Reality queen Julie Christie joins Bravo New Zealand board

Julie Christie has been appointed a member of the new Bravo New Zealand board. Photo / NZ Herald

Reality TV queen Julie Christie has been announced as one of five members on the new Bravo New Zealand board.

The reality channel, a joint venture between MediaWorks and NBC Universal, launched on Sunday, replacing the youth-oriented channel Four.

Former Lightbox head of content and programming Maria Mahony has been appointed general manager of Bravo New Zealand and will take up the role next month.

The board will be led by NBC Universal's managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Chris Taylor, alongside Justin Che and Christine Fellowes, also of NBC Universal, and MediaWorks' Andrew Szusterman and Christie.

The cast of the Real Housewives of Auckland, coming to Bravo in 2016. Photo / Greg Bowker

Bravo New Zealand launched this week to a backlash from parents, who were upset to learn some of their children's favourite programmes were no longer on-air.

Among the shows to disappear were child-friendly fare like Sesame Street, Fireman Sam and Thomas the Tank Engine.

The female-skewed channel is billed as the home of "unscripted drama" and is currently producing its first local production Real Housewives of Auckland, due to screen later this year.

Here it is! Your EXCLUSIVE look at The Real Housewives of Auckland.💎 #RHOAKL #BravoNZhttps://t.co/Yb61joYQrr

— Bravo New Zealand (@BravoNewZealand) July 5, 2016

Herald television critic Calum Henderson described the channel's programming as "fundamentally the same show remade over and over again in various communities of obscene wealth".

"Ultimately it functions the same as talkback radio - a low, constant chatter, fine as long as you don't pay attention to anything anyone is saying."