MEDIA RELEASE
Note: Media release contains offensive language
14 June 2011

Outrageous Fortune obscenities breached broadcasting standards, says BSA

The use of the c-word and other obscenities during the initial 10 minutes of an episode of Outrageous Fortune shown at 8.30pm breached broadcasting standards, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found…

The 27th Sundance Film Festival has announced its line-up selection and included are two New Zealand short films: Ebony Society, Outrageous Fortune star Tammy Davis’ debut as a writer/director; and Redemption, which is director and co-writer Katie Wolfe’s second short film to be invited to the fest.

An Outrageous Fortune star’s outrageous turn as a wartime Kiwi con man proved to be the highest-rating Sunday Theatre drama of the past four weeks – even though it started midway through a top-rating movie on TV2.
And while it wasn’t widely reviewed, the telemovie was well received by two key reviewers: The Listener’s Fiona Rae and The Dominion Post’s Linda Burgess.

After the Waterfall’s shocking weekend fall at the box office will see sessions and screens scaled back this Thursday as it trickles into a third and probably final week.
Distributor Kelly Rogers, of Rialto Entertainment, says it’s a sign of the recessionary times. The NZFC’s Graeme Mason concurs, noting the ever-increasing need for filmmakers to focus on who the audience will be for the stories they want to tell.

“NZ On Air has too often rewarded mediocrity. How often have I attended Qantas Awards and heard the winners declare “this is simply the best team”, or “we worked so hard on this and deserve recognition”, when the television show or short film has appeared once in off-peak, or was dropped after a few weeks of ratings failure, or did not produce the ratings needed to justify the investment. There is a reluctance to reward success. Outrageous Fortune is a good example where the battle to secure funding for years 4, 5 and 6 was significant – and without which, the programme could not be made…”

Broadcast funding agency NZ On Air today released its annual report for the year ended 30 June 2010 after it was tabled in Parliament. NZ On Air investments provide wide-ranging Kiwi perspectives, stories and music for many different New Zealand audiences.

Last night’s series finale of Outrageous Fortune hammered the competition, with its highest viewership of 18-49 year-olds in six seasons.
Meanwhile, key critics were in a congratulatory mood, with one peering into the future and declaring it “most successful locally made television series of all time”.

Hats off to all involved (co-creators Rachel Lang and James Griffin, South Pacific Pictures, writers, actors, production team) for getting everything so right. Cleverly, the West’s world always seemed simultaneously larger than life yet rooted, both literally and metaphorically, in reality…

The final episode of TV3’s most popular drama, Outrageous Fortune, ended last night with the highest rating episode ever.
More than 700,000 New Zealander’s tuned in to say goodbye to the country’s most successful drama series and to the much loved West family.

Outrageous Fortune fans mourning the final farewell to New Zealand’s most successful drama series last night have had a reprieve – the secrets of the West family are being laid bare in a major exhibition at Auckland Museum.
Outrageous Fortune: The Exhibition, which opens on December 15, has been developed in partnership with the production company South Pacific Pictures to give a behind-the-scenes look into the West family’s world.

Tonight at 8.30pm on TV3 it’ll be the end of an era as New Zealand viewers say goodbye to their favourite Kiwi TV family when the credits roll on the last episode of the sixth and final season of Outrageous Fortune.
In the November issue of Onfilm magazine, out on the 15th of the month, we talk to creators Rachel Lang and James Griffin and writer Tim Balme about making this piece of classic Kiwi television, from its inception onwards. The following is an exclusive extract of the interview…

Everyone at TV3’s launch of its new season to media and ad agencies in Wellington took the opportunity to plug the importance of NZ content, from co-host Ben Hurley citing 7 Days’ phenomenal success, to news and current affairs chief Mark Jennings promising there would no ‘isms’ in his network’s coverage next year (“no sexism, no racism, no sarcasm”) to programming chief Kelly Martin pointing out: “Six years ago, no one would have believed a New Zealand drama would be the highest-rating drama on NZ TV in 2010.”

Can TV One’s intriguing new drama series, This Is Not My Life, maintain the momentum of its double-episode premiere when it continues tonight at 8.30?
Part three will screen on the back of Monday’s exceptional ratings for Shortland Street’s first telemovie and the phenomenal popularity of Outrageous Fortune.

A banner week for NZ drama in primetime will culminate Thursday, when TV One launches what the network hopes will be its answer to TV3’s Outrageous Fortune and TV2’s Go Girls.

Last night’s highly trumpeted return of Outrageous Fortune for its final season earned the award-winner its biggest audience since going to air five years ago. The premiere drew a whopping 24.8 percent of 25-54 year-olds (45.5 share), 24.5% of 18-39 (48.2), 27.8% of household shoppers with kids (51.9), and 23.7 percent (45.9) of TV3’s target audience, 18-49.

Put it down to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

The longest-running NZ drama series in history starts its final season tonight (TV3, 8.30) because there’s not enough money to fund a seventh.

This is in spite of the Westie comedy/drama still ranking among the most popular shows on TV3, being promoted to an ultra-competitive slot, and screening for the first time in high definition.