Popular political show Back Benches will return to our
television screens next year thanks to more than $600,000 of
funding from NZ on Air.
Twenty episodes will screen on Prime from early next year, NZ
on Air announced today.
It will provide funding of $629,187 towards the episodes,
with Sky TV also contributing to funding for the series.
NZ on Air chief executive Jane Wrightson said they were
"thrilled" to be able to support the show, which combined
political current affairs and humour to make "topical
political debate highly accessible", she said.
"The series found a loyal audience on TVNZ 7, and NZ On Air
and Prime are delighted to join forces to find it a new
home."
Repeats of the show will screened on TVNZ's Heartland.
Back Benches was scrapped earlier this year by TVNZ after
channel TVNZ7 was closed in June because of expired
government funding, representatives said at the time.
The show was set in Wellington's Backbencher pub opposite
parliament, and filming is expected to return there when the
pub reopens. It was extensively damaged in a fire in June and
is under renovation.
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