Bold New Comedy Launches On Maori Television

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 2005
PUBLICITY RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In the lead-up to a steamy summer, Maori Television dishes up an exciting, new 100 per cent Aotearoa made comedy, B & B.

Launching on Monday October 24 at 9.30 PM, the series centres on a bi-cultural couple that came together one balmy evening in a Norfolk Island resort and ended up running their dream home stay in the fictional New Zealand town of Oneoneroa.

The new Livingstone Productions comedy is played out with lavish dollops of humour by the gorgeous pairing of Hori Ahipene and Te Radar - or Beverley and Bevan Best respectively.

Beverley is a former cultural group showgirl who plied her wares on the Australasian club circuit while Bevan is an anthropologist trying desperately to finish his 11-year-long thesis on the anthropology of tourism.

The couple met on the island resort where Beverley was in the middle of a year-long residency. A chance introduction in which one of Beverley's fire poi caught on her grass skirt ensued and Bevan leapt in true hero fashion to douse the flames. But he couldn't extinguish the mutual attraction that had been sparked by the singed polyester flax.

The couple married immediately but their honeymoon was cut short by the tragic news of the death of Beverley's mother. They returned to Oneoneroa for the funeral, only to discover that they had been left the family home which they promptly converted into a bed and breakfast. And here begins our series.

Hori Ahipene became a household name with his portrayal of the archetypal domineering Samoan matriarch Mrs Semisi on the early 1990s comedy series SKITZ. As Maori television comedy was being explored, Hori was part of the core cast of Radio Wha Waho - the 1993 pioneering bilingual sitcom based on the antics of a rural iwi radio station. Since then, he has been acting and directing for television, covering a number of genre.

"I'm so excited about B & B. It boldly goes where no show has gone before. I'm loving working with Te Radar - he's Te Bomb," he says.

Te Radar (Andrew J Lumsden) was the 1998 recipient of the Billy T Award for comedy excellence. As a stand-up comedian, Te Radar has travelled and performed internationally including highly successful tours of Canada and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

"This is quite possibly one of the most exciting projects I have worked on. Ever. I always wanted to marry a wahine Maori - I just never thought it would be Hori Ahipene."

According to recent research commissioned by NZ On Air, New Zealanders are crying out for more locally-made television comedy. "We all know New Zealanders are funny and enjoy the opportunity to laugh at ourselves. It's time we saw more of that on the small screen," says NZ On Air chief executive Jo Tyndall.

Part situational comedy, part chat show, this satirical show highlights broader social and cultural issues of the day and features cameo appearances from special guests. Filmed before a live studio audience, B & B will show us all that we can have a laugh and live together in harmony - no matter what our background!

B & B - the return of fresh New Zealand comedy to Maori Television, from Monday October 24 at 9.30 PM.

Ends

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR B & B

Year 2005

Production Company Livingstone Productions

Credits Executive Producer: Johnny Givins

Co-producer / Director: Greg Mayor

Co-producer: Les Hill

Production Designer: Clayton Ercolano

Writer / Script Supervisor: Dave Armstrong

HOD Wardrobe: Janis MacEwan

Costume Designer: Tracey Collins

HOD Hair & Make-up Design: Deb Watson

Composer: Christopher Banks

Te Reo Advisor: Mere Black

Censor Not rated

Language Maori and English languages

ENDS

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