TV3’s 21st Birthday

November 2010 marks 21 years since New Zealand TV's third channel began broadcasting. This 21st collection looks back at iconic drama (Outrageous Fortune), stalwart news shows (Nightline), fresh youth programming (Ice TV, Suzy's World, Being Eve) and watermarks high (bro'Town, Jaquie Brown, 7 Days) and low (Melody Rules) of local screen comedy.

Film and TV critic Philip Wakefield provides a background survey piece, assessing TV3's history on the occasion of its 21st birthday. Wakefield puts the channel's survival and successes down to taking “more creative risks with local content than the state-owned competition.”

Wakefield assesses TV3's journey from foreign-owned upstart to beloved kiwi battler, plotting a timeline of the channel’s hits and controversies, with the success of Outrageous Fortune (revisit the first episode in the collection) and 7 Days the "icing on the cake of this month's anniversary celebrations".

We’re in the process of sourcing classic Campbell Live, Ralston Group and Early Bird Show (featuring Russell Rooster) footage. If there are TV3 shows you'd like to see — magic moments, mis-steps or milestones — let us know and we'll endeavour to get them cleared and up on NZ On Screen.

In the meantime dip into a sampler pack of TV3's 21 years.

ENDS

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