While TVNZ should be very proud of After the Party – read our very positive review here – there are signs that it may not be the start of a new golden age. The show came out of Te Puna Kairangi, a Covid-era government fund that has lapsed, and the powerful rebates underneath it will also be scrutinised by the incoming coalition. Some have also questioned TVNZ’s ongoing commitment to drama after it recently disestablished a key commissioning role. Well-read local screen newsletter Shownews asked pointedly, “if, a little over a year ago, two people were required to do the job, what’s changed at TVNZ that they now only need one?” It suggested TVNZ’s state ownership meant it could run at a loss.
