Kiwi comedy Godfather John Clarke returns to NZ telly

John Clarke as Fred Dagg in 1977.

John Clarke - the comedian formerly known as Fred Dagg - is returning to New Zealand television.

Clarke is to front a six-part series New Zealand : A User's Guide for TV3.

Expanding on an essay he wrote on his Mr John Clarke website, the series is being made by Rotorua-based Hikoi television, the company behind Maori TV's Hunting Aotearoa.

Clarke left New Zealand in the late 70s after becoming a national star with his Fred Dagg character on New Zealand television.

Dagg began on Country Calendar before shifting to satirical spots on evening news shows like Gallery, Nationwide and Tonight at Nine.

His 1975 album Fred Dagg's Greatest Hits became one of the biggest local sellers of the decade.

But frustrated with his treatment by local television bosses, he departed for Melbourne.

He became an Australian screen fixture during the 1980s with shows like The Gillies Report, The Problem with Men, Sydney Olympics satire The Games, and Clarke & Dawe.

New Zealand: A User's Guide will "take an irreverent look at what's changed since he left New Zealand in 1977" and offer "wry humour to bear on an examination of kiwi culture and success", according to the New Zealand On Air Funding which announced funding of the series of $572,632.

John Clarke.

Other documentaries and docu-dramas included in the announcement include Ben And Olivia: Searching For The Truth, a programme about the case against Scott Watson who was convicted of killing Olivia Hope and Ben Smart to screen in TVNZ's Sunday Theatre slot ($1,027,660).

Also getting funding is My Year with Helen, a one hour doco for TV3 following former Prime Minister Helen Clark over 12 months as head of the United Nations Development Programme.

The funding round also confirmed 2016 series' of The DNA Detectives (TV One, $1,279,725), Grand Designs New Zealand (TV3, $900,000), and Topp Country (TV One, $746,007).