'Go Girls' gets second series

Britta, Kevin, Cody and Amy of Go Girls will return to our screens with a second series. Photo / Supplied by TV2

New Zealand on Air is doing its bit to keep Kiwis employed as two new local drama series begin filming this week and a second season of Go Girls has the green light for this year.

It's a double dose of good news for Go Girls creators Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang, who are also the team behind TV2's upcoming series This is Not My Life, which has started filming in Auckland.

The 13-part series, which received close to $7 million in NZoA funding, is described as a "high-concept action/mystery drama" and will star former Hercules and Street Legal actor Charles Mesure.

Mesure has returned from Los Angeles, where he had guest starred on Ghost Whisperer, Crossing Jordan, Cold Case, Bones, Without a Trace, Lost and more.

He will star opposite Tandi Wright (Shortland Street) and Miriama McDowell (No. 2).

Meanwhile, Great Southern Film and Television - the production company behind Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Singing Bee - will turn their hand to television drama for the first time as they begin filming The Cult.

Described as "Prison Break meets Lost", the 13-part series is the story of four 20-somethings trapped in the secret community of Two Gardens. The acclaimed cast will feature former McLeod's Daughter Lisa Chappell, Law & Order's Latham Gaines, EastEnders actor Andrew Grainger and Shortland Street's Renato Bartolomei, alongside award-winning Kiwi actors Kate Elliot and Scott Wills.

The series received $6.45 million in NZoA funding and will be written by Kathryn Burnett, Nick Ward and Peter Cox - the same people behind The Strip, Street Legal and The Insider's Guide to Happiness.

Go Girls, which received $6.2 million funding for its first season has rated consistently over the past 10 weeks, averaging 311,000 viewers. It ends next month with the second series slated for early next year.