Despite being currently embroiled in problems around the delivery or otherwise of signals from a dying satellite, Sky New Zealand Originals aims to deliver plenty of strong local content in 2025.
Sky has a variety of scripted and factual entertainment from Sky New Zealand Originals on the way, made with the support of NZ On Air and a range of local and international partners.
In the wake of 2024’s critically acclaimed, award-winning Sky New Zealand Originals series Dark City: The Cleaner, Kiri & Lou and Dynamic Planet, viewers can look forward to another stellar slate of homegrown drama, with titles for the whole whānau, as well as thought-provoking and heart-warming docuseries exploring subjects ranging from cultural identity to mental health.
Thomas Robins, Head of Sky New Zealand Originals, says, “Following on from the success of our 2024 programming, Sky New Zealand Originals is looking forward to proudly delivering audiences even more compelling local content in 2025.
“We’re thrilled to continue to team up with Aotearoa’s most creative production companies and on and off-screen talent, with support from NZ On Air, to create more phenomenal scripted and non-scripted content, and we’re delighted to play a part in helping take New Zealand content to the world stage by teaming up with amazing international partners, including BBC Scotland, BYUtv (USA), ABC (Australia) and ZDF Studios (Germany).”
Leading the charge for Sky New Zealand Originals in 2025 will be factual series Miriam Margolyes in New Zealand, making its Aotearoa premiere this weekend, on Sunday 9 February, screening at 7.30pm on Sky Open and streaming on Neon.
The two-part series sees Margolyes embark on a road-trip adventure around the country while preparing for her first New Zealand film role. The ever-intrepid British Australian octogenarian is determined to find out what it means to be a Kiwi in a journey full of hilarious surprises, unexpected challenges and revealing stories, meeting all sorts of New Zealanders along the way, from gang members to protesting farmers to rugby icons.
Whānau can enjoy an all-new mythical live-action adventure series, Secrets at Red Rocks (above).
Based on the bestselling children’s novel by celebrated New Zealand author Rachael King, the eight-part series transports the Celtic myth of the selkies into the landscape of Wellington’s wild south coast, throwing an ordinary boy into a life-changing adventure.
Featuring Wētā Workshop visual effects and on-screen talent including Dominic Ona-Ariki (One Lane Bridge) and veteran of the stage and screen, Jim Moriarty MNZM (Mahana), Secrets at Red Rocks will be appointment co-viewing for the whole family.
Other Sky New Zealand Originals scripted titles coming to the network in 2025 include Thomas Sainsbury’s Small Town Scandal, a screen adaptation of the comedian’s mockumentary true-crime podcast of the same name, as well as psychological thriller, The Ridge, a premium drama that see Sky New Zealand Originals collaborating with BBC Scotland.
Female buddy cop dramedy Bust Up, a co-commission with Germany’s ZDF, will also head into production this year.
Factual titles that local audiences can look forward to this year include the heartwarming Choir Games, an uplifting series from legendary documentary maker Leanne Pooley following two choirs from Kaitaia and New York as they go on a life-changing journey to compete in the biggest choral competition, The World Choir Games.
Earth Oven with Temuera Morrison sees one of New Zealand’s biggest Hollywood exports use his favourite kai – hāngi – as a vehicle to head off on a globe-trotting adventure, visiting indigenous communities around the world to uncover how earth ovens have shaped their cultures.
Also screening in 2025 will be All Access Driving School, a series from the makers of Wheel Blacks: Bodies on the Line that will follow a cast of unique learner drivers, each with a different disability, as they learn to drive, capturing their triumphs, challenges, and occasionally hilarious mishaps.
Finally, Sonia Gray will embark on a mind-altering journey to find out if psychedelics could be the answer to New Zealand’s on-going mental health and addiction crisis in series Mind Menders.
Upcoming Sky New Zealand Originals content
Scripted
Secrets at Red Rocks, coming to Neon and Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Adapted from celebrated New Zealand author Rachael King’s award-winning novel, Secrets at Red Rocks is a mystical live-action drama for the whole whānau. The series follows 12-year-old Jake as he is drawn into a world of mythical creatures and adventure when he finds a sealskin hidden on the rocky shores of his father’s seaside home in Wellington. When unexpected dangers are unleashed, Jake is called upon to protect his family.
Small Town Scandal, coming to Neon and Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Tom Sainsbury brings his mockumentary true-crime podcast Small Town Scandal to the screen. The beloved comedian plays a disgraced journalist turned true-crime podcast host investigating the death of his millionaire uncle in a hometown filled with eccentric suspects.
The Ridge, coming to Neon and Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Six-part premium scripted psychological thriller series for BBC Scotland and Sky New Zealand, The Ridge tells the story of Mia, who is fleeing addiction and leaving behind a professional life in tatters in Scotland. She accepts a wedding invitation from her estranged sister in New Zealand, only to find the would-be-bride dead upon arrival. Caught up in grief and pulled by a dark attraction to her late-sister’s fiancé, Mia soon uncovers the wider tensions and mysterious forces cleaving apart a rugged mountain community, setting environmentalists and local farmers against one another.
Bust Up, in production in 2025 for Neon and Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
A strong female creative team will deliver Bust Up, a female buddy cop series set in the Bay of Islands. Deb and Mihi – ex-partners in life – are forced to partner up again as cops on the beat in this primetime procedural crime series with complex relationships, and genuinely Kiwi tone and humour.
Non-scripted
Miriam Margolyes in New Zealand, starts Sunday 9 February on Neon and on Sky Open from 7.30pm
Ever-intrepid British Australian octogenarian Miriam Margolyes embarks on a new road-trip adventure around Aotearoa in preparation for her first New Zealand film role. On a quest to find out what it means to be a Kiwi today, Margolyes dives headfirst into a new country on a journey full of hilarious surprises, unexpected challenges, and revealing stories.
Choir Games, coming to Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Produced and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Leanne Pooley ONZM (Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold, Beyond the Edge), Choir Games is an uplifting series about the power of music to change lives, following a Kiwi and an American choir as they go on a life changing journey to The World Choir Games, the biggest choral competition on earth, held in Aotearoa in 2024.
All Access Driving School, coming to Neon and Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
From the makers of Wheel Blacks: Bodies on the Line, comes a series exploring the world of driving like never before, following a cast of unique learner drivers – each with a different disability. Capturing their triumphs, challenges, and occasionally hilarious mishaps as they navigate the realm of the road, this series has all the heart, humour and heightened stakes expected of highly popular driving shows – with one important difference: their difference!
Earth Oven with Temuera Morrison, coming to Neon and Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Temuera Morrison is hungry – and he’s using his favourite kai as a vehicle to head off on a globe- trotting adventure! Temuera will visit indigenous communities around the world to uncover how earth ovens have shaped their cultures.
Mind Menders, coming to Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Host Sonia Gray goes on a mind-altering journey to find out if psychedelics could be the answer to New Zealand’s on-going mental health and addiction crisis.
My Favourite Dead Person season 3, coming to Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Comedian Josh Thomson is joined by tamariki to celebrate Aotearoa’s history, by remembering some of our outrageous and inspiring local heroes.
Stranded, in production in 2025 for Sky Open (made with the support of NZ On Air)
Stranded is an observational documentary series following those at the centre of whale rescues across Aotearoa.
