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Poster for The Unauthorised History of New Zealand

The Unauthorised History of New Zealand

Seen it?

2005 | 4 seasons | Comedy

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With almost no lasting buzz and a short run with a modest audience, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh.
The mood
Light and funny.
The pace
4 seasons, but most episodes stand on their own, so you can dip in anywhere.
What might put you off
Nothing much for most grown-ups.

The Unauthorised History of New Zealand is a New Zealand comedic history talk show series that tells the "real truth" behind the history of New Zealand. Some of the archive footage seen on the show has never been seen on television before because it was deemed too shocking by TV executives to screen at the time. Some material created for the programme, including the 1920s-style animated series Happy Hori, is presented as though it were archival. This country was shaped by visitors and the first episode examines the impact of such diverse guests as sheep, Colonel Sanders, the Shah of Iran and Muhammad Ali on New Zealand. Famous troublemakers such as Hongi Hika, the Ingham Twins and the Neil Roberts' feature in an episode devoted to Trouble. Other episodes in the series consider some of the country's most powerful people, its legends, and reveal some of the most shocking and sexiest moments in the nation's history.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Ran for 4 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 1K people sought it out in the past year

Season by season

The show overall is a Monday Morning Maybe. Here's how each season stacks up.

  1. Season 12005 · 7 episodes
    Not rated yet
  2. Season 22007 · 7 episodes
    Not rated yet
  3. Season 32008 · 7 episodes
    Not rated yet
  4. Season 42008 · 7 episodes
    Not rated yet

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Cast & crew