KEY POINTS:
Foreign Affairs are no laughing matter. Just ask Winston. But a new Kiwi TV show from one of the creators of Outrageous Fortune is attempting to find humour in the subject.
Pre-production starts this month on James Griffin's Diplomatic Immunity, a "big bold, brassy, sexy, politically incorrect" comedy series, say producers South Pacific Pictures.
The 13 half-hour episodes centre around Leighton Mills (played by Craig Parker), a fallen diplomatic high-flyer who ends up babysitting the morally bankrupt staff of the Auckland embassy of The Most Royal Kingdom of Fe'ausi, including the manipulative ambassador, Jonah. Leighton's attempts to teach them right from wrong are countered by their attempts to "get him to remove the stick from his butt". He also falls for Jonah's headstrong daughter, Leilani.
Joining Griffin on the writing staff are Dave Armstrong, (Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby, bro'Town), Joss King (Shortland Street, Ride with the Devil) and actor Tim Balme (Maddigan's Quest, Mercy Peak).
The show is in production from March until May.
Also coming up on TV One is the drama Burying Brian, about a woman who drunkenly declares to her friends that she wishes her husband, Brian, would drop dead - and returns home to find that her wish has been granted. It stars Shane Cortese, Rebecca Hobbs, Jodie Dorday, Ingrid Park, Carrie McLaughlin, Robbie Magasiva and Ian Mune.
