The Dominion Post : All Caught Up In A New Tomorrow
June 07th 2005 : By Andrew Gorrie

Filming has started on a new $6.5 million television series called A New Tomorrow in Wellington, with 20 core cast and up to 100 crew – including a large number who worked on King Kong.

Split into 26 parts, The New Tomorrow is a sequel to popular children's series The Tribe from production company Cloud 9.

Funded by Australia's Seven Network and Britain's Channel 5, the programme – which shoots for 15 weeks – is Cloud 9's return to the region. The company filmed five series of The Tribe and other shows at its Lower Hutt studios.

But in 2003, chief executive Raymond Thompson moved the firm to Brisbane after failing to resolve a longstanding row with Television New Zealand over screening times.

Mr Thompson said he was pleased to employ crew who had worked on Peter Jackson's King Kong and help the economy.

"It's important for them, because you might only have a big-budget movie once every two or three years and in between they've got to feed their families. Television is a good mainstay.

"People think of film and television as just creative individuals, but you've got electricians, cooks, plumbers and carpenters."

British-born Mr Thompson said he was impressed with what had been shot, as it was the first time many of the young cast had acted for TV.

"They are all loving it. Their performances are just so natural. In England, you have stage schools and stage mothers. In New Zealand, it's this natural standard. I'm astounded at the range of talent."

The series was being filmed around the region, including locations at Belmont Regional Park and Whitemans Valley, as well its Lower Hutt studios. It would be completed by November.

Mr Thompson said there was already keen interest for The New Tomorrow and expected episodes to screen at Mipcom – television's equivalent of the Cannes Film Festival – at Cannes in October.

He flew to Sydney yesterday to meet Australian networks about plans for another Cloud 9 drama series set in a New Zealand vineyard. It would have a similar feel to McLeod's Daughters.