Throng

Making Tracks follows musically obsessed C4 presenter Nick Dwyer on an entertaining, globe-trotting journey of musical discovery as he exchanges the sounds of New Zealand for the sounds of the world!

Host Nick Dwyer has presented on Max TV, M2, and now C4. He has been a bFM DJ for 14 years, and is a respected international music journalist.

This series sees Nick heading to Brazil, India, China, Israel, South Africa and Jamaica on a mission to push, promote and play New Zealand music in any way he can, across the globe.

More than just promoting New Zealand music, Making Tracks sees famous kiwi hits reinterpreted by musicians around the world.

TV3 has just announced it has shifted Australian crime drama Underbelly from its 9:30pm Sunday night slot to an 11:15pm Tuesday night slot.

Replacing Underbelly on Sunday nights is Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Underbelly will replace NYPD Blue.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent returns with Season 7, Episode 9 entitled Untethered. The episode originally screened in the US on December 6, 2007.

National Geographic Channels International has commissioned three China-focused Megastructures (3x60’) programmes as part of its May China Special from New Zealand production company NHNZ.

The Great Wall and Forbidden City stand as some of China’s ancient architectural masterpieces. But now, it is her modern Megastructures like the Shanghai World Financial Centre, Yangshan Port and the Beijing Water Cube that are capturing the world’s imagination today. Offering viewers exclusive access as these modern-day triumphs are being built, Shanghai Super Tower, China’s Ultimate Port and Beijing Water Cube show off a new, thriving China.

“China is leading the way in architectural innovation”, said Sydney Suissa, Executive Vice President of Content for NGCI. “These Megastructures episodes showcase ideas that stretch higher, delve deeper and beautifully marry engineering with art, securing their place as 21st century icons”.

Be in to win $100,000!

The search is on for ordinary and extraordinary Kiwis around the country to prove New Zealand’s Got Talent.

Prime Television, in conjunction with South Pacific Pictures, is bringing this internationally renowned talent show to our shores and is thrilled to announce the winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize.

Anything goes when it comes to talent – circus acts, animal acts, novelty acts, ventriloquists, magicians, comedians, all kinds of dancers from ballet to belly, all styles of singers from yodellers to opera. Individuals and groups of all ages are welcome to audition.

Those keen to demonstrate their talent on national television can complete an application form online at www.primetv.co.nz.

Auditionees must keep both a live theatre audience and the judges entertained enough to make it all the way to the live finals.

Premieres tonight on the Box (Sky Channel 5) at 8pm.

The Edge radio hosts Carl Fletcher and Vaughan Smith make the cross-over to TV tonight with their new weekly countdown show of quirky pop culture. The show features clips from the internet, their own web-cam interviews with the people behind the clips, quirky gadgets on sale online, googling a town in New Zealand, a mini-cooking show and more.

2-Tube or America's Funniest Home Videos this is not. Yes it's mindless funny entertainment on a Sunday night with some video clips but that's where any comparisons should stop.

Fletch and Vaughan are already completely comfortable working together - and it shows. Plus they are actually funny. You can relax watching their show and not cringe. In fact, some are already making the comparison between the pair and Australian radio/TV duo Hamish and Andy (Rove show regulars).

The videos themselves were much longer, or complilations around a theme - and most were actually new to us. These included Ghost riding the Whip a trend popularised by rappers such as Mistah F.A.B.'s song "Ghost Ride It", and a potty-mouthed gaming granny and a midget impersonator of Hillary Clinton.

TVNZ has hired former New Zealand Idol judge Paul Ellis as a consultant to ramp up its publicity department. The flamboyant Ellis - who gained a high profile after working as a top A & R man for Sony Records in New York - is expected to bring some showbiz pizzazz into the department. Ellis has recently returned from a stint as publicist for Channel 10 in Brisbane.

In the olden days, when TVNZ programming was run by John McCready and Mike Lattin, TVNZ publicity was a well-oiled machine.

But it has drifted - some say because it is being run by marketing people who don't get showbiz.

It is not clear whether Ellis' brief includes the historically troubled promotions department at TVNZ.

Source: NZ Herald. Read more »

Television New Zealand is making no apologies for pre-recording Close Up coverage of Anzac Day last week.

The actual items were pre-recorded as were the linking clips featuring Mark Sainsbury standing in front of TVNZ's flash new screens.

TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards confirmed this unusual decision covering the remembrance day.

She said One News duo Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie had broadcast from Anzac sites live so there was no need for Close Up to do the same.

TV3 confirmed that its main items were filmed in advance.

Source: NZ Herald. Read more »

Sky will launch an on-demand service in June.

Sky Online will allow initially people to download already screened movies and programmes they are already subscribed to to their computer for a monthly fee of $5.

Details on exactly when the service will launch and quality of the files have yet to be announced.