KEY POINTS:
Four locally produced comedy series will be shown on television soon.
"We had some great comedy proposals this month," NZ On Air chief executive Jane Wrightson said today.
"Two of the proposals are for returning series, and there are two for new projects."
The new projects include a sketch comedy series called A Thousand Apologies, which addresses the diversity of the Asian experience in New Zealand.
Ms Wrightson said that it was a ground-breaking series from local Asian talent to have fun with the experiences of Kiwi Asians .
"Naughty, but very funny.
"We've also given the green light to The Jaquie Brown Diaries -- a hybrid comedy/factual satire series that follows the trials and tribulations of an almost famous TV presenter and her search for self discovery."
That show would feature real television and media personalities, playing distorted versions of their own personas -- blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, she said.
Both of these series were funded from NZ On Air's Innovation fund.
"Local comedy is certainly alive and well," Ms Wrightson said.
The returning shows are a second series of the satirical political comedy The Pretender, and Moon TV Network will see the Moon TV comedy team back in action.
- NZPA
