NHNZ

NHNZ was originally formed as the Natural History Unit of TVNZ. The unit was created in 1977, with the aim of telling stories of New Zealand native and endangered species.

The unit's first documentaries made were a series of six 15-minute programmes called Hidden Places which featured various New Zealand habitats, notably Okarito, White Island, Fiordland, Mackenzie Country and Sinclair Wetlands, near Dunedin.

The first programme that captured international attention was the story of Don Merton's rescue of the New Zealand black robin from the brink of extinction. Several programmes were made chronicling this success story – Seven Black Robins, The Robins Return and finally Chatham Island a Black Robin Story.

In 1997 the production house was sold, and became a subsidiary of Fox International Channels.[2] In October 2012, former Fox executive David Haslingden acquired 100% of NHNZ.[3]

In May 2017, the Canadian media company Blue Ant Media acquired NZHNZ and its parent company, the RACAT Group.[4]

In mid-July 2020, Blue Ant Media announced that it would be selling NHNZ's Melville Street building in order to avoid having capital tied up in real estate. However, the company would remain in the premises.[5]

In January 2021, television producer Julie Christie purchased a majority stake in NHNZ and became chief executive officer. Blue Ant Media retained a significant minority interest in the company, which was rebranded NHNZ Worldwide.[6]

NHNZ is known for their extensive work in creating documentaries in Antarctica. The first, in 1982, featured the private life of Adelie penguins, paved the way for a further 18 titles. Icebird and Under the Ice were early offshore successes for the company.[7] An early pair of documentaries produced by NHNZ, Emperors of Antarctica and The Longest Night, chronicled the overwintering activities of scientists from Antarctica New Zealand, produced by Max Quinn.[8] In 1992, these were joined by a third Solid Water Liquid Rock produced by Mike Single.[9] This trilogy helped to establish a relationship with Discovery Channel.

In 2010, NHNZ started producing 3D factual programming. NHNZ's first 3D documentary China Revealed: The Great Wall of China debuted on one of the world's first full-time 3D networks, -3net.[10] In 2012, NHNZ announced it was taking a lead role in the development of cost-effective 2D to 3D conversion technology, in partnership with Korean company ETRI.[11] ETRI will use NHNZ's HD documentaries as test subjects for trialling the new technology.

Various series produced by NHNZ have received awards and accolades. In 2000, NHNZ cameraman Mike Single won an Emmy for outstanding cinematography for The Crystal Ocean, which focused on the cycle of water freeze and thaw in Antarctica.[12]

NHNZ has made many successful series of programmes working with Animal Planet, including The Most Extreme, a series produced by Ian McGee.[13][14] NHNZ produced 65 episodes of this series from 2002 to 2007.

The forerunner to The Most Extreme was Twisted Tales, two companion series produced in 1999 and 2000. Twisted Tales: The Bat earned NHNZ's second Emmy Award in 1999 for Ian McGee in the category of Outstanding Achievement in a Craft in News and Documentary Programming – Writers. The following year, Ian and co-writer Quinn Berentson were again nominated for an Emmy Award in the same category for Twisted Tales: The Rat.

In 2008, NHNZ began a new series, I Survived..., which airs on the Biography Channel. The series has over 60 episodes, and has its own spinoff series, I Survived: Beyond and Back.[15] Other successful series include Orangutan Island and Life Force.[16]

Over the years, NHNZ diversified its programming away from natural history. The genres covered were expanded to cover health (Kill or Cure series); science (X=Force the Science of ... series; Mega Disasters series); adventure (Adventure Central series); and people (Tribal Life series; The Diva Mummy). The company has also notably produced a range of engineering focused series under the Man Made Marvels and MegaStructures banners.