Following on from James Nesbitt’s role in The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey, he’s back to the New Zealand countryside for new ITV documentary, James Nesbitt’s New Zealand. Guiding us around the antipodean country, he will be giving us his own take on the North and South Islands’ landscape, wildlife, people and culture.
When filming for his role as the dwarf Bofur, he and his family moved to New Zealand for a significant period of time over recent years, giving him an opportunity to get to know the country well. Giving us his own perspective on everything that makes the country so interesting, diverse and rich in scenery, Nesbitt will be trying to get under the fabric of the distant land that has bemused movie directors like Peter Jackson in recent years.
The hour long documentary will take us right the way through the near 1000 mile stretch of New Zealand, situated 900 miles East of Australia and surrounded by the Tasman Sea on its east coast, the Pacific Ocean on its west and the cold blue waters of the Southern Ocean to the south.
As well as some David Attenborough style documentary shots of the scenery and wildlife that are such a big part of the country, including whale watching in Kaikoura, James Nesbitt will also be focusing on the life of New Zealanders. Getting to know a little more about the Mouri culture by getting a temporary tattoo with them and learning the haka should hopefully give him a chance to see beyond the well known to the enduring influence of that people that first populated the country back in the 13th century, some 300 plus years before Europeans set foot on the land.
Priya Singh, Commissioner Factual and Daytime, commented, “New Zealand is a magical combination of both the far away and the familiar and we’re delighted that James Nesbitt will be our host, bringing his personal insight to this journey for the ITV audience.”
James nesbitt’s New Zealand will be airing later this year on ITV 1, showing off what he called his “Hobbit homeland”. Produced by Alaska TV, which previously produced the Joe Wiley Music Show for Sky Arts, the documentary should be a great insight into the fascination with everything Kiwi.
