Producer's Diary - Spring 2009
We've now started work on a new series to go to air next year.
New Zealand On Air has confirmed it will help fund more shows, Untouched World will again supply our reporters with clothing, and we have every hope the National Bank will continue its key role as our major sponsor.
The 2009 series rated well and we've had a lot of positive feedback, from rural and urban people alike.
But with 26 new episodes to make, we don't have any time to bask in reflected glory - we're now researching story possibilities and preparing to start shooting.
Choosing the right stories is the key to a successful series, but it's not always easy.
For instance, we often come across something, or someone, really interesting - but the reality is that they're ideal for only five or 10 minutes of good television. We've found that our best programmes stick to just one topic, or to one person or group - and putting two or three different ideas together doesn't quite gel. So we frequently find ourselves saying: 'It's a great idea, but it's not right for our show.'
Or we'll find an idea that works well, but is too similar to an episode we're recently done. We like to put plenty of variety into our programmes - we don't want viewers to feel we're running out of ideas.
And we're certainly not stuck for new topics - we're now working through a list with nearly 200 'possibles' on it.
And new ideas are coming in all the time, often through viewers' e-mails. The box at the bottom of our main Web page, saying: "Ideas for a Country Calendar story?" attracts a steady stream of valuable suggestions.
We're constantly amazed at the variety of rural activities New
Zealand offers, and the great people who are involved in making
them happen. It's what makes working on Country Calendar such
a pleasure.
