Back Benches

This week on Back Benches the panel will be discussing NZ power, Anzac Day and working for free.

NZ POWER: What is the best way to bring power to the people? There is no denying the cost of electricity has steadily risen over the last 15 years but the debate is on now on how to make your power bills cheaper. Labour & the Greens have a plan—NZ Power—calling this plan the Pharmac of the electricity industry. Continue reading »

As of this weekend, TVNZ Heartland will be airing the new run of Back Benches alongside Prime.

The new 2013 season was initially scheduled to begin on Heartland on April 20 but has been brought forward to begin on Saturday, April 13 at 10pm.

Prime airs the series on Wednesday nights.

Back Benches returns to TV on Prime this Wednesday at 10.30pm.

NZ On Air supports new season of Back Benches

NZ On Air is pleased to announce support for a new series of Back Benches to screen on Prime.

“We are thrilled to be able to support the talented Back Benches team” says NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson. “Their particular combination of political current affairs and humour makes topical political debate highly accessible.”

“The series found a loyal audience on TVNZ 7 and NZ On Air and Prime are delighted to join forces to find it a new home.” Ms Wrightson says.

NZ On Air has supported Back Benches for 20 episodes to run in 2013.

There is more good news this morning for TVNZ7 fans as NZ On Air has committed funding, in principle, for Back Benches to run on Prime.

Back Benches looks set to live on after the demise of TVNZ7 with NZ On Air committing funding “in principle” to the programme running on Prime.

NZ On Air spokeswoman Gina Rogers said the agency was having talks with Prime about its financial contribution to the show. Continue reading »

Wallace Chapman has confirmed that Prime TV will pick up Back Benches if the funding is given the go-ahead.

Host Chapman said in a Facebook post that prime will take on the TVNZ7 political series if NZ on Air gives it the greenlight.

Chapman said: “Well, Prime TV all go for picking up Back Benches. Hear in mid August if NZonAir ‘greenlights’ it. Question is..how are those Backbencher pub renovations going…!”

For the next three weeks, Wallace and Damian will be bringing the Beehive to the barstools at The Shepherd’s Arms Speights Ale House, Tinakori Road, Thorndon. If you’re in the neighbourhood on a Wednesday from 8pm, pop in to be part of the LIVE audience.

Due to a fire at the Backbencher pub in Wellington on Thursday 7 June, which means that venue is temporarily closed for business, Back Benches will be at The Shepherd’s Arms Speights Ale House, Tinakori Road, Thorndon for the next three weeks.

Self-professed political junkies, Wallace Chapman and Damian Christie, will get to the heart of the big issues as MPs and political mavericks rub shoulders with spectators.

Back Benches is TVNZ 7’s LIVE weekly pub politics show that attempts to demystify the world of New Zealand politics by making it accessible and fun.

If you can’t make it to the The Shepherd’s Arms Speights Ale House, fear not – you can watch it LIVE on TVNZ 7, Wednesday at 9.05pm.

Wednesday 25 February, 9.30pm

The global economic crisis is starting to be felt in New Zealand, with thousands of jobs lost. What are the solutions being offered by the Government, the unions and business leaders?

Sue Bradford of the Green Party; Trevor Mallard of Labour; Charles Finney, CEO of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce; and Phil O’Reilly, CEO of Business New Zealand join Wallace Chapman in a Back Benches special on Wednesday 25 February. The panel will hash out the big employment issues in the lead up to the Prime Minister’s Job Summit on Friday.

Filmed LIVE, 8pm on Wednesday 25 February at The Backbencher Pub and airing 9:30pm on TVNZ 7.

As is always the case with television, there were plenty of highs and lows to choose from in 2008.  Here are some of the highlights for me.  Feel free to add your own in the comments.

The launch of TVNZ7 on the 30th of March saw the arrival of hourly news updates and an indepth news hour at 8pm along with two new shows, Back Benches and Media7.

Temepara George and Stefano Olivieri won Dancing with the Stars and raised $90,516.51 for Autism New Zealand and another five figures each for both Vodafone and Telecom.

The Ferndale Strangler finally ended his run on Shortland Street and made way for new villains.

The Beijing Olympics were a spectacle while the commentary provided by TVNZ was not.  Our athletes gave us moments of pride for New Zealanders while Toni Street did not.

Mike Hoskings hosted a local version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire while Simon Barnett bought us more imitators on a local version of Stars in their Eyes.

Eyeworks Touchdown produced a reasonably good drama in Burying Brian and managed to sell the concept internationally before a second season was denied by the state broadcaster.

Jacqui Brown proved that New Zealand actually can produce a comedy series while the Flight of the Conchords proved that it’s easier to sell yourself to a major American network than a local one if you actually are funny.

The saga of Toni Veitch was unveiled unforgivingly by the tabloids mainstream print media before he quit.

TV One’s Breakfast continued to dominate while Oliver Driver bought some new life to Sunrise on TV3.  Sainsbury vs Campbell was fairly much the same except Close Up didn’t get done for pimping an actor as an informant.

Prime dived head first into producing local content with New Zealand’s Got Talent and proved that it is serious about being a player in the FTA market.

Outrageous Fortune had another great season, not to mention the success in having the series being produced for the American networks.

Election coverage was all that seemed to matter in the lead up to the US and NZ polls towards the end of the year but TVNZ’s decision to cut to the six o’clock news and talk about the news that had already happened over one of history’s moments astounded many.

After much discussion of the new TV One and TV3 news sets, TVNZ’s set design for the New Zealand election had many wondering why the same effort hadn’t been employed for the daily bulletin.

Great Southern Television’s The Pretender was another jewel in the crown of NZ comedy in 2008.

One of the big highlights of the year though had to be Te Radar going bush in Off the Radar.

What were your high and low points for 2008?

One of the shows I regularly watch every Thursday morning via TVNZ’s Ondemand service is Back Benches. The show has really grown on me with a number of insights by the four different MPs on the panel every week. (Surely National could send a much less obnoxious representative than Jacqui Dean) But this week, the Maori Party’s Hone Harawera definitely provided the moment of the series as he dropped the F-Bomb when talking about P.

When quizzed about what should be done about the P epidemic, Hone Harawera replied “You put a ring around the communities that you’re a part of and you say to everybody if you’re dealing P and you come in here you’re in F-ing serious trouble”.

You can watch the show here