Story: Television

Making of The governor

This clip shows some of the detailed planning that went into ensuring the historical authenticity of The governor, the most ambitious New Zealand television drama of the 1970s. The governor was a creation of Michael Noonan and Tony Isaac, who won a commitment to the programme as a reward for their role in the soap opera Close to home. The programme consisted of six long episodes, and told the story of Governor George Grey from a questioning, revisionist perspective. Don Selwyn ensured that there was active Māori involvement, and since the drama appeared in 1977, a time when there was considerable Māori protest about land rights, it attracted wide public interest. The governor's cost also caused some controversy at the time, but most critics praised its historical integrity and some fine acting, with British actor Corin Redgrave as Grey.

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TVNZ Television New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Trisha Dunleavy, 'Television - Television drama', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/45703/making-of-the-governor (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Trisha Dunleavy, published 22 Oct 2014