DEGANZ Watch List: Comedies, Classics, & Conundrums

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Here is the next iteration of our DEGANZ Watch List featuring work from members Isaiah Tour, Peter Burger, David de Lautour, and lifetime member Howard Taylor.

From working on the beloved classic Country Calendar, to the new season of Irish co-production The Gone, to kicking off new series Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club and Vince, DEGANZ members are working in a wide range of genres and mediums.

Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club

Web Series

Assistant Editor: Isaiah Tour

Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester head out on a cross-country quest to find love and explore the state of dating and relationships in modern-day Aotearoa.

 

Country Calendar 2025

Factual Series

Director: Howard Taylor

Watch Hyundai Country Calendar S2025E2 | TVNZ+

Aotearoa’s longest-running television series is back for another season. Take a look into iconic rural Kiwi life with the latest season of Hyundai Country Calendar.

Episode 2, directed by DEGANZ lifetime member Howard Taylor, follows a couple who combine their two passions of running the family dairy farm and breeding Clydesdale horses for showing, ploughing and harness work.

 

The Gone – Season 2

Drama Series

Director: Peter Burger

When an Irish journalist goes missing, Irish Detective Theo Richter (Richard Flood) & Kiwi Detective Diana Huia (Acushla-Tara Kupe) once again lead a search in the small town of Mt Affinity.

 

Vince

Comedy Series

Director: David de Lautour

Vince, a charming Breakfast TV host, endures a grave trouser malfunction at the children’s cancer ward on live TV and must navigate the aftermath to save his reputation.

 

To see more recent work from DEGANZ members, check out our last DEGANZ watchlist!

 

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DEGANZ Watch List: One for the Factual Lovers

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It’s been hard to keep up with all the new work from DEGANZ members coming out! For factual series lovers, here are series by members to check out across various platforms.

From looking into the past, to analysing the present, to thinking about how we can learn and progress for the future, these shows tackle social issues pertinent to Aotearoa.

Farewell Guangdong

Factual Series

Director: Lynda Chanwai-Earle

In 1937, Japan invades China. The Japanese sweep south to Guangdong, capturing the strategic port of Guangzhou. Many women and children try to escape war-torn China. Their husbands in New Zealand beg the government to grant them sanctuary here. These are some of the harrowing stories of our grandmothers and mothers, the pioneers of our community.

Based on Lily Lee’s publication Farewell Guangdong, the show uses dramatic re-enactments, interviews, and historical archive material to bring to life first-hand accounts from the wives and children who fled Guangdong, China during the second Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945.

d8talk

Web Series

Director: Joe Canham

No matter where we come from, how we identify ourselves or what we’re into, the desire to find connection is universal. Over the next six months, a diverse group of young New Zealanders will take part in a dating conversation via a new social media project, d8talk. Simply put d8talk is people talking about dating.

The Niu Dawn – Lessons of the Dawn Raids

Factual Series

Editor: Laura McBeath

Unravelling the lasting echoes of the 1970s Dawn Raids: the extraordinary stories of what happened, why it matters and how young generations are using the lessons of the past as ways to deal with our future.

Queer Aotearoa: We’ve Always Been Here

Factual Series

Director: Harry Wynn

Join Eli Matthewson for a journey through the untold history of New Zealand’s queer community, celebrating the resilience of trailblazers who pushed for an inclusive Aotearoa.

 

To see more recent work from DEGANZ members, check out our 2024-2025 holiday watch list and latest catch-up piece!

 

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Catch Up on These Works from DEGANZ Members

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DEGANZ members have been busy with new films and series premiering over the holidays including a documentary about aging, a reimagining of a beloved children’s literary character, and a drama-filled teen mystery.

Check this list of new works to see if you have any catching up to do on local screen mahi.

Predict My Future

Documentary

Alarmed by her mother and grandmother’s advancing age, a young filmmaker turns to the world-leading Dunedin Longitudinal Study, asking how and why we age, how to do it healthily and more.

Directors: Ankita Singh

Producer & Additional Field Director: Mark McNeill

Director’s Mentor: Robyn Paterson

Editor: Jack Woon

Badjelly

Animated Series

A fresh reimagining of Spike Milligan’s Badjelly the Witch, the classic tale of a lost cow, a mysterious forest and a sinister sorceress. Featuring the voices of Miriam Margolyes, Rhys Darby & Rose Matafeo.

Animatic Assistant Editor: Gwen Lin

Literally Dead

Web Series

Set in modern-day Aotearoa, Literally Dead follows True–the most iconic b*tch you’ve ever met. She’s beautiful, smart, charming, and sharp, but on the cusp of graduating from high school, she died in a tragic accident (note: it wasn’t an accident). The series takes place entirely on the night of True’s graduation party, as her ghost presents her circle of friends and frenemies, uncovering her death was the least f*cked up thing that happened that year at Gilchrist Grammar.

Directors: Victoria Boult & Gwen Lin

Editor: Brendon Chan

 

To see more recent work from DEGANZ members, check out our 2024-2025 holiday watch list.

 

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DEGANZ Watch List: Holiday Edition

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Even though DEGANZ is beginning to wrap up for the year, our members are still dropping new work! Check out this list of new films and series to watch over the holiday period. From drama series to documentaries, there’s plenty of local mahi to keep us entertained until 2025.

A Remarkable Place to Die

Drama Series

Detective Anais Mallory returns home to picturesque Queenstown, only to be faced with shocking homicides. Amongst the mysteries and idyllic scenery, disturbing echoes from her own past emerge.

Directors: Caroline Bell Booth, Peter Burger, Josh Frizzell, and Charlie Haskell

K Road Chronicles (season 4)

Factual Web Series

K Road Chronicles delves into the gritty reality of those living within the margins of society, shining a critical eye on overlooked issues and sharing deeply personal stories of hope and inspiration from our street communities.

Editor: Brendan Chan

Myths and Maidens

Documentary

A rich tapestry of stories from women across Pasifika, delving into the sticky issues of colourism, fat-phobia, and how our societies have been taught to view women of colour across the ages.

Editor: Cushla Dillon

Ram Raid Mums

Documentary

Three resilient mothers struggle to raise their children amongst dwindling support and systemic failures. With nowhere to turn, they discover Mana Inc., a lifeline that sparks hope.

Editors: Te Rurehe Paki and Ben Wildish

Unmasking the Monsters

Documentary

With unprecedented access to NZ Customs’ Child Exploitation Operations Team, this documentary reveals the complex & lifesaving work of our investigators at the frontline of online child abuse crimes.

Editor: Margot Francis

 

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