SkyCity to part-fund TV show

A new documentary about the opening of a five-star restaurant at SkyCity is being partly funded by the casino giant.

Under The Grill, which will premiere on TV3 next month, claims to take viewers behind the scenes of the creation of the new SkyCity restaurant.

The show will feature Australian-based chef Sean Connolly leading architects, builders and suppliers as they prepare a restaurant from scratch in fewer than 100 days, ready for the Rugby World Cup.

MediaWorks' Rachel Lorimer said it was common for the network to jointly fund a show. "It's certainly not an infomercial. If you don't do it well, the audience won't put up with it."

She said the show's creators would not shy away from showing unflattering moments.