved in a garden shed for nearly a century — the significance of this “lost film” is further cemented by interviews with such notable film figures as Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein and film critic Leonard Maltin. As McKenzie’s rise and eventual downfall is documented through the use of newspaper articles, still images, and rare behind-the-scenes footage of Salome, the viewer is drawn into a remarkably staged ruse that is so effectively executed that it even includes interviews with McKenzie’s “wife,” Hannah (Beatrice Ashton).

New Series: Overhaulin’
Discovery – Tuesdays from 3 April, 8.30pm

Can a group of custom car builders working with lightning speed on a limited budget transform a guy’s clunker into a hot custom car without him knowing it? Using stealth and cooperation from friends and/or family to separate the car from the owner, Overhaulin’ takes these clunkers to a nearby garage and gives them a complete, ultra high-speed custom makeover. Our team of builders, led by hot rod automobile designer Chip Foose, transforms these faded out heaps into custom cars. After finding out the owner’s dream for his beater, the team kicks it into gear – sanding, stripping, painting, grinding – because they’ve only got a few days and a limited budget to get the job done. It’s a bumper-to-bumper journey to the final transformation into a cool set of wheels. And along the way, the team has to keep the owner guessing as to where his car is while the work is getting done. Will these automobile wizards be able to pull it all off in a few short days and on a tight budget? And how will the owner react to his new ride?

NZ Premiere: The World’s Most Dangerous Places
Documentary Channel – Tuesdays from 3 April, 8pm

Fearless adventurer Robert Young Pelton embarks on incredible journeys into the world’s most dangerous places, demonstrating how to travel and explore there – and come back alive. The high risk traveller and best-selling author – who has earned the nickname ‘Dangerman’ as a result of his exploits – takes viewers straight into the dark heart of the world’s hot spots, war zones, terrorist dens and unforgiving regions. This gripping series is a guide to staying alive while understanding what makes the world such a fascinating place. This series covers Afghanistan, Colombia, Liberia and the Darien Gap where Robert gets kidnapped and survives the experience. It will leave television audiences with a new appreciation of adventure and enlightenment … and a thirst for more.

NZ Premiere: The Cold War
Documentary Channel – Mondays from 2 April, 9.00pm

Honoured with the prestigious 1998 George Foster Peabody Award, CNN’s landmark COLD WAR series is the first major documentary on the subject. The concept was proposed by CNN founder Ted Turner, the man celebrated worldwide for his revolutionary approach to news and information technology. In 1994, Turner approached Britain’s Jeremy Isaacs — already famous for his documentary series, “The World at War” — to lead the project. Isaacs then assembled an acclaimed team of historians, writers and producers, and asked the actor Kenneth Branagh to provide the series’ narration. This sweeping look at nearly five decades of history is the crystallization of a massive, three-year-long effort. The series’ production team shot more than 1,000 hours of original footage, and screened 1,500 hours of film reference material. That archival footage was gathered from all over the world, and includes some historically important — and often emotionally stunning — images, many never before seen by an international audience. The COLD WAR crew travelled to 31 countries, and conducted more than 500 interviews — many with key players of the time. They also recorded the memories of some of the era’s unsung heroes, who through their actions helped to shape modern history. COLD WAR was hailed by critics in the United States as one of the top television programs of 1998. In awarding the series a Peabody Award judges noted that the series — and its companion Web site — are “destined to become the definitive record of this era of global history.”

The Crocodile Hunter – Sixth Season
Animal Planet – Mondays from 2 April, 8.30pm

This is the sixth season of The Crocodile Hunter, in which Steve and Terri Irwin rescue and protect incredibly diverse creatures around the world. Steve Irwin died tragically on September 4, 2006. This series shows Steve and Terri protecting and rescuing wildlife while educating the world about conservation.

Channel Premiere: The Toy Castle (Childrens)
Arts Channel – Mondays from 2 April, 4.00pm

Every evening Ivy and her brother Billy place their toy dolls back in the magical castle before bedtime, then they go to sleep. As they snuggle into dreamland, The Toy Castle magically springs to life; the toys start dancing, laughing and playing out their timeless stories. The Toy Castle is a visually explosive, live-action pre-school television series created to enhance a child’s imagination through the magic of dance, music and narrative story-telling. Our colourful cast of adorable characters each has a unique personality that a pre-schooler can relate to. The Ballerina, Soldier, Clown, Rag Doll, Goblin, China Doll, Sailor, Strongman, Frogs and Mouse Family open up a whole new world of music, movement, colour and creativity to their audience. Each 7-minute story is about a real life issue which affects a young child’s mental or physical development – sharing, caring, learning manners, being shy, and trying something new, conquering fears, using your imagination, exploring, or interacting and just plain having fun.

NZ Premiere: NatGeo presents with Bridie Carter, Panama Canal
National Geographic Channel – Sunday 1 April, 9:30pm

Lifting a mind-blowing 14,000 ships a year over a nine-storey mountain range, the Panama Canal relies on some of the mightiest machines in the world: gargantuan locks, a colossal crane, and the world’s largest dipper dredge. This is one of the trickiest waterways in the world, but thousands of ships risk it every year to deliver their goods faster. Demand is so high, traffic never stops and plans for a bigger, better canal are underway. Can the mother of all mega movers handle the pressure?