Kiwifruit (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Kiwifruit


caption =
format = Talk show
camera =
picture_format =
runtime = 25 minutes
creator =
developer =
executive_producer =
starring = Amanda Rees
Kevin Alexander
Matu Ngaropo
narrated =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = New Zealand
network = TVNZ
first_aired = 2005
last_aired = 2006
num_episodes = 50
website =
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

Kiwifruit was a New Zealand magazine style talk show series that dealt with gay and lesbian issues. It was produced by CreamTV and shown on Television New Zealand's TV2.

The show was commissioned for an original 10 episode run in 2005, to find a replacement to long-time running "QueerNation", which was coming to an end. It was set to compete with "The OUTHouse". After showing both "The OutHouse" and "Kiwifruit", it was decided that Kiwifruit would get the 40 episode contract.

Criticism

When the program started airing in 2006, it was met with negative feedback from the gay community. This was confirmed when in a NZ on Air commissioned GLBT survey found that 70% of the respondents disliked the show. [Labbet, T. [http://www.nzonair.govt.nz/images/media/about/Gay06_web.pdf "Gay and Lesbian Television Audiences"] , 4 July 2006, retrieved 18 October 2006.] Some of the respondents found the show shallow, superficial and offensive.

Presenter Amanda Rees lashed out at the report, saying "We think that their criticism of the show being ‘lightweight’ was appropriate for the episode or two that screened around the time of the research." She also said that they receive a lot of positive feedback regarding the show, and when covering serious issues they get lower ratings than normal. [ [http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_3627.php "NZOA research: Kiwifruit responds"] , "GayNZ.com", 28 September 2006, retrieved 9 October 2008.]

The show was not renewed for a further series in 2007.

ee also

* [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/624006 Kiwifruit homepage on TVNZ.co.nz]
* LGBT New Zealand

References