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Otago Daily Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
How a local TV station became a global powerhouse
By Eva Kershaw for Frank Film It's hard to compare Dunedin to Hollywood. However, for four decades, the small, academic city in New Zealand's deep south was home to a powerhouse of global documentary filmmaking. Born in Dunedin's TVNZ studios in the 1970s, Natural History New Zealand – known globally as NHNZ – developed from a government-run unit to an Emmy Award-winning international producer, reflecting not only the growth of an industry, but the evolution of New Zealand's place in global media and the emergence of a strong conservation movement. One of the unit's earliest series followed the critically endangered Chatham Island black robin out of extinction. There were only seven birds left. 'We came in at exactly the right moment to start telling these stories of hope,' says former frontperson Peter Hayden, 'and the audiences around New Zealand loved it.' It was new territory. Dunedin TV was known for children's programme production. TV audiences were not used to seeing their own natural environment on screen; and natural history was virtually unknown. Hayden, now 76, began working for TVNZ's Natural History Unit in 1980. 'Coming down here I thought I'd better go and buy a bloody book about natural history,' he tells Frank Film. 'I went to the Heinemann's Bookshop... and there was no such thing as a natural history section. 'That reflected the knowledge of New Zealanders at the time. We knew nothing.' On the team with Hayden were producer/director Neil Harraway, film-makers Rod Morris and Max Quinn, and the charismatic and committed Dunedinite, managing director Michael Stedman. '[Michael] was our leader,' says Harraway. 'Quite a stroppy little guy.' Using the hidden camera as a 'silent witness' to the natural world, the team put together personable documentaries of the wildlife of Aotearoa: rare footage of takahē and kākāpō, films on bats, sharks, locusts and a range of birdlife. In looking for a logo, they hit upon the kea, chosen for its intelligence, inquisitiveness, and adaptability – critical traits, says Hayden, for the company's survival. From 1981 until the early '90s, what was then called the Natural History Unit produced Wildtrack – a nature programme for both children and adults that won the Feltex Television Award for the best children's programme, three years running. In 1989, the unit produced Under The Ice, the first nature documentary to be filmed under the Antarctic sea ice. 'I don't know what we were thinking,' says Harraway. Under-water camera housing units were yet to be commercially available, 'so some of the local geeks climbed on in and whipped stuff up like this,' says former NHNZ technician Wayne Poll, gesturing to an early model unit kept in the basement of the company's Dunedin offices. Despite NHNZ's ingenuity, television was changing, and production in New Zealand was migrating largely to Auckland. In 1991, TVNZ closed its Dunedin studios. While the Natural History Unit escaped closure, its future was uncertain. Undeterred, Stedman began looking for new funding relationships overseas. Harraway recalls him picking up business cards from the floor and out of waste baskets at a Cannes event. 'Darwin said, it's not going to be the strongest or the most intelligent animal that survives on the planet, it's going to be the most adaptable,' says Morris. 'Michael sort of understood that intuitively, really, that adaptation was where survival of the unit rested.' And adapt they did. In 1992, in an early co-production with Discovery and Rai3, NHNZ produced the Emperors of Antarctica documentary – a pioneering film on Emperor penguins. 'I think Emperors of Antarctica sold to over 100 different territories around the world,' says Quinn, who devised a hand-made cover to insulate the moving parts of his camera in Antarctica's sub-50 degree temperatures. In 1997, the Natural History Unit was purchased by Fox Television, owned by Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch 'brought a bucket of money,' says Morris, and supplied the team with funding for equipment they desperately needed. Stedman forged co-productions in the USA, Europe, Japan, and China. As a fan of science communication, he helped build a post-graduate diploma in natural history film making at the University of Otago. 'We were into science, we were into health, we were into adventure,' says Hayden. As Stedman said in a 2001 TVNZ interview, NHNZ focussed on reading the market in order to make programmes that would appeal to their audiences, 'as opposed to a British system where they would make a programme that they wanted to make and then go and look for a market for it.' At its height, NHNZ had $50 million worth of documentaries in production. It was working on up to 20 films at any one time and employed 200 people. 'When it started, there was about five of us,' recalls Hayden. New Zealand was a hard audience to break into. 'I don't think New Zealanders were seeing a lot of these programmes,' says Hayden. 'I remember Michael saying, you know, you're selling to so many countries, but one of the hardest countries to sell to is your own country.' Internationally, NHNZ's reputation shone. Among numerous other awards, the company's films earned multiple Emmy nominations, and won Emmy awards in 1999 and 2000. In 2011, Stedman's health declined. 'The golden years were over,' says Morris. 'From Fox buying us in 1997, those fantastic years of growth and spreading its wings had sort of got to the end of its road,' says Harraway. 'The market had changed from the good film-making we liked. Reality kind of took hold.' Stedman resigned in 2013, and in the decade following, NHNZ scaled down. In 2022, a much smaller NHNZ was sold to Auckland-based Dame Julie Christie. With the company re-branded to NHNZ Worldwide, just three staff remain in Dunedin. With this month marking three years since Stedman's death in 2022, the original NHNZ team gather around a TV unit, watching a video of Stedman giving a speech. 'It sort of brings the dear old man back to life again,' says Quinn. 'He was an extraordinary person,' says Morris. 'He sponsored us for a period of time so that we could fulfil our dreams.'
Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
From Dunedin TV station to global powerhouse: the story of NHNZ
By Eva Kershaw for Frank Film It's hard to compare Dunedin to Hollywood. However, for four decades, the small, academic city in New Zealand's deep south was home to a powerhouse of global documentary filmmaking. Born in Dunedin's TVNZ studios in the 1970s, Natural History New Zealand – known globally as NHNZ – developed from a government-run unit to an Emmy Award-winning international producer, reflecting not only the growth of an industry, but the evolution of New Zealand's place in global media and the emergence of a strong conservation movement. One of the unit's earliest series followed the critically endangered Chatham Island black robin out of extinction. There were only seven birds left. 'We came in at exactly the right moment to start telling these stories of hope,' says former frontperson Peter Hayden, 'and the audiences around New Zealand loved it.' It was new territory. Dunedin TV was known for children's programme production. TV audiences were not used to seeing their own natural environment on screen; and natural history was virtually unknown. Hayden, now 76, began working for TVNZ's Natural History Unit in 1980. 'Coming down here I thought I'd better go and buy a bloody book about natural history,' he tells Frank Film. 'I went to the Heinemann's Bookshop... and there was no such thing as a natural history section. 'That reflected the knowledge of New Zealanders at the time. We knew nothing.' On the team with Hayden were producer/director Neil Harraway, film-makers Rod Morris and Max Quinn, and the charismatic and committed Dunedinite, managing director Michael Stedman. '[Michael] was our leader,' says Harraway. 'Quite a stroppy little guy.' Using the hidden camera as a 'silent witness' to the natural world, the team put together personable documentaries of the wildlife of Aotearoa: rare footage of takahē and kākāpō, films on bats, sharks, locusts and a range of birdlife. In looking for a logo, they hit upon the kea, chosen for its intelligence, inquisitiveness, and adaptability – critical traits, says Hayden, for the company's survival. From 1981 until the early '90s, what was then called the Natural History Unit produced Wildtrack – a nature programme for both children and adults that won the Feltex Television Award for the best children's programme, three years running. In 1989, the unit produced Under The Ice, the first nature documentary to be filmed under the Antarctic sea ice. 'I don't know what we were thinking,' says Harraway. Under-water camera housing units were yet to be commercially available, 'so some of the local geeks climbed on in and whipped stuff up like this,' says former NHNZ technician Wayne Poll, gesturing to an early model unit kept in the basement of the company's Dunedin offices. Despite NHNZ's ingenuity, television was changing, and production in New Zealand was migrating largely to Auckland. In 1991, TVNZ closed its Dunedin studios. While the Natural History Unit escaped closure, its future was uncertain. Undeterred, Stedman began looking for new funding relationships overseas. Harraway recalls him picking up business cards from the floor and out of waste baskets at a Cannes event. 'Darwin said, it's not going to be the strongest or the most intelligent animal that survives on the planet, it's going to be the most adaptable,' says Morris. 'Michael sort of understood that intuitively, really, that adaptation was where survival of the unit rested.' And adapt they did. In 1992, in an early co-production with Discovery and Rai3, NHNZ produced the Emperors of Antarctica documentary – a pioneering film on Emperor penguins. 'I think Emperors of Antarctica sold to over 100 different territories around the world,' says Quinn, who devised a hand-made cover to insulate the moving parts of his camera in Antarctica's sub-50 degree temperatures. In 1997, the Natural History Unit was purchased by Fox Television, owned by Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch 'brought a bucket of money,' says Morris, and supplied the team with funding for equipment they desperately needed. Stedman forged co-productions in the USA, Europe, Japan, and China. As a fan of science communication, he helped build a post-graduate diploma in natural history film making at the University of Otago. 'We were into science, we were into health, we were into adventure,' says Hayden. As Stedman said in a 2001 TVNZ interview, NHNZ focussed on reading the market in order to make programmes that would appeal to their audiences, 'as opposed to a British system where they would make a programme that they wanted to make and then go and look for a market for it.' At its height, NHNZ had $50 million worth of documentaries in production. It was working on up to 20 films at any one time and employed 200 people. 'When it started, there was about five of us,' recalls Hayden. New Zealand was a hard audience to break into. 'I don't think New Zealanders were seeing a lot of these programmes,' says Hayden. 'I remember Michael saying, you know, you're selling to so many countries, but one of the hardest countries to sell to is your own country.' Internationally, NHNZ's reputation shone. Among numerous other awards, the company's films earned multiple Emmy nominations, and won Emmy awards in 1999 and 2000. In 2011, Stedman's health declined. 'The golden years were over,' says Morris. 'From Fox buying us in 1997, those fantastic years of growth and spreading its wings had sort of got to the end of its road,' says Harraway. 'The market had changed from the good film-making we liked. Reality kind of took hold.' Stedman resigned in 2013, and in the decade following, NHNZ scaled down. In 2022, a much smaller NHNZ was sold to Auckland-based Dame Julie Christie. With the company re-branded to NHNZ Worldwide, just three staff remain in Dunedin. With this month marking three years since Stedman's death in 2022, the original NHNZ team gather around a TV unit, watching a video of Stedman giving a speech. 'It sort of brings the dear old man back to life again,' says Quinn. 'He was an extraordinary person,' says Morris. 'He sponsored us for a period of time so that we could fulfil our dreams.'
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Community news: Live music at Morton Arboretum, school supply drive, more
Morton Arboretum opens its doors this summer for Arbor Evenings from 5:15 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 20 at 4100 Rt. 53, Lisle. Attendees can listen to live music while relaxing outside on picturesque Frost Hill while lounging on blankets or chairs they bring to the event. Sealed nonalcoholic beverages and outside food are welcome. Cocktails, beer, wine, water and other beverages will be sold, and food trucks will be available. Tickets cost $15 for adults 13 and older, $5 for children 4 to 12 years old and free for children 3 and younger. Tickets or information are at or 630-968-0074. LaGrange Public Library staff and officials want to give a helping hand next month to families that need school supplies. To that end, a collection drive is planned until Aug. 3, with drop-off locations at the library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave., LaGrange; First United Methodist Church of LaGrange, 100 W. Cossitt Ave., LaGrange; First Congregational Church of Western Springs, 1106 Chestnut Ave., Western Springs; First Congregational Church of LaGrange, 100 Sixth Ave., LaGrange. The items will be given out 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the LaGrange Park District Recreation Center, 536 East Ave., to anyone in LaGrange and the surrounding area who need them. Supplies include everything from backpacks and lunchboxes to pencils, highlighters, colored pencils, glue sticks, rulers, notebooks to USB flash drives, calculators, and disinfectant wipes and paper towels. A complete list is available at the library's website or by calling 708-215-3200. The seventh annual Strike a Chord benefit in memory of Hayden C. Miles takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 2 at Countryside Park, between 59th and 61st streets. Performers include Roswell, Spingo, Silver Dollar and J3 Experience. The concert is free, but donations will be accepted for Merit School of Music, which aims to remove barriers to high-quality music education to allow all children to experience how music can affect them. Hayden, a Lyons Township High School student, died in March 2018, and the first concert was held in August 2019. He participated in marching band, pep band, jazz band, pit orchestra and concert band, as well as Boy Scouts and archery. As always, money raised will go to a music-related charity. The cross-country team at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park will join the Crosstown Classic Run for a Cause, a student-led event that raises money for BEDS Plus, a nonprofit organization based in LaGrange that works to end homelessness in the southwest suburbs. The event stepped off at 3 p.m. July 26 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, continued along the lakefront path and finished at Rate Field. Runners planned to wear either a Chicago Cubs or a Chicago White Sox jersey, depending on which team brought in the most money before the race. This is the team's second year to join the run, inspired by then-junior Jackson Canellis who issued a summer challenge to the team last year, raising $10,000. 'I saw a way to turn something I love into real impact,' he said via a news release. 'This year we're scaling it up with a goal to help even more families and kids get back on their feet.' BEDS Plus, based at 9601 Ogden Ave., offers emergency shelter, meals, housing and case management to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Last year it served more than 5,000 individuals in 3,320 households. To donate, visit or call 708-354-0858. The Chi Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Triton College in River Grove was again recognized again as a five-star chapter and honored for Outstanding Chapter Advisor Team at the 2025 Illinois Regional Conference and Honors Institute of Phi Theta Kappa in Champaign. To be recognized as a five-star chapter means members must follow a Five State Chapter Plan that outlines essentials for creating a chapter organized into five 'stars' which are Lead, Network, Engage, Reach and Discover. Phi Theta Kappa supports high-achieving students through scholarships, professional development, and opportunities to invest in their community. Members of Triton's chapter must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5. Certificate-seeking students must have completed six college-level credit hours and degree-seeking students must have finished 12 before the current semester. The City of Darien continues its free summer concert series with Ocean's Rat Pack on July 31 and The Stingrays on Aug. 28. The concerts take place 6 to 9 p.m. at Westwood Park, 75th Street and Fairview Avenue. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Attendees should plan to bring a favorite lawn chair or blanket to sit on and canned goods to donate to the local food pantry. Call 630-852-5000. Students are invited to prepare for the upcoming ACT examinations by taking a practice exam from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St., Hinsdale. The library will proctor the practice test and provide results quickly. Register online at or call 630-986-1976.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
SEE THE PICS: Former Freo star gets in on retro round action
Fremantle stars celebrate retro round Picture: Fremantle FC Fremantle players have leapt at the chance to reach into the back of the wardrobe as the Dockers celebrated this weekend's retro round in style. Ahead of this weekend's retro clash against Carlton, players arrived at training in an assortment of old club merch and throwback looks. It wasn't just retro styling on show, with former Fremantle star now development coach Roger Hayden also joining in on the action, wearing his old playing guernsey complete with jacket and cap. His appearance is apt, given the club's 2025 retro jumper is celebrating the first Purple Haze jumper unveiled in 2003, the year Hayden cemented himself in the 'no-name defence' that helped lead the Dockers to their first finals appearance. There was also plenty of love shown for other sporting codes, with son-of-a-gun Jarren Carr showing off his dad's old international rules jumper while small forwards Jack Delean and Sam Switkowski both showed their affection for the NBA's Toronto Raptors. But pick of the bunch was Bailey Banfield, who came ready to hit the clubs in his golf gear, perhaps inspired by the recent British Open or the release of Happy Gilmore 2. SEE THE PICS.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
He gambled away $35K, she covers all the bills — Ramit Sethi weighs in on couple's messy money dynamic
Money can be a source of conflict for couples — and it's not just about who pays for what. In some cases, dynamics can arise that fuel resentment and erode trust. That's the case for Taylor, 29, and Hayden, 25, who sought help from Ramit Sethi on an episode of the I Will Teach You To Be Rich podcast. Taylor is a dentist who earns about $14,600 a month and has a strict savings plan. Her common-law partner, Hayden, makes $2,000 a month as a part-time bartender who 'dabbles' in real estate. But it's not his salary that's the issue: he has a history of gambling and, for about a year, he lied about it. While there's an income disparity between the two, they also have polar-opposite money mindsets. She likes to save; he likes to spend. It's also given their relationship a 'mother-son' dynamic, in which Taylor is the financial provider — a role that she resents. While they've talked about getting married in the next two years, they're hesitant to get engaged because of their different philosophies around money and the issues this has created. Don't Miss Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich — and 'anyone' can do it The Canadian economy is showing signs of softening amid Trump's tariffs — protect your wallet with these 5 essential money moves (most of which you can complete in just minutes) I'm almost 50 and don't have enough retirement savings. What should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 solid ways you can catch up How different money mindsets can affect couples When Sethi asks Taylor if she trusts Hayden with money, she says: 'Not my money.' Taylor said she 'cannot seem to get over the fact that he will not track his money and be financially responsible.' She's also 'scared of what our future could look like if he doesn't get a hold of his spending or start budgeting.' Taylor grew up in a household 'marked by instability, financial stress, health issues, even incarceration,' said Sethi. Since her parents weren't financially responsible, she stepped up and became the parent. 'Now fast forward to adulthood,' said Sethi. 'Taylor's the saver, the contributor. Her partner is unreliable with money just like her parents. And Taylor feels safest when she's the one in control.' Hayden, on the other hand, was 16 when his dad passed away at age 42. 'Most of the guys that I know who lost their dads early have told me they expect to die at the same age. That belief that he's going to die early shapes his view of money,' Sethi noted. Then, Hayden got into gambling — and it 'definitely became a habit, an addiction,' he said. When he first moved in with Taylor, he earned $35,000 from a house he sold but then proceeded to blow all of it in about four to five months. He managed to keep his gambling hidden from Taylor for about a year; he even took out a personal loan just to 'continue the lie.' Eventually he came clean and Taylor was 'devastated.' 'I never wanted to feel like a man was just living off of me. And that's exactly what it ended up feeling like,' said Taylor. Hayden has started therapy and joined Gamblers Anonymous (GA), but 'right now, we're definitely in that mother-son dynamic in our relationship,' he said. 'I want that gone.' When one partner feels like the financial caretaker A lot of Canadians have financial deal breakers in their romantic relationships, according to a recent TD survey. Indeed, 71% of Canadians polled would consider breaking up if they discovered their partner was being dishonest about their finances, while more than half (56%) would contemplate a split from a partner with bad spending habits. 'The way one partner manages their finances can have an impact on how the other person views the future of their relationship,' said Nicole Ewing, principal of the Wealth Planning Office with TD Wealth. 'Love and money are often really intertwined because if you can't trust your partner on money matters, you may want to reassess whether that relationship is the right fit for you,' she said. Elsewhere in the TD survey, 70% of respondents said financial transparency and responsibility were 'crucial factors' in a relationship. And nearly half of those surveyed felt that having conversations about money once or twice a month was ideal. However, only 41% of couples have had the 'money talk' with their partner after moving in together or around the time they get married. Additionally, an RBC poll found that almost a quarter (23%) of Canadians said that it's never been more stressful to talk to their partner about finances, with two in 10 (20%) saying their partner 'simply avoids talking to me about finances.' But perhaps one of the biggest issues? The poll also revealed how if couples do talk about money, they don't always follow through with meaningful action. A quarter (26%) of respondents said that even though they discuss money matters, they don't know what to do next. Read more: Dave Ramsey just issued a blunt reality check to people under 40: 'If you don't retire a millionaire, that's no one's fault but yours.' Breaking free requires communication While there's something to be said for wanting to help out a loved one who's struggling financially, there's often a blurred line between helping and enabling. Breaking free of this dynamic starts with open and honest communication, which could involve scheduling regular 'meetings' to discuss money matters — as opposed to impromptu discussions that could catch one partner off-guard and turn into an argument. Some couples may even want to consider couples counselling or financial counselling, which can offer professional guidance in a neutral environment. From there, couples can start to develop a joint financial plan, looking at ways to share financial responsibilities and set shared financial goals for the future — say, if they want to save for a wedding or put a down payment on a house. This plan should also allocate a portion of each partner's income toward joint expenses. Sethi's advice for Taylor and Hayden? They need to 'recalibrate' their relationship dynamics. They obviously want to be together, he said, but the question is: 'Do we have a powerful enough vision to carry us through those difficult times?' That means having those difficult conversations about money — and, in this case, Sethi said those conversations should be led by Hayden (so Taylor doesn't feel like this is yet another financial burden on her shoulders). For example, they can discuss how they're spending money, where it needs to change and the ways that money could be reallocated. If they can do that now before they're married and have kids, it may get easier as both Taylor and Hayden's family and income grows. But if they can't, 'it's going to be really hard to change later," Sethi warned. 1. YouTube: I track every penny. He gambles. Should I marry him?, I Will Teach You To Be Rich (Jul 8, 2025) 3. TD Stories: Here are 3 of the biggest financial deal breakers in a relationship, according to new TD survey (May 12, 2025) 4. RBC: Finances and feelings: Harsh economic realities taking a toll on relationships among Canadian couples - RBC poll (Dec 12, 2024) What To Read Next 'Mr. Buffett, how can I make $30 billion?': Warren Buffett once explained how he'd turn $10,000 into a huge fortune if he were a new investor — here are his 3 simple strategies Here are 5 expenses that Canadians (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among Canada's wealthiest — plus a few strategies to build that first-class portfolio Pet owners, here's how you can get up to 90% cashback on expensive emergency veterinary bills — and you can even get a free quote in 30 seconds This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
